Name: Amy C. Madison, CEcD, EDFP, EDMP

Position: Executive Director

Organization: Pflugerville Community Development Corporation

Years In Economic Development: 23

Years As A Member of IEDC: 21

What was the first IEDC event you attended?

IEDC - 2001 Annual Conference

Why did you choose to join IEDC?

Becoming a member of IEDC was an easy decision because it led to further professional development through certification and other types of training, and it allowed me to develop lasting relationships in the profession from literally all over the world. Both of these opportunities - professional development and creating strong relationships within our profession - provided the necessary foundation to be successful no matter where I landed throughout my career.

How has being a member of IEDC benefitted you and/or your organization?

Every city, state, and, yes, country...has a unique way of providing economic development services to its designated area. Being a member of IEDC has helped me learn a variety of ways to unite the economic development effort, administer funding for success, and provide recruitment, retention, and workforce education programs. Becoming a professional in this industry requires understanding best practices because they can be applied to any type of economic development organization. How has it benefited my organization? Each city or region I have served was different, and in each place, I could apply the same basic principles I learned from my peers and from my certification from IEDC. This was the basic foundation I brought to work to help communities and regions make important changes, achieve their goals, and deliver economic prosperity to their residents.

What IEDC event do you look forward to attending each year?

I always enjoy attending the annual conference because I get to meet so many of my colleagues, but I think my favorite is the Leadership Forum. It is smaller - only certified economic developers attend - and it gives us all a chance to recharge so that we can go back and support others in the profession who are trying to achieve their certification.

Is there a project your organization is currently working on or completed within the last year that you are excited about?

We recruited a 3.8MM square foot Amazon fulfillment center, 1000+ jobs and a $250MM investment in our community during the pandemic. This week, we broadcasted a hiring information webinar to help people learn how to apply for jobs at this facility. It is a just in time delivery for many of those who are seeking employment.

How have you, your organization, and/or community adapted to COVID-19 pre- and post-pandemic?

Our community worked with the City, Chamber and nonprofit organizations to fund two grant programs. Our role was to help fund some of the grants, to market the programs and to administer the program. We distributed over $1.2MM in grants to all size businesses in the community. Second, we started a zoom early morning roundtable with all our CEOS and business owners three times a week to assist them with getting supplies, technical assistance and equipment during the early months. Later, we told their heroic stories through social media and a three series webinar in June 2020 that told their story of how they pivoted and provided everything from masks to ventilators - and became a strong alliance for moving forward.

What project(s), past or present, are you or your organization most proud of, and why?

We started plans for the Pflugerville Manufacturing Academy in January 2020, and by March that year, every school and college was in lock down. We received a matching grant from the state, but with the pandemic, we were in danger of losing it because we had no place to go...until we reached out to our local manufacturers and developed specific curriculum for their equipment and standard operations, rented their machines, and we were able to launch the first 3D Training class in March 2021 in three different facilities. Since then, we have extended the training program to include Teacher externships this summer. Over 50 students and teachers have received training on state-of-the-art equipment manufactured in our own community, and we have developed relationships with every workforce education provider in the region as a result of this program. 

What are some ways you hope you and your organization can continue to support your community and/or clients?

Prior to COVID-19, we had a fledgling program in workforce development. Today, we have a very sophisticated program and have established MOUs with all our regional workforce partners, have staff on the workforce board, and recently rolled out a new Pflugerville Manufacturing Academy focused on training local students and teachers about 3D - additive manufacturing. We want to continue offering options to our local residents - and upskilling them for their future careers.

Coffee or Tea?

Coffee Latte

Audio Book or Podcast?

Audio Book

What is a podcast or book you would recommend?

To Kill a Mockingbird

Favorite Movie?

Wizard of Oz

Night Out or Night In?

Night Out

Dress-shoes or Sneakers?

Sneakers

What is something you like to do in your free time?

Biking and gardening