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

In this episode, Dennis is joined by Chris Lloyd from the McGuireWoods Consulting infrastructure and economic development team. Dennis and Chris discuss best practices for responding to RFPs and the intangibles that can prevent a community from being considered for a project. 

Chris Lloyd leads the McGuireWoods Consulting infrastructure and economic development team, where he specializes in site selection and negotiations for economic development incentives. Since 1998, Chris has worked on dozens of high-profile corporate expansions and relocations across the country. Prior to joining McGuireWoods Consulting, Chris served for nearly five years in the Office of the Secretary of Commerce and Trade under Virginia Governors Allen and Wilder. Chris is also a past chair of the Site Selectors Guild.

Chris has also worked closely with clients on numerous public-private partnership projects for transportation and other infrastructure, and played a leading role in the development and passage of Virginia’s public-private partnership laws, which have since become model legislation for use in other states.

In this episode, Dennis talks about the frustrations of dealing with issues and projects that are beyond your direct control. What do you do when quiet diplomacy fails, and entities are determined to engage in behavior detrimental to the area you live and work in?

In this episode, Dennis explores the power of the unexpected compliment. Too often, we quickly criticize and forget to tell the people in our lives how much we appreciate them. Take a deep breath and unleash the power of the unexpected compliment.  

In this episode, Dennis shares his thoughts on the 2024 IEDC Annual Conference that was held in Denver. 

In this episode, Dennis laments how the seeds of distrust have been sown in our election process and how that distrust affects even local elections. Why is it so hard to disagree and still respect each other's opinions?