Client Spotlight

Phelps County Development Corporation received the 2020 NREDA Organization Excellence Award for implementing a successful rural economic development program for their area. "In addition to addressing housing and workforce issues through their GO! Home and High Demand Jobs Scholarship Programs, the Phelps County Development Corporation has had a creative and aggressiv...Continue Reading

The Pasadena Economic Development Corporation (PEDC) was awarded a Gold Rank for its Pasadena Pulse E-Newsletter, a project in the category of Magazine and Newsletter of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The honor was presented on October 15, 2020, at an awards ceremony during the IEDC Annual Conference. "Over th...Continue Reading

The Seguin Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) received recognition for its success in bringing Continental Structural Plastics and United Alloy, Inc. into the Rio Nogales Industrial Park in Seguin. The Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) recently awarded the SEDC its 2020 Community Economic Development Award (CEDA). "We're super excited about this recognition," Segui...Continue Reading

Linda DiMario is currently an Economic Development Consultant at the Greater Irvine Chamber. She is convinced that she has always been in economic development. Whether the political area of elections and policy or influencing and contributing to the economic vitality of a community by hotel sales, tourism development, marketing, o...Continue Reading

On Thursday, September 17, 2020, the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce and East Metro Chamber partners hosted the annual Leaders in Local Government Awards Ceremony. The Chamber honored five organizations that exemplified and demonstrated innovation, excellence, and success in local government. Nominees were selected based on the contributions wit...Continue Reading

Rajiv Somepalli is currently the Communications Coordinator in Marketing for Yankton Area Progressive Growth (YAPG) and has been in his role for about a year. He grew up in Yankton, SD, and lived there until graduating high school in 2004. He then moved away for approximately ten years, spending mos...Continue Reading

Suzette McDowell is a highly skilled marketing expert with 8+ years of experience working in both the private and non-profit sectors. She has played a key role in the successful rebranding for various organizations and has cultivated hundreds of partnerships for her clients and employers. Suzette currently works as th...Continue Reading

Carley Bruning is currently the Director of Business Services at Phelps County Development Corporation (PCDC). In her role, she administers the new GO! programs, works with local and regional educators and guidance counselors, administers the high-demand jobs scholarship program, engages with employers to develop programs to recruit, develop, and retai...Continue Reading

“I didn’t choose economic development, economic development chose me!” said Lea Gettle, Manager of Administration and Strategic Services at Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative. Growing up, Lea’s parents owned a large RV park and resort, meaning that from the age of 13, she worked every summer in the tourism industry. The...Continue Reading

Tom DiFiore is currently the President & CEO of National Community Development Services (NCDS). The organization helps fund EDOs and Chambers, and, since 1977, has conducted over 700 campaigns and raised over $1.7 billion in communities of all sizes in 46 states. Click here to see Tom's full bio. Tom i...Continue Reading

Gerri Lawing is currently the Economic Development Director for the Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative (GVEC) in South Central Texas and has served here since 2008. Gerri started her career in the Chamber of Commerce world and still has great respect and passion for what they do. From there, she took a jo...Continue Reading

Garry Clark is currently the executive director at the Greater Fremont Development Council (GFDC). His first economic development role was in Newberry, FL, just out of Gainesville, as a City Planner and Main Street Manager. From there, he moved to the DC area and jumped into a role as a...Continue Reading

Lisa Hurley entered the industry in 2006, previously working in the nonprofit world. She started at an Economic Development District. At that point, she was mostly focused on community development, but as she went through the Economic Development Institute, she discovered a love for the Economic Development side. Lisa became involved in th...Continue Reading