Whittaker Report
Blog & Podcast
Using Creativity to Solve Community Issues
Artist and activist, Matthew Mazzotta, has been helping communities around the world create public art projects that bring together locals to address concerns specific to their town. In his TED talk, he showcases a few of his projects that transform public spaces into...
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
What Makes a Company Unique?
by Jami Miedema Until learning about organizational culture in my management class, I did not know what it was, or how important it is in the workplace environment. Organizational culture is a shared set of beliefs, expectations, values, norms, and work routines that...
Does Place Matter?
By Dean Whittaker As representatives of place, economic development professions are challenged by a“New Economy” that is global, knowledge based, and networked. Does place offer a competitive advantage? This is a question asked by Michael Porter in his article...
Technology Transfer – How does your state compare?
By Pete Julius What is technology transfer? Sounds pretty interesting, doesn’t it? Well, it is. The simple explanation of technology transfer is the ability to take an innovative idea and turn it into reality. This can also be termed as the rate of...
Happy Place, USA
by Joel Burgess Adrian White, a psychologist from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, recently produced the first ever world map of happiness. This interesting survey attempts to determine what happiness consists of, and more importantly, who has it?...
What in the world is going on?
By Pete Julius The stock market may have rebounded to pre-September 11 levels, but the economical and psychological effects remain uncertain. As the economy continues to struggle, predicting corporate behavior becomes more difficult. Merger and acquisition activity is...
A Whole New Mind – Achieving a Sustainable Competitive Advantage
by Dean Whittaker What if your region were known globally as the place where ideas are generated, innovation flourishes and new concepts are born? What if your region had the highest per-capita patents in the country? What would it mean socially, politically, and...
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Latest
Amazon’s HQ2: The Pros and Cons
By Jami Gibson When Amazon announced in September its plans to build a second North American headquarters, cities across the continent scrambled to put their location in the running. In all, Amazon received 238 proposals from cities vying for the e-commerce giant’s $5...
Positive Thinking
By Sindhu Bhattarai Life, as it is, is not always a smooth ride. Life has its own challenges that everyone has to face at one point or another. Staying positive and calm during these situations helps you focus on the good aspects of life and gives you hope and energy...
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