In this episode of Develop This, Dennis Fraise speaks with Bill Murphy , the president and CEO of the Ardmore Development Authority , about the significant impact of Michelin's closure of its tire manufacturing facility in Ardmore, Oklahoma. They discuss the initial shock of the announcement, the community's reaction, and the steps taken to manage the transition for the affected workforce. Bill shares insights on the importance of maintaining strong relationships with local businesses, the need ...
Feb 19, 2025•30 min
In this episode of the Develop This podcast, Dennis Fraise and Betsey Suchanic explore strategies for ensuring that economic development reaches every corner of a community. They discuss the various programs offered by the New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN) , including the LEAP program , which is an all-expense paid professional development experience for economic and community leaders from smaller cities (up to 500,000) to learn from other small and midsized cities that are paving the way thr...
Feb 19, 2025•18 min
In this episode of the Develop This Podcast, Dennis Fraise interviews Courtney Dunbar , who leads Burns and McDonnell's site selection consulting practice. They discuss the essential characteristics of a good industrial site, the challenges communities face in site preparation, and the importance of understanding target industries. Courtney emphasizes the need for diligence in site preparation, the value of certified sites, and the role of master planning in optimizing site functionality. The co...
Feb 12, 2025•31 min
In this Develop This episode, Dennis Fraise speaks with Betsey Suchanic from New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN) about how Small and Midsized Cities (SMCs) are key players in driving economic growth. They discuss how these cities are uniquely positioned to innovate and implement effective economic strategies, the significance of cross-sector partnerships, the need for new metrics in economic development, and the role of procurement and access to capital in fostering economic opportunity for all...
Feb 12, 2025•27 min
Dennis Pruitt Vice President Business Development for the Missouri Partnership joins Dennis and makes the case for liberal arts in economic development. Dennis stresses the importance of reading, history, and culture. In a day and age dominated by STEM don't miss this discussion on the value and power of a liberal arts degree.
Feb 06, 2025•31 min
Barry Matherly joins Dennis, and they discuss the skills needed to be a great leader and how to become involved and give back to the economic development profession. Barry has worn a lot of hats in his economic development career. His current role is as the President and CEO of Hickey Global . Prior to joining Hickey Global, Barry was the President and CEO of the Detroit Regional Partnership and the Greater Richmond Partnership . You have led large organizations in very different communities. Ho...
Jan 29, 2025•29 min
Mark Perna joined Dennis, and they discussed the state of workforce in 2025. What prompted you to write Answering Why? How would you compare the state of our workforce in 2018 versus today? We are at the start of 2025. Where do we stand today with job openings and the skills gap? How can economic development professionals and organizations be more proactive in dealing with workforce issues? Do you see more collaboration between education, economic development and others? Who is leading workforce...
Jan 22, 2025•23 min
Debi Durham , the Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) joins Dennis to discuss the role of a state economic development director. Fifteen years ago, what was the state of economic development? Fast forward 15 years, and how has economic development changed? Through two main divisions – business development and community development the IEDA administers almost 50 state and federal programs to assist individuals, communities, and businesse...
Jan 22, 2025•43 min
Danielle Casey , President & CEO of the Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance , joins Dennis and discusses finding your path in economic development. How do you find the right fit? How do you know when to move to the next position? Is working your way up in one organization preferable, or is there value in working for multiple organizations? Is there a tipping point when it makes more sense to stay with an organization? Are there red flags when looking at joining an organization? Are there ...
Jan 15, 2025•55 min
Bryan Daniels , the President and CEO of the Blount Partnership – Incoming IEDC Board chair, joins Dennis, and they discuss what is ahead for the economic development profession and IEDC in 2025. Bryan Daniels was born and raised in Greeneville, Tennessee, which is adjacent to Cherokee National Forest. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications & Computer Science and a Master of Science degree in Manufacturing Engineering Technology from East Tennessee State University. Bryan bega...
Jan 08, 2025•40 min
IEDC President and CEO Nathan Ohle joins Dennis, and they discuss the 2025 IEDC conferences and the changes happening to the IEDCC conferences in 2025. o 2025 Leadership Summit Washington, D.C. February 23 – 25 o 2025 Rural Summit Great Falls Montana June 23 – 25 o 2025 Annual Conference Detroit, MI September 14 – 17...
Jan 01, 2025•19 min
IEDC President and CEO Nathan Ohle joins Dennis, and they reflect on Nathan's first three years leading IEDC and what the future holds for the economic development profession and IEDC.
Jan 01, 2025•36 min
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 ye...
Dec 18, 2024•13 min
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 i...
Dec 11, 2024•23 min
Dennis gets personal about his decision to retire from his economic development position and discusses what is next for Develop This!
Dec 11, 2024•8 min
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...
Dec 04, 2024•21 min
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 Ag...
Nov 20, 2024•28 min
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 de...
Nov 13, 2024•39 min
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 e...
Nov 13, 2024•30 min
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...
Nov 06, 2024•37 min
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 c...
Oct 30, 2024•17 min
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 Part...
Oct 30, 2024•27 min
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 li...
Oct 23, 2024•21 min
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...
Oct 16, 2024•34 min
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?
Oct 09, 2024•9 min
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.
Oct 02, 2024•9 min
In this episode, Dennis shares his thoughts on the 2024 IEDC Annual Conference that was held in Denver.
Sep 25, 2024•8 min
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?
Sep 11, 2024•10 min
Mark Perna joins Dennis to discuss the power of saying no. Sometimes, saying no is the best strategy. Dennis and Mark talk about how and why to say no.
Sep 04, 2024•10 min
Dennis is joined by third-generation magician and award-winning entertainer Dennis Watkins from the Magic Parlour in Chicago. Dennis and his wife attended a show at the Magic Parlour, and Dennis was so impressed he asked magician Dennis Watkins to join him on an episode of Develop This! Listen in for a fascinating discussion of the behind-the-scenes world of magic and discover how economic development is like magic!...
Aug 28, 2024•50 min
