One of the themes I return to every time I speak is the importance of collaboration: between communities, between industry, and across economic development, workforce development, housing, childcare, and infrastructure. Collaboration is the future of economic development. So, when I get to travel to a place where that is happening, across all those areas,

When the lights go out, people often go to churches first. As Hurricane Helene tore through south and coastal Georgia in 2024 it passed near numerous African Methodist Episcopal (AME) churches and devastated the communities surrounding them. It was to these churches that many community members turned for support, resources, and guidance in the aftermath.

The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is pleased to announce that 41 individuals have been awarded the Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) designation following a multi-part examination process conducted in April 2026.  “Economic developers play a vital role in shaping the future of their communities. They drive investment,

Trust functions as the infrastructure that connects institutions and enables the flow of information, capital, and opportunity across entrepreneurial ecosystems. Over the past century, economic development has evolved from a primary focus on exports, business attraction, and incentives to a more complex, layered system that includes industrial clusters,

In Arizona, extreme heat is more than a weather condition. It is an economic development issue, a public health issue, and a defining challenge for how communities will grow and thrive in the decades ahead. As temperatures rise and urban heat intensifies, cities like Phoenix are seeking practical, scalable solutions that improve neighborhood livability

On March 5, 2026, the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture approved the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567) by a bipartisan vote of 34–17, advancing the House’s proposal to reauthorize the federal Farm Bill following a multi-day committee markup. Momentum has continued to build since committee passage, with House Republican

President Donald Trump has signed into law S. 3971, the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act, reauthorizing the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs through September 30, 2031. The Senate passed the bill by voice vote on March 3, 2026, and the House approved it on March 17, 2026, by

On April 2, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced a series of operational updates related to implementation of the Thomas Carper Reauthorization Act of 2025. IEDC helped to inform the economic development provision of this bipartisan legislation and strongly advocated for its passage. According to