In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Dane Carlson speaks with David Fleming, president and CEO of Rev Birmingham, about transforming Birmingham from an industrial city into a thriving service economy centered around healthcare and education. Fleming discusses how his organization fosters downtown vibrancy by preserving historic character, supporting local businesses that "make the city cool," ensuring economic and racial diversity, and collaborating with various municipal authorities to create a downtown that attracts over 30 million annual visitors while maintaining its unique identity.

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Special Guest: David Fleming.

Sponsored By:

• Sitehunt: Sitehunt is an AI-enhanced platform that helps economic developers build a comprehensive property database, enabling informed decisions and efficient RFI responses to accelerate site selection and project success.

Links:

• REV Birmingham is creating vibrant places
• Downtown Birmingham
• David Fleming | LinkedIn
• REV Birmingham (@revbham) • Instagram
• REV Birmingham - Facebook
• REV Birmingham: Overview | LinkedIn
• Downtown Birmingham (@downtownbhm) • Instagram
• Downtown BHM - Facebook
• Downtown Birmingham: Overview | LinkedIn
• Downtowns will evolve and survive - Birmingham Business Journal
• Do Business - Downtown Birmingham
• The Death and Life of Great American Cities (50th Anniversary Edition) by Jane Jacobs

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, Dane Carlson speaks with Lindsay Greene, CEO of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, about transforming industrial spaces for modern manufacturing. Greene shares insights on the challenges of changing perceptions about manufacturing careers, the importance of integrating workforce development with economic strategy, and her unusual career path from investment banking to grocery e-commerce before leading a major industrial development. The conversation explores how the Navy Yard creates accessible economic opportunities, the difficulties of attracting grocery stores to underserved areas, and Greene's passion for industrial policy as a driver of economic growth.

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Special Guest: Lindsay Greene.

Sponsored By:

• Sitehunt: Sitehunt is an AI-enhanced platform that helps economic developers build a comprehensive property database, enabling informed decisions and efficient RFI responses to accelerate site selection and project success.

Links:

• Brooklyn Navy Yard
• Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation | LinkedIn
• Brooklyn Navy Yard (@BklynNavyYard) / X
• Brooklyn Navy Yard (@bklynnavyyard) • Instagram
• Alumni Spotlight: Lindsay Greene '11 - YouTube
• Brooklyn Navy Yard CEO Lindsay Greene on keeping innovation in NYC | Crain's New York Business

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Dane Carlson sits down with Rohan Sandhu, co-founder of the Reimagining the Economy Project at Harvard Kennedy School, to examine the convergence of industrial policy, market crafting, and place-based economic development strategies. Drawing on his 15 years of experience at the intersection of research and practice, Sandhu discusses how traditional economic development approaches often fail distressed communities due to uncoordinated policies and limited local capacity. They explore how forward-looking economic transformation requires moving beyond reactive, transactional approaches to development and better aligning workforce systems with economic growth initiatives. Sandhu's insights from his work on projects like "Bottom-Up Bidenomics" and "The US Place-Based Policy Supply Chain" offer practical guidance for practitioners seeking to build more resilient local economies.

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Special Guest: Rohan Sandhu.

Sponsored By:

• Sitehunt: Sitehunt is an AI-enhanced platform that helps economic developers build a comprehensive property database, enabling informed decisions and efficient RFI responses to accelerate site selection and project success.

Links:

• Rohan Sandhu | LinkedIn
• Rohan Sandhu | Harvard Kennedy School
• Industrial Policy Is a Verb - ProMarket
• Servicing Development: Productive Upgrading of Labor-Absorbing Services in Developing Economies
• Industrial policy for micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises | VoxDev
• Policy Works Podcast | Harvard Kennedy School
• Recoding America by Jennifer Pahlka
• Power, for All: How It Really Works and Why It's Everyone's Business: Julie Battilana and Tiziana Casciaro

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Dane Carlson speaks with marketing consultant Alissa Sklar about effective digital strategies for economic development organizations. They discuss leveraging AI tools while maintaining an authentic voice, website management tips for small EDOs, content amplification through LinkedIn, and how to build partnerships with educational institutions. Alissa offers practical advice for economic developers wearing multiple hats, emphasizing how to maximize impact with limited resources and time.

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Special Guest: Alissa Sklar.

Sponsored By:

• Sitehunt: Sitehunt is an AI-enhanced platform that helps economic developers build a comprehensive property database, enabling informed decisions and efficient RFI responses to accelerate site selection and project success.

Links:

• Sklar Consulting – Innovative digital marketing strategy for B2B and economic development
• Alissa Sklar, Ph.D. | LinkedIn
• Sklar Consulting | LinkedIn
• White Papers – Sklar Consulting
• Economic Development Marketing & Priorities | fDi Insights

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Dane Carlson sits down with Clint O'Neal, Executive Director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, to discuss the evolution of economic development over his 17-year career spanning both Missouri and Arkansas. O'Neal shares his path from junior high teacher to economic development leader, highlights successful foreign direct investment projects, and emphasizes the importance of customer service in working with businesses. He also offers perspective on how economic development is adapting to changing workforce priorities, with quality of life and community attractiveness becoming increasingly important factors as people choose where to live before finding employment.

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Special Guest: Clint O'Neal.

Sponsored By:

• Sitehunt: Sitehunt is an AI-enhanced platform that helps economic developers build a comprehensive property database, enabling informed decisions and efficient RFI responses to accelerate site selection and project success.

