Whittaker Report
Blog & Podcast
On the Hard
Pearl is on the hard – that’s the nautical term meaning my boat has been hauled out of the water and is on dry land for repairs and winter storage. It’s been a great sailing summer, and I accomplished some “firsts.” I completed the American Sailing Association...
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 Future Economy: Clean & Green
By Jami Miedema The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), passed earlier this year, has put the energy sector in the spotlight. Today, we frequently hear and read about concepts such as "green technology" or "clean energy". We know, in general, about these...
Entrepreneur : what is it and why should you care?
By Dean Whittaker This past week I heard three pitches from three start-up companies looking for seed capital. These young entrepreneurs had just completed a summer internship program called Momentum (www.momentum-mi.com). This pre-seed-funded effort allowed these...
Smart-Grid Technologies: Not so 'dumb' network
By Vidhan Rana With expected gross revenue of $25 billion in 2009, smart-grid systems manufacturers and solution providers are among the fastest growing companies in the GreenTech world. A recent study conducted by Deloitte estimated that smart-grid technology could...
Green Economy: Occupational Outlook
By Jami Miedema Recently, I've been researching and writing about clean energy and the green economy. I came across a publication, Job Opportunities for the Green Economy, from the Center for American Progress (CAP), which defines a green economy that's based on using...
Think Big, Christopher Columbus Big
By Todd Smithee When Columbus sailed west to go east, he had the right idea. The problem was, he did not anticipate the actual size of the world. The result: Columbus "discovered" America, and the rest is what we call history. Columbus was bold and took some educated...
Source of new jobs: High Impact Firms
By Dean Whittaker In the 1980s, David Birch found that firms with rapid revenue growth (Gazelles) were responsible for creating most new jobs. In an SBA funded 2008 study, "High-Impact Firms: Gazelles Revisited" (http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs328tot.pdf),...
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Latest
A Look into the Indra Jatra Festival
By Sambridhi Shrestha Nepal is a diverse country made up of communities that celebrate their unique cultures with festivals. Amongst them, the Newar community celebrates the highest number of festivals year-round, and to-date has been able to retain and restore the...
Leaders Change the World
By Dean Whittaker I never set out to be a leader. One summer in 8th grade I was sponsored by my small town American Legion to attend Boys State, a one-week summer camp at the state capital. Boys State teaches young people about citizenship and leadership. (Note: there...
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