Over the past two months, I have had the opportunity to travel from Puerto Rico to Seattle, WA, to have met with leaders from Bulgaria to India to Brazil. I have had the opportunity to meet with some of the foremost leaders at The World Bank and IMF and leaders of communities large and small, and to have watched as more than 1,000 communities participated in Economic Development Week. To say it has been inspiring would be an understatement. What strikes me most as I travel and have the opportunity to meet economic developers from across the world is the passion they have for their work, and for their communities. It is clear that this is a life’s mission for most, and always reminds me of how important service is to this job.

The stories I have heard range from small projects to large-scale partnerships, but all have one thing in common, they all focus on community.

• I spoke to economic and workforce developers about the impact that climate change has had on their work in Miami;
• In Puerto Rico, I heard about how the hurricanes have impacted the way that Puerto Ricans have rallied around economic development and entrepreneurship efforts, including ensuring that there are entrepreneurship classes taught in every grade, starting at kindergarten;
• I listened to how Bulgarians are adapting to a world not far from war to continue to drive economic development efforts;
• In Indiana, a hospital has invested in and collaborated with an underserved community to not just place their facility in the community, but to collaborate with the community to build a grocery story and other important quality of life needs;
• The Global Entrepreneurship Network is building networks in some of the hardest markets in the world, including Iraq, to build a movement of entrepreneurs to drive change; and
• In northern Idaho, leaders have started collaborating with regional partners, both throughout the urban and rural areas of the state but also across state lines with partners in Washington state.

Every story is unique, and show that there are amazing stories, and amazing work, happening across the world.

As I meet with leaders from throughout Central and South America and the Caribbean while in Seattle for the Americas’ Competitiveness Exchange (ACE) this week, it is clear that the world is becoming even more connected, and that collaboration is at the heart of where the economic development field is headed. While competition will always be a key driver for economic developers, those who have learned to thrive through collaboration are the future of this great work. This is where IEDC leans in, to collaborate to provide the best tools and resources, the best content and professional development opportunities, and to showcase the stories that drive economic opportunity.

Last week was Economic Development Week. Started by IEDC in 2016, it is the single biggest driver of stories for economic development across the year. Thousands of stories are told, highlighting not just the work but the outcomes, the communities served, and the people that benefit. To me, this is where our work starts and ends, with the people and communities that not only lead, but listen, learn and grow together. Each year, engagement for Economic Development Week continues to grow. This year was no different. More than 17,000 interactions occurred throughout the week, amplifying stories from across the world.

I had the unique opportunity to meet briefly with Vice President Kamala Harris two months ago while down in Miami. I used my short time with her to tell a story about economic development, because that is what people remember. It is important for all of us as economic developers to remember that we are also storytellers. That your story matters, and that it is critical for you, and your organization, to tell that story.

While Economic Development Week is a great opportunity to do just that, it cannot be the only time we think about it. Please share your stories with me, and with others. It may just inspire the next generation of economic developers to jump in alongside you. It may inspire others to do similar things in their communities, and it will certainly touch the heart of someone else in some way, usually unexpectedly, that could alter a person’s life. It may help to create a job that supports and sustains a person’s family.

I cannot wait to continue my travels; to hear and see you and your community’s story. Thank you for all you are doing, and will continue to do, as we collectively move the economic development field forward. It all starts with the story…