The Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) brought together 130 fellows, hosts, and national partners in Washington, D.C., February 25–27, for its final Annual Retreat. The three-day gathering celebrated more than two years of fellowship work, strengthened relationships across the cohort, and created space to share what fellows have been learning in their communities with the broader economic development field.

The retreat coincided with the National Association of Counties’ Legislative Conference and IEDC’s Leadership Summit, giving fellows and hosts the opportunity to participate in congressional meetings and advocate for continued investment in the program. Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development and IEDC Board Member Alejandra Y. Castillo opened the retreat with a keynote reflecting on the program’s significance for the future of economic development.

The centerpiece of the convening was the Capstone Showcase, where fellows presented their work through workshops, TED-style talks, and a public Expo poster session attended by guests from organizations including the Aspen Community Strategies Group, Brookings Institution, Solutions Journalism Network, the Federal Reserve, Milken Institute, Rockefeller Foundation, the Small Business Administration, the Economic Development Administration, and Harvard Kennedy School’s Reimagining the Economy Initiative. The retreat created space to exchange lessons from the field, and reflect on what ERC’s work means for the future of economic development practice.

The gathering also underscored why the ERC model matters for the field. By embedding experienced professionals inside local institutions for 30 months, ERC invests directly in the capacity communities need to move ideas into implementation. That sustained, on-the-ground presence builds trust, accelerates projects, and helps communities unlock investment and partnerships that might otherwise remain out of reach.

To date, fellows have helped unlock $246 million in investment, advanced 32 regional strategies, strengthened disaster resilience in 31 communities, and catalyzed 300+ cross-sector partnerships connecting rural, Tribal, and urban regions nationwide. 

For IEDC, ERC demonstrates that investing in people — embedded talent working alongside local leaders — can strengthen the practice of economic development and produce durable outcomes for communities. Learn more about the program’s impact at economicrecoverycorps.org/impact