Whittaker Report
Blog & Podcast
Exploring NOLA
This month, I visited New Orleans, and it was the first time I was in the city with no obligations or agenda - a truly relaxing getaway where I could do anything I wanted. So I asked ChatGPT to recommend the top five things to do in and around NOLA, and here is what...
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 Promise and Peril
By Dean Whittaker Technology offers both promise and peril. We see the promise made in medicine, computer science, law-enforcement and many other areas. It has extended our life span and given us the means to feed a larger population. With connectivity comes...
The Road Ahead – How to Become Smart About the Future
By Dean Whittaker We are living in a time of transition as we move from one economy to the next. As with other times of transition (e.g. agricultural to industrial, industrial to knowledge, and now knowledge to digital), it brings rapid change, disruption, challenges,...
Social Mapping
By Jami Gibson “A city is the sum of the relationships of the people that live there.” This quote by software developer and entrepreneur, Dave Troy, perfectly wrapped up his TED Talk about social mapping. A resident of Baltimore, Dave was curious about the people who...
UAV – A technology ready to help economic development in Nepal
By Sharad KC Just like in developed countries, drones are getting ever so popular in developing nations. Last month Maggie Doyle, an American social worker, was arrested by authorities in Surkhet, Nepal for flying a UAV without the permission from the local...
Fin-Tech Today
By Saurav Rajbhandari Fin-tech has a history dating back to the 1950s when credit cards were first issued. ATM machines were built, and in the ‘70s, electronic stock trading started. Then the Internet was made available to the general public in the late ‘80s and early...
The Robots are Coming
By Dean Whittaker As I prepare to give a presentation at the Westchester County Association conference titled “Westchester County of Tomorrow,” I have pondered the future a great deal. They asked me to speak on the trends and their impact on their area. So, I began by...
Schedule a Consultation
Get In Touch
The Whittaker Report
Sign up to receive helpful tools and insightful posts.
Phone
616.403.5076
Address
156 West 11th Street
Suite 107
Holland, MI 49423
Latest
Goal Setting Using the “Better-than-Nothing” Approach
A couple months ago, I set a lofty goal for myself to be completed by April 1st of this year. Needless to say, that date came and went with me only slightly advancing beyond the starting point. I’ve been in that position many times, and as the date approaches, I...
Agile
This month I began learning more about Agile, which is the idea of frequent iterations and continually improving a process by quick turnaround times. As I was working my way through a definition of Agile, I suddenly realized that that is exactly what Ed Morrison has...
Follow Us
Copyright © 2025 - Whittaker Associates Inc.
Site by Createfully.