ED Now

State energy offices (SEOs) play a vital role in fostering local energy entrepreneurship and innovation through targeted programs and policies. It's important for SEOs to understand the current local energy ecosystem—including existing businesses, workforce capabilities, research institutions, funding sources, community partnerships, and market dynamics—to enable this cohesion to thrive.

ED Now recently caught up with Don Iannone, former CUED and AEDC board member, who retired from economic development at the end of 2016 after four decades.

At IEDC’s Annual Conference in September, the Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) program hosted the Future of Economic Development roundtable discussion session. The session examined four trends impacting EDOs: quiet hiring, staying knowledgeable in a rapidly expanding industry, strategic planning in a post-pandemic world, and integrating technology and data tools.

Young Smart & Local (YSL), a groundbreaking national network dedicated to fostering diverse talent through attraction, inclusion, development, and retention, will host its third annual conference November 13–15 in New Orleans. This three-day event has become a valuable platform for leaders from various sectors to collaborate and share insights and best practices. Launched with a national conference in Philadelphia in 2019, YSL has rapidly grown to encompass more than 900 professionals in economic development, city government, higher education, and business. Co-founded and managed by Deborah Diamond, former president of Campus Philly, and Cecelia Thompson, executive director of Action Greensboro (N.C.), the network provides a ...

An economic sustainability plan can help communities and economic development programs create consensus around goals, strategies, and actions that meet the needs of the present without risking the prospects of future generations. Learn how to develop an economic sustainability plan and what critical questions to ask.

Heidi Knoblauch, PhD, EDP, interim director of Empire (N.Y.) State Development’s Division of Science, Technology, and Innovation, is part of the third cohort of certified Entrepreneurship Development Professionals. IEDC’s EDP credential is designed to build capacity for those supporting entrepreneurship in their communities, and demonstrates the skills and expertise to lead communities through entrepreneurship-led economic development (ELED). Why did you decide to pursue the EDP credential? I wanted to understand how economic developers outside of New York State are thinking about entrepreneurship-led economic development. Specifically, I wanted to learn how other economic developers are thinking about measuring innovation ...

As an economic development professional, you know that attracting businesses to your community is crucial to fostering growth and success. One of the most powerful tools at your disposal is your website. With the right content and features, your website can showcase all your region's offerings and entice businesses to choose you over the competition. This article explores five key ways to use your website to attract businesses to your community. From telling your region's story through engaging content to promoting workforce opportunities and optimizing your website for efficiency, these tips will help you create a powerful online presence that will set you apart from the competition.

EDA has issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking public input and perspectives on the planning and design of the Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program. The Recompete Pilot Program is an economic development initiative that will provide grant funding to distressed communities across the U.S. to create and connect workers ages 25 to 54 to good jobs and support long-term comprehensive economic development. The RFI seeks input about: structuring a program that most effectively builds capacity, creates jobs, and addresses challenges in communities grappling with persistent economic distress and high prime-age unemployment; identifying metrics to assess the success of the Recompete Pilot Program; designing a competitive, ...