Whittaker Report
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Waste Trade: A Global Issue
International garbage in developing nations, commonly referred to as waste dumping or waste trade, is a serious problem that has come to light recently. It entails the transfer of waste from developed countries to emerging or less economically developed countries,...
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
An Inspiring Look at Disease Prevention, Treatment, and Our Environment
By Jami Gibson Earlier this month, I was moved by the many presentations to “do more good” during our local TEDxMacatawa event. One talk in which I was most interested was Dr. David Johnson’s on disease prevention. Dr. Johnson recently left his successful cardiology...
The Inevitable Grid
By Patrick Cisler While working on a recent project with companies in the Advanced Manufacturing industry I couldn’t help but learn about a fast emerging market, the “Smart Grid”. I was surprised at how many of these maturing companies I was working with that had many...
A New Approach to Workplace Motivation
By Jami Gibson When it comes to workplace performance, so many business models are built on extrinsically motivated reward systems. It seems like the greater the reward, rather money or recognition, the more motivated employees are to complete the task at hand....
Plagiarism and the Flow of Ideas
By Dean Whittaker Our whole society is built upon the ideas of those who came before us. We are standing on their shoulders. To whom does an idea belong, and how do we gracefully, and sometimes with attribution, borrow the idea and apply it in a new way? We all are...
The Call Center Returns Home
By Patrick Cisler I’m sure you’ve been there. Stuck on the customer service line for longer than you anticipated, trying to resolve an issue you have with a product or service provider. You are either frustrated by the lack of a human on the other line, often being...
Webinar Recording: Shale Gas Revolution
On October 24, Trevor Smith, with the Gas Technology Institute, presented an informative webinar about the shale gas industry and how this “overnight success” thirty years in the making will transform our economy. We received positive feedback about the event! “It was...
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Latest
2021 A Look Ahead
Well, finally it is here, 2021. As we move forward into the new year, we look forward to leaving behind the political election drama, COVID-19 fears, and the inequity-caused social unrest and economic uncertainty. However, these issues will likely come...
Looking Back to Look Ahead
Whew, I made it. 2021 at long last. What did 2020 teach me that I can apply in 2021? Where to start? The first thing I learned was that things can and do change very quickly. What began as a bright and prosperous year for the first two months suddenly turned...
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