ED Now

Former IEDC board chair and veteran economic development executive Tom Kucharski, CEcD, HLM, has served as the architect behind major regional transformations. Kucharski is a quoted economic development expert in national publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Newsweek. In this article, he offers insights and advice for economic developers serving today and into the future.

IEDC's Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) program recognizes organizational excellence in the areas of internal and external operations, structures, and procedures. This series profiles recently accredited AEDOs, putting some of economic development's highest-performing organizations in the spotlight. In this edition we hear from former IEDC board member John Sternlicht, CEcD, FM, HLM, who heads the Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County, Washington—a North American tulip capital.

Rafael Arellano, CEcD, MPA, business development manager for Horizon City (Texas) Economic Development Corporation, recently became a Certified Economic Developer. By passing the rigorous, two-part exam, CEcDs prove their comprehensive knowledge of the field and readiness to tackle economic development challenges. What was the most important thing you learned while earning your CEcD? I was impressed by the number of best practice examples that were provided to us. These tried-and-true methods allowed me to consider real-world scenarios of what would (and wouldn’t) work in practice. I also appreciated that many of the instructors have decades worth of experience in their respective fields – they are very competent and ...

IEDC's Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) program recognizes organizational excellence in the areas of internal and external operations, structures, and procedures. This series profiles recently accredited AEDOs, putting some of economic development's highest-performing organizations in the spotlight. This edition: Elgin (Ill.) Development Group.

In 2020 St. Tammany Corporation in Louisiana embarked on a large-scale fiber installation project that had 6,500 crossings and also many challenges. Over the next two years, the team learned a few things that might be useful to fellow economic developers.

IEDC's Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) program recognizes organizational excellence in the areas of internal and external operations, structures, and procedures. This series profiles recently accredited AEDOs, putting some of economic development's highest-performing organizations in the spotlight. This edition: City of Miramar (Fla.) Economic Development and Housing Department.

With more than 22 years of experience in business, organizational, and economic development, Terri May Peters, business development manager for Claremore (Okla.) Industrial and Economic Development Authority, always seeks opportunities to grow her professional knowledge, network, and skill set to better serve the local community. And with more than 80% of businesses in Rogers County employing fewer than 10 individuals, the small business sector is a driving force for the area's economy. IEDC’s Entrepreneurship Development Professional certification provided the perfect opportunity for Peters to ensure she had the skills needed to provide local small businesses with the tools, training, resources, and relationships needed to be ...

IEDC has partnered with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) for more than four years through IEDC’s economic recovery and resilience program. The CNMI’s tourism- and agriculture-focused economy is unique, vibrant, and dynamic. IEDC’s current work with the CNMI economic development community addresses dual recovery from the pandemic and natural disasters. To kick off this phase, a team of IEDC volunteers visited the islands to conduct a needs assessment.