Whittaker Report
Blog & Podcast
What is Truth?
Podcasts, for me, are a great way to learn. One of my favorites is called Philosophize This, hosted by Steven West. In his podcast, West tells us the story of thinkers who have tried to make sense out of this crazy world. In a recent episode, he tells us of Karl...
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
Google Labs: A Playground of New Ideas
By Jami Miedema It’s been a busy day! First, I visited the Smithsonian in Washington DC, then it was overseas to the Palace of Versailles, and finally my tour ended at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. All of this before 8:30AM! This is the reason I enjoy exploring...
iPad 2 – Will it Replace my Laptop?
By Dean Whittaker The iPad is becoming a constant companion for the mobile economic development professional. It is providing the platform for a wide range of applications that allows us to respond to our clients needs faster and do our work more efficiently as well...
Mobile Computing: Changing Players and Trends
By Vidhan Rana This article is a follow-up to the post the author wrote in last month’s Whittaker Report. To read that article please click here. Until a few years ago, BlackBerry was synonymous to smartphones and was the ‘it’ device that everyone dreamed of owning....
What We Can Learn from Kids
By Jami Miedema Even though I’m only a twenty-something, my friends and I still reminisce about the “good old days” (so what if that was only 10-15 years ago!) when each day felt like an exciting adventure as we learned new things, made new connections, and looked...
Turning the Tsunami of Data into Meaningful Information
By Dean Whittaker Many of us already feel overwhelmed with the sheer volume of information coming at us through traditional media, and now also through Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The volume of information (content) is growing exponentially. What is missing is...
Whittaker Associates Goes Mobile
By Vidhan Rana Starting in June, Whittaker Associates went mobile, i.e. our website is now mobile browser friendly. Users who visit our website on their smart-phones will automatically be re-routed to the mobile version of our website. Since we began using Google...
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Latest
Intrapreneurship- Empowering the Workforce
By Ayush Dev Pant Intrapreneurship is an organizational culture, where the employees are capable of making entrepreneurial decisions while solving different problems and issues. Just like entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship also revolves around one of the most talked...
Site Selection Trends – SEDC Meet the Consultants
By Dean Whittaker The Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC) Meet the Consultants conference was held in Chicago, March 20th and 21st. In the six panel discussions, we learned about the trends in site location of back offices, distribution/logistics centers,...
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