ED Now

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 is now accepting submissions for the 2023 Excellence and Leadership in Economic Development Awards. Take advantage of early-bird pricing and submit your entry by April 14. Dennis Alvord received the Federal Leadership in Economic Development Programs Award in 2022. The award recognizes a federal program director who has gone above and beyond in administering a federal economic development program. Alvord serves as EDA’s deputy assistant secretary for economic development and chief operating officer, and is responsible for enterprise-wide operations and program execution. He also serves as co-chair of the Department Management Council, comprised of senior executives from all of the Department of Commerce’s principal ...

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has launched the first CHIPS for America funding opportunity to revitalize the domestic semiconductor manufacturing industry, support good-paying jobs, and bring supply chains back to the U.S. As part of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, the first funding opportunity seeks applications for projects to construct, expand, or modernize commercial facilities for the production of cutting edge semiconductors. NIST will also be releasing a funding opportunity for semiconductor materials and equipment facilities in the late spring, and one for research and development facilities in the fall. The first funding opportunity will evaluate applications with a primary focus on how projects ...

At a strategy briefing on the CHIPS Act hosted by NIST, representatives from the U.S. Department of Commerce expressed growing excitement as the procurement process begins to heat up. As senior advisor Sree Ramaswamy put it, “It is impossible to overstate that this is our most ambitious program in the past 80 years.” The CHIPS Act is an enormous funding package that is attempting to boost domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors. It has $280 billion in total funding and profound implications for economic developers looking to invest in American manufacturing. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo praised the package in an opening statement, emphasizing the sweeping ambition and national security implications of the ...

IEDC President and CEO Nathan Ohle officially announced the launch of the Economic Recovery Corps on November 9. EDA is sponsoring the $30-million cooperative agreement with IEDC and its partners to create an economic recovery program that will increase the capacity of regional economic development ecosystems and provide guidance to support local economic developers. “The Economic Recovery Corps marks a unique, first-of-its-kind initiative in locally-led capacity-building that will accelerate the adoption of equitable economic development practices,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Castillo. The Economic Recovery Corps will recruit at least 65 fellows for EDOs in underserved communities ...

Earlier this month, IEDC President and CEO Nathan Ohle hosted U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves as part of IEDC’s Economic Development Sessions. These sessions serve as fireside chats between Ohle and leading economic development officials, thought leaders, and experts. Ohle and Graves analyzed several issues surrounding current economic challenges as a result of the pandemic, including infrastructure, supply chains, workforce availability, and the system’s capacity to innovate. They also discussed building more resilient economies to combat climate change. Graves pointed out that these problems have demonstrated the system’s lack of capacity to innovate, but reveal a unique opportunity to change those ...

The U.S. Economic Development Administration is announcing a $30-million cooperative agreement with IEDC and its partners to create an Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) program. This project is funded by the CARES Act, which provided EDA with $1.5 billion for economic assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to the pandemic. “President Biden is committed to unleashing the full power of the federal government to ensure our nation not only recovers from the pandemic but builds back stronger,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The Economic Recovery Corps will strengthen the connectivity and capacity of regional economic development ecosystems, resulting in a stronger national economic ...

IEDC’s recently released white paper What We’ve Learned From Covid-19 contains best practices for EDOs looking to build their resilience to pandemics and other disasters. The paper is one component of a larger project funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration and the culmination of 18 months tracking the pandemic responses of eight communities.