Links:

• Clint O'Neal, CEcD | LinkedIn
• Arkansas Economic Development Commission
• Arkansas Year in Review 2024 - YouTube
• Why Arkansas - YouTube

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, Dane Carlson welcomes Gus Garcia, the Director of Economic Development for the City of Arlington, Texas. Gus, a dual-certified economic developer with over 19 years of experience, shares his journey through various roles in both the public and private sectors. He emphasizes the importance of strategic planning, leveraging infrastructure, and fostering collaboration to achieve economic growth. Highlighting his work in Arlington and previous initiatives in cities like Edinburg and Duncanville, Gus provides listeners with a wealth of knowledge on implementing impactful economic development projects and aligning them with a city's long-term vision.

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The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter, Updated and Expanded - it sets the tone for an organization's direction. In Economic development, we have to have a plan and follow it. It is easy to get sidetracked in many different directions.

Special Guest: Gus Garcia.

Links:

• The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter, Updated and Expanded by Michael D. Watkins
• Agustin G. Garcia CEcD, EDFP | LinkedIn

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Dane Carlson talks with Sadie Howell with Envision Greater Fond du Lac, a combined Chamber of Commerce and economic development organization in Wisconsin.

Sadie shares insights about her region's economic landscape, including the surprising prevalence of small manufacturers and agricultural businesses that often goes unnoticed.

They discuss the challenges of workforce development, the advantages of a combined chamber-economic development approach, and the importance of understanding local politics and stakeholder dynamics.

As a long-time listener of the podcast before becoming a guest, Sadie offers valuable perspective on regional economic development strategies and the shared challenges that unite economic developers across different communities.

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Special Guest: Sadie Howell.

Sponsored By:

• Sitehunt: Sitehunt is an AI-enhanced platform that helps economic developers build a comprehensive property database, enabling informed decisions and efficient RFI responses to accelerate site selection and project success.

Links:

• Sadie Howell | LinkedIn
• Envision Greater Fond du Lac
• Sadie Vander Velde, Envision, Discusses FDL Economy, Manufacturing, Future + More | WiLLcast Ep. 43 - YouTube
• 40 Under 40 2023 Honoree: Sadie Vander Velde | 40 Under 40 | insightonbusiness.com
• Happy International Women's Day! Here are 8 Fond du Lac female leaders
• e-Edition | insightonbusiness.com
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, 20th Anniversary Edition: Lencioni, Patrick M.: 9780787960759: Amazon.com: Books

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, Dane Carlson speaks with Chris Knight, Managing Director of FT Locations, about the nuances of investment promotion and economic development across different global regions. Chris introduces the newly rebranded FT Locations (known for products like Zoom Prospector, FDI Intelligence, and other Financial Times economic development tools) which officially launched on November 12th, 2024.

He explains how the consolidated brand brings together several previously separate services under the Financial Times umbrella to better serve both economic developers and companies seeking investment locations worldwide. Chris draws from his extensive international experience to offer insights on effective investment attraction strategies and emphasizes the importance of understanding investor perspectives when promoting regional opportunities.

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Special Guest: Chris Knight.

Sponsored By:

• Sitehunt: Sitehunt is an AI-enhanced platform that helps economic developers build a comprehensive property database, enabling informed decisions and efficient RFI responses to accelerate site selection and project success.

Links:

• FT Locations

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, Spencer Bost, Executive Director of Downtown Spruce Pine, takes us through the dramatic transformation of his organization following Hurricane Helene's devastation. From managing their annual blacksmith festival and facade grant programs in this mountain town of 2,000 residents, to suddenly facing eight-foot flood waters that destroyed businesses, including his own office, Bost reveals how the community responded to this natural disaster while maintaining their position as a crucial global source of high-purity quartz.

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Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold is my most influential book because it beautifully connects the dots between the natural world and the human experience, particularly in rural areas. As an outdoor lover, Leopold's deep respect for ecosystems inspires a sense of stewardship. From a rural economy standpoint, his philosophy of land ethic emphasizes the importance of sustainable practices that benefit both the environment and the communities that depend on it. It’s a powerful reminder that conservation and economic development can coexist when rooted in a genuine appreciation for the land.

Special Guest: Spencer Bost.

Sponsored By:

• Sitehunt: Sitehunt is an AI-enhanced platform that helps economic developers build a comprehensive property database, enabling informed decisions and efficient RFI responses to accelerate site selection and project success.

Links:

• Discover Spruce Pine, North Carolina
• Spencer Bost - Linkedin
• Helene in western North Carolina: "Fight for survival" as aid pours in
• Devastation from Hurricane Helene could bring semiconductor chipmaking to a halt | CNN Business
• Spruce Pine just got hit by Helene. The fallout on the tech industry could be huge : NPR

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, Dr. Ronda Sauget, President and CEO of Coles Together, discusses the unique advantages of tertiary markets in economic development. She explores how smaller communities like Coles County, Illinois are attracting businesses through stable workforces, easier business processes, and strong infrastructure, while sharing her journey from the Federal Reserve to leading economic development in a thriving micropolitan area.

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Special Guest: Dr. Ronda Sauget.

Sponsored By:

• Sitehunt: Sitehunt is an AI-enhanced platform that helps economic developers build a comprehensive property database, enabling informed decisions and efficient RFI responses to accelerate site selection and project success.

Links:

• Dr Ronda Sauget, MBA | LinkedIn
• Coles Together
• Greater Value in Site Selection in Tertiary Markets | Trade and Industry Development
• Coles Together (@colestogether) • Instagram
• Coles Together | Facebook