Whittaker Report
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Me and Claude 2.0
As an avid science fiction reader, I have long been intrigued by Isaac Asimov's books on robots. Many of his short stories describe how robots become integrated into society - at times resented, and at other times embraced. One robot strives to become more human,...
Recent Podcasts
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.
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 21 - An Interview with Alia Abbas, Founder and President of Alia Consulting
May 20, 2023 • 01:13:15
In Episode 21, Alia Abbas shares with us her experience as a first-time attendee at the Select USA Conference, an investment summit in Washington DC annually. It provides an opportunity for economic development organization to meet with potential international investors considering establishing business operations in the United States. Alia Abbas…
Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 20 - An Interview with Nathan Ohle, President/CEO of the International Economic Development Council
Mar 24, 2023 • 00:30:13
Nathan Ohle has been recently appointed as the President/CEO of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Under his leadership, several initiatives are underway, including a comprehensive strategic plan that involves a thorough review of all IEDC membership services. Nathan emphasizes the importance of collaboration in economic development as opposed to…
Whittaker Associates Podcast Episode 19 - An Interview with Andy Bass, CEO NetNerd Ventures
Jan 14, 2023 • 00:40:07
Andy Bass is a long-time tech entrepreneur in West Michigan, having founded a variety of companies in the e-commerce and supply chain space over the past 30 years. He is the CEO of NetNerd Ventures, providing startup and technology strategy and software development services throughout Michigan. With a background in…
Whittaker Associates Podcast Episode 18 - An Interview with Matt McQuade, Managing Director, Business Development One Columbus
Oct 30, 2022 • 00:25:51
Matt McQuade, Managing Director, Business Development One Columbus shares with us his view of the future of economic development. As a millennial (born between 1981 and 1996) Matt brings a perspective on the future of economic development from a younger generation than several of our previous guests. With 12 years…
Whittaker Associates Podcast Episode 17 - An Interview with Julie Curtin, President Economic Development Practice, Development Counsellors International
Jul 8, 2022 • 00:21:32
Julie Curtin, President of the Economic Development Practice of Development Counsellors International (DCI) shares with us her insight into the future of economic development. In her role as a board member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), she worked directly with IEDC to support the launch of the Diversity…
Recent Posts
Stress, Anxiety, and Meditation
By Dean Whittaker My lesson this month was on the role of stress, anxiety, and mediation in my life. A day this past month, I had scheduled three major meeting events. The first was a teleconference presentation to the board of directors of an economic development...
The Learning Zone – Overcoming Stagnation
By Jami Gibson As someone who tries to continually improve, personally and professionally, in the things that matter to me, I recently was feeling discouraged when I felt stagnation in an particular area of my life. You’ve probably felt this way before. The wheels are...
How to Quickly Find and Attract Talent
By Dean Whittaker According to a national site selection firm, available labor is the #1 site selection factor in their decision making process. In order to attract and retain businesses, communities will need to demonstrate they either have the needed labor or have a...
Talent Acquisition Pilot Project – Ten Things We Learned
By Dean Whittaker We just wrapped up our talent acquisition pilot project for the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana (Evansville area). The purpose of the pilot project was to test the use of layoff data, social media marketing, and a recruiter to...
Amazon’s HQ2: The Finalists
By Jami Gibson Earlier this month, Amazon announced the 20 finalists for its HQ2 location. They are: Atlanta, Austin, Boston/Somerville, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, Montgomery County, MD, Nashville, Newark, New York City,...
Women in Leadership
By Sindhu Bhattarai We’ve seen significant strides in overall workplace gender equality. That’s the good news. The bad news is that there is less significant progress in diversifying senior-level positions in recent years. There is a disconnect between giving women a...
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Latest
The Adventure Continues
For those who may have missed it, last month’s article described my pending knee replacement. On April 11th, I underwent surgery to replace my right knee. What I learned in the process of this phase is that it takes an army of people to support this effort. First and...
Organizations Also Need to Plan for the Unplanned
Last month, Jami Gibson had an excellent article on how emergency preparedness is critical for individuals and families. It got me thinking about how important emergency preparedness is for economic development organizations (EDO’s). Over the past 15 years, Iowa has...
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