Whittaker Report
Blog & Podcast
Takeaways From the 2021 Select USA Investment Summit Virtual Conference
This month I had the opportunity to participate in the five-day Select USA 2021 Virtual Investment Summit on June 7-11, 2021. The event is designed to facilitate direct foreign investment into the United States. There were 3,000 attendees, including 1,200 business...
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 Importance of First Impressions
by Stephanie Poll Whether you are meeting a new roommate for the first time, going in for a job interview, or meeting with a potential new client, you will only get one chance to make a first impression. Within a matter of seconds, you are evaluated completely,...
Attracting the Creative Class: Part II
By Katie Terpstra Last month, we discussed author Richard Florida's theory that creativity is the driving force behind economic growth and that "cities should stop worrying about attracting companies and start worrying about attracting members of this class." This...
Featured Website: Knowledge@Wharton
By Jeff Vedders Last month we introduced you to The McKinsey Quarterly which was an online journal containing articles on business strategy. Another interesting site with in-depth business information is Knowledge@Wharton published by The Wharton School at The...
Personal Qualification
by Patrick McConahy Growing companies have so many relocation options available that economic development organizations must move quickly and correctly to capitalize on potential targets. In the fast-paced, technologically dependent business world in which we live,...
Jumping on the Bandwagon – Streaming with RSS
by Stephanie Poll I love researching new ideas and eventually being able to implement them to see what I’ve learned. My newest task and challenge? RSS. I really had no idea what RSS entailed when I first began, except that it stood for Really Simple Syndication. I...
By Golly – There is a Rapidly Growing Industry
By Pete Julius Even though the stock market is in disarray, destructively greedy executives continue to appear in the news, and the government keeps threatening additional terrorist attacks, the economy is actually witnessing rapid growth within a variety of...
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Latest
Unconventional Tenants Boost Mall Traffic
By Jami Gibson This week, I read several articles regarding the changing nature of malls. With increased competition from e-retailers, many brick-and-mortar stores can no longer afford to have their physical storefronts. These vacancies have left mall owners...
Recruiting People is Like Recruiting Companies
By Dean Whittaker We are entering a time when recruiting and retaining people will become as important or more important than attracting companies. If we cannot fill the open positions (click here to see yours) that our companies have now, then, why are we trying to...
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