Whittaker Report
Blog & Podcast
Understanding Quarter Life Crisis
Sometimes, young adults in their mid-20s to early 30s are known to have “quarter-life crises,” which are marked by feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, and discontentment about a variety of elements of life, including relationships, careers, and personal identities. The...
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
Eco-Friendly Plastics
By Saurav Rajbhandari The demand for plastic is never-ending. Almost every product we use today is made out of plastic. From the toothbrush we use after we get up in the morning to our laptops we use for work, nearly every product has some parts made out of plastic....
Site Selection Consultants Share Their Perspectives
By Dean Whittaker The closing session at this year’s International Economic Development Council meeting was a panel discussion with a group of Site Location Consultants. The panelists discussed trends they observed and concluded with a “wish list” of what economic...
Fundraising Tips from a Newbie
By Jami Gibson This past June, I wrote my article about the “be nice.” program, a mental health initiative aimed to raise mental health awareness, bullying and suicide prevention in K-12 schools. Since then, I spent most of my free time over the summer serving on a...
Did I just miss out on the Craft Beer revolution?
By Sharad KC It’s been more than four years since I came back home to Nepal after completing my bachelor’s degree in Pennsylvania. And if there is one thing that I miss about the United States, it’s the wide variety of beer available. Now I’m not complaining about the...
Social Media Marketing Trends
By Saurav Rajbhandari Companies operating within every industry have invested a fair amount of time and energy to focus on social media marketing. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other similar sites are used by people from all over the world, and this has created a...
Collaboration by Design
By Dean Whittaker Recently I was asked to facilitate a strategic planning process. However, the client was looking for a non-traditional approach. I recommended they consider a “strategic doing” approach, having, myself, participated in a local process facilitated by...
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Latest
Trends in the Pet Industry
Pets probably thought they hit the jackpot when the pandemic hit. The hours pets spent alone while owners were away at work or school were now filled with activity having their humans home during the day. It also seemed that many people I know adopted a furry friend...
Lessons from the World of Politics
What is politics and why should I care? For me, it all started a few weeks ago when I became interested in supporting a tax referendum. On August 2, Holland residents will vote on a millage for Holland City Fiber to install city-wide fiber optic infrastructure for the...
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