Mark C. Perna joins Dennis, and they discuss Being Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable. Discover why being uncomfortable can actually be positive, and why focusing on a personal competitive advantage now prepares us for when our personal “want-to” arrives.

The Competitive Advantage Track Is Available Free on Mark's Website

Learners will discover: • Why being uncomfortable can actually be a positive thing

• How to focus, plan, and take action when life gets uncomfortable

• Why we should “say yes, and then figure out how”

• How our personal “want-to” spurs us to do things we may be nervous about doing

• Why focusing on a personal competitive advantage now prepares us for when our personal "want-to" arrives

Dennis gets personal about his decision to retire from his economic development position and discusses what is next for Develop This!

Dennis is joined by Maria Berg-Stark, the Senior Director of Membership at IEDC, and they discuss the changes to IEDC's membership structure. IEDC recently rolled out a new membership plan, reducing our membership offerings from 27 categories to 10.

Individual Member Types

Member Type

Price* (USD)

Definition

Student

$35

Must be enrolled in at least 12 course hours per semester and provide a transcript from university or learning institution

Member in Transition/Retired

$125

Professional who is retired or currently not employed

Emerging Leader

$195

Professional in the economic development field 5 years or less; IEDC reserves the right to verify work history

International Member (North America)

$385

Canada and Mexico

International Member (outside North America)

$225

Excludes Canada and Mexico

Rural

$255

Serving a population of 10,000 or less; may require verification

Individual

$385

Professional who is actively employed in the field of economic development

Leader of the Industry

$525

A President, CEO, Executive Director, or other C-level executive

Supplier Partner

$725

A vendor and/or consultant that provides products or services to economic development professionals

*IEDC's membership term is January 1 – December 31. First-year enrollments are prorated to the month you join.

Clark Smith has almost 40 years of experience in economic development. Clark began his economic development career as executive director of the Hampton Area Chamber and Development Corporation. He then joined the Iowa Department of Economic Development, where he worked as a community consultant and manager of existing industry. Most recently, Clark was the economic development director for Aquila, Inc. – Iowa. He has worked with hundreds of companies providing site selection/expansion assistance. Clark has been President of the Professional Developers of Iowa and the Community Development Society of Iowa. Clark also managed and owned a trade association business and started Butler House on Grand Bed and Breakfast, which he sold.

EDC Forge CRM Customer Relationship Management platform

Smart Solutions Group, Inc. 

Dennis is joined by Aaron Brossoit, CEO of the Golden Shovel Agency, to talk about AI for economic developers. Aaron and Golden Shovel Agency are at the leading edge of implementing AI. Aaron helps AI neophyte Dennis better understand AI and how economic development professionals can use it.

Be sure to check out Aaron's avatar below, which speaks multiple languages. 

AI tools and resources:

Grammarly 

Chat GPT

Otter.ai

Hey Gen

See Arron's multi-language avatar created in Hey Gen

Golden Shovel Agency

Dennis is joined by Kaycee Bunch, an economic developer and podcast host. Dennis and Kaycee discuss the unique challenges faced by female economic development professionals. The Leading Ladies of Economic Development is a great podcast for all economic development professionals. Give it a listen; you won't be disappointed!

The Leading Ladies of Economic Development podcast is a safe place for female economic development professionals to share stories, insights, and challenges of the economic development industry. We hear from women leaders across the country about their careers in ED and how you can apply their experiences to your own economic development career goals.

Dennis is joined by Mo Collins, Director of Entrepreneurship - International Economic Development Council, and they discuss the upcoming Rural Entrepreneurship 101 online class. Courtney Zaugg is the other instructor of the Rural Entrepreneurship class.

Rural Entrepreneurship 101 - online

November 20, 2024 11:00 am - 6:00 pm EST

The rise of bandwidth, remote work, and local, place-based assets go hand in hand with emerging rural entrepreneurship and ecosystem building. Join this 101 Class to explore innovative strategies to overcome rural entrepreneurship's unique challenges and learn best practices to transform your rural community into a hub of growth and sustainability.

Moving from burnout to renewal - Dennis Pruitt, Missouri Partnership

In this episode, Dennis and Dennis discuss the reality of burnout and practical next steps to help deal with the effects of burnout. 

Outline

         I.            Definitions

       II.            Causes

     III.            Significance

     IV.            Caveats

      V.            Fundamentals of building personal energy

     VI.            Practical Next Steps

Dennis is joined by Shawn Donovan, an Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) Fellow working in West Virginia. They discuss the Economic Recovery Corp, what it is like to be an ERC Fellow and Shaun's work in West Virginia. New River Gorge National Park

ERC Project

Project Title: Redefining West Virginia’s Region 1's Economy; Life After Coal

Host Community or Region: West Virginia

Host Organization: Region I Planning & Development Council, in collaboration with the Town of Fayetteville, WV

A New Partnership for Economic Transformation - 65 Fellows, 65 Catalytic Projects, 42 States, 2 Territories

The Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) program launched in 2023 through a $30 million cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA). Funded through the CARES Act, ERC aims to address long-standing economic disparities in America that surfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic, build capacity in  -hard-hit communities, and cultivate the next generation of economic development leaders.

The ERC program is led by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in partnership with six leading national organizations from across the economic development landscape. Over a 30-month Fellowship, 65 Fellows are working alongside Host Organizations in under-resourced communities, building a nationwide corps of diverse, cross-sector talent with the skills and expertise to activate regional strategies and promote innovation. The Fellowship promotes connectivity and knowledge-sharing among urban, rural, and tribal areas to elevate new practices and transform the field of economic development.

Dennis and Mark Perna discuss the importance of and the three critical elements of a personal competitive advantage.

• Robust academic knowledge
• Technical competencies
• Professional skills

Even though the Competitive Advantage Track is designed to talk to Gen Zers about their careers, there are lessons for all of us to learn and ponder.

Competitive Advantage Track is a free, easy-to-use tool that will drive the dialogue to help young people think constructively about their future, develop crucial career and life skills, and ultimately thrive in a fast-changing world.

In each module (or “Slice”), generational expert and Career Tree creator Mark C.  Perna delivers a short, heartfelt talk about a particular skill, why it matters, and how it connects to their personal competitive advantage for whatever they want to achieve in life.

Springfield, Ohio, has recently been in the national spotlight after the community was mentioned in several political debates. What happens when you go from being one of 67 communities named Springfield to the one everyone is talking about? Is all publicity good publicity? How does an organization respond to the glare of the national media? Horton Hobbs, Vice President of Economic Development for The Greater Springfield Partnership, joins Dennis, and they go behind the scenes of working and living in Springfield, OH. 

Mid-America EDC Competitiveness Conference Columbus, Ohio December 4–6, 2024