Whittaker Report
Blog & Podcast
Disaster Capitalism: Not Right, Not Illegal
The recent wildfire that swept through Lahaina, Maui has been front and center on the news as recovery efforts have been ongoing. What is less reported is the fact that, within days after this disaster, real estate agents, developers, and others have been contacting...
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
Education and Poverty in Nepal
By Ayush SJB Rana Nepal is the poorest country in South Asia and ranks as the twelfth poorest country in the world. However, over the last decade the country has made considerable progress reducing poverty but is still falling behind. Urban poverty declined from 22%...
The Importance of Culture
By Sharad KC In Nepal, you always bow before your elders; arranged marriages are common; devotees visit temples every day; there are more festivals than days and more temples than total number of households. Nepal is unique and is truly Nepal only because of its...
Email Marketing Tips
By Jami Gibson This month, Whittaker Associates and the Pro Learning Lab hosted an email marketing workshop webinar focused on creating professional and effective email marketing campaigns. Our speaker, Timothy Haines with TechBridge, LLC, showed us useful resources...
The Future Sees You
By Dean Whittaker While attending the IAMC conference in Pinehurst, NC, I heard Mike Walsh's presentation on the future of work. He discussed the vast number of millennials joining the workforce and how they are significantly different from previous generations in...
Growing presence of Indian companies in the U.S.
By Jashmin Tandukar India, one of the fastest growing economies of the 21st century, is also known as a prime place for American companies to outsource. While there is much concern about American jobs being outsourced to India, there is a growing positivity about...
Tihar – The Festival of Lights
By Anu Tandukar Among all other festivals in Nepal, Tihar, also known as Deepawali, is one of my favorites. It is a five-day long festival observed by both Hindus and Buddhists. All ethnic groups celebrate this festival. The festival of Tihar is considered as one of...
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This Planet Deserves Better
There is no doubt that pollution is a key triggering factor for climate change. We, in the past decade, have seen a change in climate and the destruction we have created in the environment. Global warming, a major cause behind the climate crisis faced by the world...
Developing Your Skills with MasterClass
A couple years ago, I invested in a subscription to the streaming platform MasterClass. The service offers online classes from world-renowned professionals that are considered some of the best in their field of work. An annual subscription grants you access to over...
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