Whittaker Report
Blog & Podcast
EDO Solutions to Grow Their Labor Pool
Last month, I wrote about the top ten site selection priorities, of which, labor costs were (not surprisingly) ranked at #1. Workforce costs and availability are at the forefront of every decision-maker’s mind when considering the future of their businesses,...
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
Why Economic Developers Deserve a Nobel
By Dr. Maury Forman and Jim Mooney, CED, CEDFP Most economic developers are proponents, either directly or indirectly, of Keynesian economics. Keynesians hold that incentives or inducements by the public sector will result in economic stimulation of the private...
Good News Network
By Jami Gibson Everywhere we turn, it’s impossible to get away from negative news. Radio, newspapers, T.V., and the Internet bombard us with headlines about the failing economy, war, high profile lawsuits, crime, and the list goes on and on. While we know that...
The China Opportunity
By Vidhan Rana According to IMF’s calculations, China will eclipse the United States as the world’s largest economy in 2016. China has 1.3 billion consumers whose incomes are rising and whose demand for products and services is accelerating. This is a great...
Where Do Jobs Come From?
By Dean Whittaker With globalization has come the ability to source work anywhere in the world. The economic thought was that as the world economy grew, the demand for our goods and services would grow too, and we would all prosper. As we now know, things haven’t...
Google+ Features
By Jami Gibson Google+ is rapidly expanding its reach since it was launched three months ago, and it will definitely give other social networking giants a run for their money. The new service seems to be everything that Facebook, Twitter, and other sites are not,...
The Rise of Small Business
By Vidhan Rana In the past year or so, you may have heard a lot of talk about how small businesses are providing the fuel for the American economy. You read about how startups are creating jobs for those laid off by large corporations. You can see it in your community...
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Latest
21 Economic Development Marketing Ideas for 2021
1. Host a Webinar and/or Podcast Series Interview your target sector thought leaders – attendees apply to attend Host monthly peer-to-peer company C-level round table discussionsHost a guest lecture seriesInterview with leaders of recent location/expansion...
Emerging Industries of 2020
With 2020 being so eventful (well, I would say that’s quite an understatement!), many of our clients have recently requested targeted company leads on up and coming or trending industries. Covid19 has pushed us to explore new subsectors and bring-to-market new...
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