Whittaker Report
Blog & Podcast
AI in Economic Development – Issue 21.0
Event Planning Have you ever planned an event? There’s so much to consider—date, time, venue, guests, theme, budget, committees, set up, clean up, and follow up. That was exactly my challenge when I came up with the idea for a neighborhood dog show. After moving into...
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
Your Time
When someone asks for a moment of your time, they are asking for the most precious thing you have. Time is an irreplaceable asset, and once spent, it can never be reclaimed. What if our lifespan was eight days instead of eighty years? What value would we place on each...
Evaluating Generative AI Tools
In the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence, large language models have emerged as powerful tools for a myriad of applications. Among these, ChatGPT, GPT-3.5, Perplexity, and Claude.AI stand out due to their distinct features and capabilities. Each of...
Don’t Fall for Fake News
Fake news is everywhere, yet social media seems to take the cake when it comes to fabricating and disseminating false information. And now with AI and other tools, it’s become quite easy to make images and videos look real and attribute quotes and actions to people in...
Sounding the Alarm About Skin Cancer
A recent Rotary meeting featured an enlightening presentation on skin cancer, highlighting the three main types: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. The primary culprit behind these cancers is ultraviolet (UV) light, which we're exposed to...
AI in Economic Development – Issue 8.0
AI and Your Digital Twin...Continued Recent news highlights the growing impact of AI-powered digital twins. A notable example involves social media influencer Caryn Marjorie, whose content garners over a billion views monthly on Snapchat. Last year, her AI clone,...
The Future of Technology
Entrepreneur and investor, Vinod Khosla, is known as a techno-optimist, pioneering open systems and helping shape the tech industry over several decades. As the founder of Khosla Ventures, his company has invested in numerous early-stage companies, most notably...
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Latest
A Four-Part Formula for Improving Your Feedback Skills
Giving and receiving feedback can be difficult, but it is a vital tool for effective communication both inside and outside the workplace. The key to successful feedback has been studied extensively by cognitive psychologist Dr. LeeAnn Renninger, and she has come up...
The Robots Are Coming… In Fact, They’re Already Here
Ever since reading Isaac Asimov’s iRobot, I’ve been fascinated by the idea of humanoid machines. Early portrayals often painted robots as threats—menacing figures in fiction and film. The movie iRobot, with its army of AI-controlled machines, only amplified that fear....
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