Whittaker Report
Blog & Podcast
Avoiding Death by PowerPoint
Here are a few of my takeaways from the May 12th and 13th, 2021 Mid-American Economic Development Council Best Practice virtual conference. Thanks to Tim Robinson, chair of the event, the host committee, and the 26 speakers for their efforts in putting on a great...
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
Closing the Performance Gap
by Joel Burgess Basketball took up a major part of a previous chapter of my life. I learned a lot from the game, especially about people, and my observations have served me well in the business world. In particular I was intrigued by combinations of desire and skill...
Trends
By Dean Whittaker Bioinformatics Bioinfowhat? Bioinformatics is the application of computer technology to the management of biological information. And it has been a hot topic of late. Though biotech has been on the radar for year, recently we've heard the term...
300 Million: Good or Bad?
by Jami Miedema Recently, the U.S. population finally reached 300 million. While some might consider this a strain on our resources, others believe this growth is beneficial to our economy. Many countries overseas are struggling to find population-control strategies...
Featured Website: Hoovers.com
By Jeff Vedders In a hurry? Are you looking for a place to find detailed company information on the web quickly and easily without paying a lot? Check out Hoover’s www.hoovers.com. Hoover’s is a free and fee-based online site that contains information on over 50,000...
Featured Website: CEOExpress.com
By Jeff Vedders CEOExpress is a great portal to sites designed for the business executive. CEOExpress contains links to sites containing SEC filings, stock information and company research. You can also find links to popular business magazines, news feeds, business...
Consolation in Change
by Rebecca Rooy Monday morning, coffee in hand, I instinctively reach for my student schedule planner. The familiar texture of paper, comforting straight lines, and dependable pencil markings vitally assist in dictating my day. Today, however, my planner is absent....
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Latest
Talent Infrastructure Summit
By Dean Whittaker The Talent Infrastructure Summit was held on September 28th, 2017 in Evansville, Indiana. It was an effort by the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana, the Executive Leadership Council, and Old National Bank to stimulate regional...
Talent-Driven Site Selection
By Jami Gibson Talent retention and attraction has been a hot topic in the past several years, especially due to the baby boomer generation retiring and the talent gap that creates. One of the best sources I’ve found for informative articles about workforce...
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