Whittaker Report
Blog & Podcast
Organizations Also Need to Plan for the Unplanned
Last month, Jami Gibson had an excellent article on how emergency preparedness is critical for individuals and families. It got me thinking about how important emergency preparedness is for economic development organizations (EDO’s). Over the past 15 years, Iowa has...
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 Rise of Small Businesses
By Vidhan Rana According to the Edward Lowe Foundation’s website, www.YourEconomy.org, the number of self-employed people in the United States has increased from approximately 2.2 million in 1993 to 7.8 million in 2008, an increase of over 250 percent. In that same...
What is Your Website's Personality?
By Jami Miedema As a research analyst, I get to scour through hundreds of websites per week. These sites belong to several different types of companies and organizations, public and private, manufacturing and service companies, small business and Fortune 500, and...
The Next Generation – Attracting and Keeping Talent
By Dean Whittaker This month, I had the privilege to host a webinar presented by Rebecca Ryan, founder of Next Generation Consulting. The thought-provoking discussion focused on the “next generation” of workers - why they matter, what they want, and how to design an...
Leadership, Courage, and Faith
By Dean Whittaker Last Wednesday, when my cell phone rang at 4:18 AM, I thought it was my alarm to wake me for my 7:15 AM flight to Lexington, KY. I was to teach the following day at the Kentucky Economic Development Institute. But, instead it was Delta Airlines...
The Changing Economy: The Impact on Consumption and the Stock Market
By Vidhan Rana We have heard many economists say that the U.S. economy is heavily dependent on consumer spending. Consumption expenditure accounts for approximately 70 percent of the nation’s GDP. Since the so-called Great Recession began in late 2007, there has been...
Strengthening Brand America
By Jami Miedema Earlier this month, I was made aware of a beneficial website for economic development professionals - Strengthening Brand America. This educational site, created by The Burghard Group, aims to help economic development organizations leverage product...
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Latest
Recycling: Is it the Ultimate Answer to the Waste Complication?
By Ayush Dev PantRecycling achieves the objective of keeping materials out of the landfill by turning them back into raw materials that will be used again to manufacture new products or items. Recycling is a trend followed by extreme use of waste prone materials....
A Month in Review
By Joe Sigler I first met Dean Whittaker two summers ago at a local café where I work and he frequents. During the slow portions of my shift, we would get to talking about our interests, and surprisingly, we had a lot in common. He would update me on what was going on...
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