Whittaker Report
Blog & Podcast
Site Selection: Brownfield vs. Greenfield
This month, while perusing AreaDevelopment’s latest news, I read a wonderful article, “Your Next Factory Might Already Be Built,” by Bradley Migdal, Executive Managing Director, Americas Strategic Consulting, at Cushman & Wakefield. All over the country, we see...
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
Rocky Mountain National Park
My National Park Series, so far, has taken us through the splendor of some of the U.S.’s most treasured spaces, including Badlands, Zion, Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef. But does it get any better than the Rocky Mountains? My visit in October of this year to Rocky...
Seeing More Through Urban Sketching
Recently, at the urging of some friends, I attended a Saturday morning Urban Sketching class. Over the course of 90 minutes, our instructor, Marcia Schrotenboer, introduced us to the essentials of sketching, delivering a well-organized and inspiring session. Her...
AI in Economic Development – Issue 11.0
How to Use Google NotebookLM Artificial intelligence (AI) has quietly worked its way into many industries, and economic development is no exception. One tool that’s particularly useful for professionals in this field is Google NotebookLM—a powerful AI-driven research...
Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks
Did you know that Utah is home to five National Parks? Only California and Alaska contain more national parks; however, the close proximity of the parks in Utah makes it easy to visit several during the same trip. Last month, I wrote about my time at Zion National...
Book & YouTube Recommendations
Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI, by Yuval Noah Harari This book explores the powerful role that information has played throughout human history and its impact on society and politics. Harari takes readers from the earliest human...
The Big Read: Does Reading Still Matter?
Does reading matter? Of course it does. For me, it’s been a lifelong companion. As a kid, I wandered into the Earlville Public Library and found a world I didn’t even know existed. That place was full of wonders—old artifacts, novels (especially science fiction), and...
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Latest
AI in Economic Development – Issue 20.0
Site Location Trends in the World of AI: 2025 The following is a Perplexity generated report on the AI site selection trends in 2025. It is worth looking at to see where things are headed and how these trends will impact how you go about presenting your location to...
Takeaways from the Road
This month, my husband and I set off for our annual RV trip that takes us from Michigan to the West, and back home - about 5,000 miles round-trip. For many years, my husband happily did the driving of our RV while I plied him with caffeine and conversation. However,...
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