Alissa Sklar, Ph.D.

Communications Strategy Expert in Economic Development

Dr. Alissa Sklar specializes in strategic communications for the economic development industry. With over 13 years of experience, she has worked with numerous agencies, organizations, and businesses to craft strategic messaging aligned with business development objectives. She excels in content marketing, thought leadership, and place marketing, focusing on white papers, blogs, webinars, podcasts, and conference presentations.

A global consultant, Dr. Sklar has held leadership roles at the Financial Times and Research FDI, where she helped economic developers create and implement growth strategies. She co-authored Economic Development Marketing & Priorities (2024) with Anatalio Ubalde, published by the Financial Times, and has taught at Concordia and McGill universities.

Dr. Sklar has been a long-time collaborator with Golden Shovel Agency, contributing to a wide variety of strategic projects, including target industry and marketing strategies for Odessa, Texas, and Bergen County, New Jersey. She first worked with Golden Shovel during her time as VP of Marketing for GIS Planning/FT Locations and has continued to contribute sector analysis reports and engage in webinars through her firm, Sklar Consulting. Her industry expertise spans digital marketing, social media for place marketing, investment attraction strategies, and value proposition development.

She chairs the International Advisory Committee for the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and has served as the governing board chair for Trafalgar School for Girls since 2016.

Alissa holds a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Massachusetts and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Concordia University. Fluent in both English and French, she enjoys a variety of year-round outdoor activities, including skiing, hiking, and kayaking.