Whittaker Report
Blog & Podcast
Turning Worry into Wonder
Have you ever noticed that what we focus on tends to manifest in our lives? It's as if the universe responds to our thoughts and emotions, bringing into reality whatever we give our attention to. This can be both a blessing and a curse, as our worries and fears can...
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
The Changing Work Environment
By Jami Gibson With Generation Y (those born between 1980 and 2000) making up a larger portion of the workforce each year, the culture of companies and the way we work are constantly changing. In a recent article on MSN, writer Amy Chulik identifies ways in which this...
Asana: a new tool to manage your work and personal life
By Vidhan Rana With Dustin Moskovitz (the first CTO of Facebook) as its CEO and $10.2 million in cash from investors, Asana launched its web-based task management solution in early November (the company calls it a “collaborative information manager”). I have been...
3 Rules to Remember When Attracting Aerospace to Your Local Economy
By Patrick Cisler If you are interested in growing your local economy, drawing Aerospace companies into your city or region may be appealing considering the big dollar contracts firms often obtain as well as the employment opportunities that they are able to provide...
Doing More Good
By Dean Whittaker The purpose in sharing this story with you is to show what one small town with limited resources can do to inspire and share their gift with the world. On March 8th of this year, our community hosted a TEDx event. For those of you familiar with...
7 Tips to Enjoy Your Workplace
By Anu Tandukar A lot of my friends talk about how much they despise Sunday as they have to go back to work after their fun-filled weekend (In Nepal, a work week goes Sunday thru Friday, with Friday being a half-holiday). I, on the other hand, have never found myself...
Growing MSAs for Business
By Jami Gibson Area Development Online recently released their “Leading Locations of 2013,” a ranked list of 380 MSAs, to determine the leading cities/regions that are recovering from the recession the quickest based on economic and workforce data. These Top 10 MSAs...
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Latest
Better Conversation
By Brittany Ryzenga I recently listened to a valuable TedTalk by Celeste Headlee titled, “10 ways to have a better conversation.” The topic caught my attention as improving ones’ communication skills is always beneficial. However, Headlee made a strong observation...
The Social Dilemma
By Jami Gibson You’ve probably seen or heard about The Social Dilemma, one of Netflix’s latest, must-watchdocumentaries. It focuses on the tech experts who helped create some of the largest social networksand search engines that we use and how, even they, are now...
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