Whittaker Report
Blog & Podcast
What’s Going On During February 2022
Whew, we’ve almost arrived at February already! In addition to the month-long celebration of Black History, February also kicks off with the Lunar New Year on the 1st of the month, followed immediately by Groundhog’s Day on February 2nd. Black History Month Celebrated...
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
Delivering Happiness
By Dean Whittaker What is it that we all want? Tony Hseih, Zappos’ CEO and co-founder, tells us in his semi-autobiography, Delivering Happiness, that our ultimate goal in life is to be happy. He shares his journey of how he found happiness in business and in life....
Webinar: "iPad for Economic Development: Fad or Fundamental?"
Did you just receive an iPad for Christmas? Have you had one for several months, or are you contemplating buying one? If you are interested in learning how the iPad can assist you professionally, this webinar is for you! Join Dean Whittaker and Mark James on Monday,...
America's "Dying" Cities
By Jami Miedema I’m a native of Grand Rapids, MI and still live near there today. I’ve always enjoyed the energy of the downtown area and am impressed with all the city has to offer even with its small-town feel. So when Grand Rapids was ranked on Newsweek’s list of...
What Technology Wants
By Dean Whittaker Our use of digital technology is reshaping our society and culture irreversibly. It offers us expanded choices, but perhaps at a cost of our freedom. In his book, What Technology Wants, Kevin Kelly, founder of Wired magazine, argues that...
Scribd Social Document Sharing – Use it to drive content to your site
By Vidhan Rana Scribd is a web-based tool that has quietly changed how many organizations and companies around the world share information. Scribd focuses only on document sharing and creates a platform for organizations to share documents and reports socially while...
Achieving Work-Life Balance
By Jami Miedema I think most of us, at one time or another, have struggled with the issue of work-life balance. Sometimes I find myself wishing there were more hours in the day to finish my many tasks both at work and home. Other days, I wonder why I didn’t use my...
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Latest
Slower Pace of Life
By Brittany Gebben Last month, I visited the country of Thailand with my husband and some friends of ours. Since our return, I’ve really been thinking about something we noticed while visiting and that is- a slower pace of life. Overall, the Thai atmosphere is much...
Self Care
By Sambridhi Shrestha Sometimes we tend to lose ourselves in order to keep someone or something in our life. But the peace that we have with ourselves is obstructed by this attempt, destroying our self-confidence because nothing can bring back the happiness. We care...
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