ED Now

In recent years, our economic development profession, organizations, and the communities we serve have faced seemingly unprecedented challenges and uncertainties. What makes leaders effective in turbulent times? In his book Leadership Reinvented, Hamza Khan points to four strategies: practicing empathy, exercising servitude, driving diversity, and sparking innovation. According to Khan, such leadership is the art of continuous reinvention.

Casey Verburg, CEcD, MPA, senior economic developer for ElectriCities of NC, 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? The world of economic development is constantly changing—from new and emerging industries to diversity initiatives to technology. Building a foundation of the basics of economic development can help practitioners prepare themselves and their communities for the changes. How will your CEcD help you in your work? My CEcD increases my network on a local and global level. Earning my ...

The Minnesota Economic Development Foundation is a private nonprofit corporation supporting economic development education, training, and outreach in Minnesota. Its initiatives are closely aligned with key partners such as IEDC and the Economic Development Association of Minnesota. The foundation has provided professional development scholarships to hundreds of economic developers in Minnesota and supported internships at dozens of Minnesota EDOs.

We are emerging from a period where there has been a notable increase in support and recognition of the vital role small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play in the global economy. However, as we move forward, it is crucial for policymakers, the media, and the corporate community to maintain their focus on SMEs and remember the significant impact these enterprises have on our economies and the world at large.

IEDC, in partnership with EDA and six national and international associations, has officially launched the Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) program. The multiyear, $30-million collaborative initiative will place up to 65 ERC fellows from diverse backgrounds and disciplines within partnering organizations across the United States to activate economic development projects and plans that generate new practices and paradigms for equitable and inclusive change. Organizations interested in hosting a full-time fellow for 2.5 years (30 months) will have until June 30, 2023, to submit an expression of interest and initiate the application process. This is a great opportunity for organizations that are looking to drive their economic development ...

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 Brampton (Ont.) Economic Development Office.

Planning is under way for IEDC’s 2023 Annual Conference in Dallas, and we need your help! Send us your ideas for sessions and speakers. The deadline for session proposals is January 15, 2023. Join IEDC in Dallas next year as we work through unprecedented challenges and build bold solutions for the future. Learn invaluable industry insight from the experts about today’s most pressing topics, including economic reinvention, community innovation, and disaster recovery and resilience. Session proposals should address trends and topics that reflect the wide-ranging needs and interests of IEDC’s diverse membership. IEDC’s board has implemented a 40 percent speaker diversity rate benchmark. Sessions that do not represent ...

A recent IEDC webinar highlighted common recommendations Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) committee members give to applicant organizations. Speakers Jim Fram, CEcD, FM, CCE, founder of Community Growth Strategies, LLC, and Fred Welch, CEcD, EDFP, executive director of Copperas Cove (Texas) Economic Development Corporation, have both served on AEDO committees and completed the accreditation process themselves. They unpacked their most common recommendations into seven categories: human resources, board and advisory committee, strategic planning, marketing, fundraising and investment, operations and program management, and stakeholder relations. Fram and Welch stressed the importance of thoughtful succession planning to ...