Whittaker Report
Blog & Podcast
Lessons from the Garden
As we move into fall, the garden is producing, in abundance, zucchini, tomatoes, beans, and cucumbers, along with squash, watermelon, and pumpkin. I thought the challenge would be finding people willing to accept the surplus produce. Turns out not to be the case. In...
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
The Convergence of Workforce and Economic Development
By Dean Whittaker Two worlds are about to collide – the Workforce Development and Economic Development worlds. Can they play nice together? Demographics, globalization, and economic re-structuring are propelling these two development efforts towards each other with...
The New Look of China
By Karla Helvie China is enjoying a position as a popular news and conversation item. Whether people are discussing the outsourced jobs, the importance of studying Mandarin, or the Olympics, China is on everyone’s mind. As the U.S. and Europe are experiencing...
High Gas Prices, Changing Economic Dynamics
By Vidhan Rana With gas prices hovering over $4 a gallon in recent weeks, almost everyone is changing their economic behavior and trying to save money in any way possible. We see more people riding public transportation, more motorbikes and scooters on the street,...
A Tutorial on DDAs
By Jim Bruckbauer Main Street USA and the downtowns all across North America are under a growing trend of revitalization and growth. This trend has followed years of urban decay and mismanagement of city resources. During the 1960’s, many modern architects and city...
Spend Smarter
By Jami Miedema I never considered myself a frivolous spender. A daily chai tea from the corner coffee shop is a necessity, right? And the fast food meal that I grab every so often when I’m in a rush is only $4. But, with the increasing prices of food and gas piled on...
Website Users Study 2008
By Joel Burgess This morning at the UEDA (Utility Economic Development Association) Summer Forum in Cleveland, Audrey Taylor, President of Chabin Concepts, Don Schjeldahl, Vice President and Director of Austin Consulting, and Mark James President of ED Solutions,...
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Latest
Six Ways to Boost Productivity in the Workplace
By Ayush Dev Pant The world is fascinated by the word productivity. Everyone wants to be productive but not a lot of us can pull it off consistently. Environments do not support the possibilities for optimum productivity. That is exactly why we need to carve our way...
ML isn’t Magic
By Adam Hubbell Machine Learning is a ubiquitous tool in the modern world, and a great way to predict future behavior based on observed data. However, machine learning isn’t a magic bullet, and it will only be helpful when fed the correct data and calibrated the...
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