Whittaker Report
Blog & Podcast
Dashain: A Celebration of Victory
Dashain is a fifteen day-long festival observed in Nepal and India, along with some other parts of the world, that is a celebration of the triumph of good or truth over evil or deception. The Dashain celebration has been observed ever since Lord Ram and Goddess Durga...
Recent Podcasts
The Whittaker Report Episode 31 An Interview with Vern Schultz
Dec 31, 2025 • 00:28:44
Vern Schultz, SIOR, has been active in Chicago-area commercial real estate for more than 35 years. He joined Colliers in 1977 and currently serves as an Executive Vice President in the Industrial Advisory Group, representing tenants and owners throughout the Chicago market. Since joining Colliers, Vern has completed more than…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 30 - An Interview with Ashley & Eric Canada of Blane Canada AI
Sep 11, 2025 • 00:35:30
Eric has been a pioneer in applying technology to economic development for over 30 years, and together with Ashley—who brings deep expertise in sales and marketing—they’ve transformed Blane Canada into a leader in AI and automation for business development. We’re going to talk about where economic development is headed, how…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 29 An Interview with Dennis Pruitt, Senior Vice President of Economic Development for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce
Apr 29, 2025 • 00:33:16
Dennis Pruitt, SVP, is the Senior Vice President of Economic Development at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. He leads the Chamber’s business recruitment and expansion efforts, economic research, industry sector development, and destination retail initiatives. He also oversees the Greater Oklahoma City Partnership, a 10-county regional economic development alliance. With…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 28 - An Interview with Jen Wakefield, APR, President and CEO at Greater Richmond Partnership
Mar 12, 2025 • 00:27:24
Jennifer Wakefield. Jen is the President and CEO of the Greater Richmond Partnership, where she’s been driving strategic growth and investment in the region since 2021. With over two decades of experience in economic development, marketing, and strategic planning, she’s led transformative projects in both Richmond and Orlando, boosting business…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 27 - An Interview with Barry Matherly, CEcD
Jan 29, 2025 • 00:20:52
In this episode, we hear from Barry Matherly, CEcD, President and CEO of Hickey Global, a full service economic development consulting firm. With over 28 years in economic development, Barry has been helping communities to prosper by creating opportunities for new investment and job growth. As a certified economic development…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 26 an Interview with Kate Engel, Executive Director of the Nebraska Innovation Campus
Apr 26, 2024 • 00:17:26
In this episode we hear from Kate Engel, Managing Director of the Nebraska Innovation Campus. Kate Engel. Kate is the interim executive director of the Nebraska Innovation Campus Development Corporation owned by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. Kate’s primary responsibility is to supervise NICDC staff, direct business operations…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 25 - An Interview with Dr. Donald T. Iannone.
Jan 14, 2024 • 00:35:49
In this episode we hear from Dr. Donald T. Iannone, a poet, author, philosopher, and professor of theology. Don shares with us his view of the future of Economic Development and trends impacting the profession. He discusses the longterm impace of COVID on our mind, body and spirit. Do has…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 24 An Interview with Mark James, CEcD, Utility Practice Lead, Hickey Global
Dec 14, 2023 • 00:37:11
In this episode, Mark James discusses the electric utility industry role in site selection, current trends within the industry, electrical capacity, supply chain issues and the need to dramatically invest in the expansion of the grid. Mark also shares with us the future of economic development as seen from his…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 23 - An Interview with Karl Dye, President/CEO of TRIDEC
Nov 24, 2023 • 00:28:59
In this episode, we have a conversation with Karl Dye, President/CEO of TRIDEC (Tri Cities Development Council) serving Benton and Franklin Counties in Washington State. Karl discusses the opportunities for economic development organizations in decarbonization, climate change, and the electric power shortage. He also describers where he sees the economic…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 22 - An Interview with Lee Crume, President & CEO of BE NKY
Jul 20, 2023 • 00:19:11
Learn about BE NKY, a regional economic development organization and hear from Lee Crume, President & CEO of the organization as he describes the success they are having and his view of the changing nature of economic development.
Recent Posts
Two Ways to Get There
By Todd Smithee At the end of my family vacation, I decided to attempt to hook into a king salmon in Ludington, Michigan’s harbor. Ludington is where the Pere Marquette River empties into Lake Michigan. Every August the salmon make their annual migration from the...
Innovation and Economic Development
By Dean Whittaker Innovation is everywhere. From “Technology Lead Economic Development” to transitioning to the knowledge economy, everyone has a strategy to commercialize the intellectual property of universities and the federally funded R&D taking place in...
The Silent Tsunami: Trouble in the Global Food Market
By Vidhan Rana In the early 1800’s, Thomas Robert Malthus expressed his views on population growth and stated that the world will return to subsistence-level conditions as a result of population growth outpacing agricultural production. His theory was later named...
Best-Performing Cities
By Jim Bruckbauer Every year, the Milken Institute in California ranks the Best-Performing Cities according to economic growth. These include long-term and short-term measurements of employment, salary growth, and high-tech output. This year's rankings of where...
The Music Genome Project
By Jami Miedema When I’m in the mood to listen to good music, there are few things more frustrating than hearing endless commercials on the radio followed by the same five song rotation. I like variety! By variety, I don’t mean different genres necessarily, but rather...
Whittaker's New Associate
By Randy Olinger Whittaker Associates has a new Associate. His name is Randy Olinger. I am he. I’d like to tell you a little about myself, in addition to what can be found in a brief biographical sketch elsewhere on this website. I met Dean Whittaker through our...
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By Brittany Gebben As we approach a new year, there’s always talk of the upcoming year’s resolution, or goal. I’m typically not a fan of the traditional New Year’s Resolutions because I believe they focus too much on the end result without much concentration on the...
My Four Year Anniversary
By Sambridhi Sherestha What a journey it has been, full of learning and experiences. As I complete four years at Whittaker Associates I feel immense happiness and joy it has brought me. I would call this journey as a roller-coaster ride but more of the highs than the...
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