Entire Winter 2015 issue

Cultivating a Green Thumb for Economic Growth: A Closer Look at the Impact of Economic Gardening

by T.J. Becker
By recognizing that second-stage companies are the engine behind job creation and revenue generation, Economic Gardening® provides a unique and powerful way to grow economies. It targets companies that already operate in communities and helps these growth-oriented businesses succeed by delivering high-level strategic research services.

Manufacturing a Future that Works: A Small Community's Big Solution to Align Manufacturing Needs with Education in Lincoln County, NC

by Kara Brown
The Existing Business Program of the Lincoln Economic Development Association in Lincoln County, NC, responded to industry concerns over the imminent shortage of skilled workers and a retiring workforce by pulling together all stakeholders to find a local solution. The result won IEDC's Gold Award in Human Capital.

New Incentives and Opportunities for Hospitals to Engage in Local Economic Development: Reshaping the Role that Hospitals Play in Their Communities

by Kimberly Zeuli
The significance of hospitals to their communities should not be limited to their role as a healthcare provider and large employer, especially in distressed inner cities. A few hospitals are leading the field and reshaping the role hospitals play in community and economic development.

Saving a Base, Reshaping a City: A Story about Building a Partnership between the Navy and the City of Virginia Beach

by Curtis R. Cobert, Jr. and Michelle B. Chapleau
The city of Virginia Beach developed a solution to the encroachment problems that plagued Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana. The Oceana Land Use Conformity Program demonstrates how both localities and military branches can work together for a common goal. Due in large part to the success of the program, the business relocation portion, YesOceana, received IEDC's Gold Award for Real Estate Redevelopment & Reuse.

Six Questions and Six Keys to Better Fundraising: Leveraging Passion, Courage, and Leadership to Elevate Performance and Raise More Money

by Susan P. Blansett, CEcD, CM
Given sufficient attention and a good understanding of a few key concepts, almost any ED organization can learn to improve its bottom line and generate more resources for operations.

Sustainable Economic Development as a Cluster Strategy: Austin's Recycling Economic Development Program

by Natalie Betts
By tailoring a strategic approach to a cluster within the sustainability umbrella, economic developers can generate jobs and investment and support the next wave of innovative firms that will pay economic, ecological, and equitable dividends for a community today and in the next generation.