Economic Development is a Puzzle: Brian Rademacher Has Connected the Pieces

A 500-acre mixed-use master plan takes years of planning and partnering with diverse organizations and stakeholders. Brian Rademacher, Director of Economic Development at the City of Ormond Beach, was the right person to shepherd Ormond Crossings through this process. A strong advocate for strategic planning and regional partnerships, with a background in transportation, Brian shares his unique perspective and suggestions for economic developers looking to increase their impact on our recent ShovelTalk podcast. 

Major economic development projects start with a plan

You need to know what you want to accomplish. Brian advocates for strategic planning and keeping plans current. “I took classes on strategic planning at the beginning of my career, and that has been instrumental in my success.”

The strategic plan sets the mission and vision for economic development in a community. It sets the guidelines for how the community will grow and what it wants to achieve over three to five years. “You need a set of goals and objectives when you are done that can be implemented over three to five years. It’s rewarding to see what we have accomplished and ask, “What’s next?” If something wasn’t achieved, we ask, “Why not?” and “What can we do differently?”” said Brian.

“You can’t do this by looking at data alone. You must bring stakeholders together and ask people what their challenges are and what they want to focus on. Having small group sessions with small business and community leaders is important.”

Ultimately, Brian’s approach to strategic planning is twofold. He believes in a combination of strategic planning and strategic doing (civic engagement that creates quick-turn action plans to ensure the strategic plan doesn’t sit on the shelf but results in implementation). “We break things down into small bites that are steps towards the ultimate goal. Sometimes, these small steps take only 90 days. But we recognize that these are steps that are being done in tandem with our partners to achieve the larger whole. This is our strategic doing.”

The Ormond Crossings project provides a strong example of this. Brian worked with the Department of Transportation and local partners to secure over $340 million in FDOT funding to improve the I-95 interchange that runs through the development. “Local business to government leaders understood how important securing the transportation funding was, both for the project and for our city and county’s growth. We worked as a group to advocate for FDOT to prioritize this project, and it worked.”

Whether working on transportation initiatives or future development, each objective in the strategic plan should be clear and implementable. For implementation… “You need to identify who will take the lead and who will help to implement everything within the plan. Funding should also be addressed since that’s a hurdle that can block progress and the ability to implement.”

Learn from the experiences of others

Brian is passionate about economic development and growing communities. He chose this career for the impact he could make. He recognizes that his approach to strategic planning and community building has been greatly influenced by the leaders he has been privileged to work with and for.

“I have been blessed to have amazing mentors. In the Chicagoland region, my boss was my greatest mentor who wanted me to succeed and taught me the ropes while connecting me with those who would continue to educate me. As I have grown my career, I have always had a mentor. You need someone you can confide in who will help you to improve, grow, and be well-balanced in the profession. I would encourage economic developers to have a mentor or seek one out,” he said. “Now, I am beginning to look for ways to serve as a mentor and provide advice and guidance for those entering the field.”

For those who don’t have a local mentor, he encourages attending regional and state conferences where you can meet other economic developers, ask questions, and learn from what they are doing that is effective. Ultimately, Brian’s career and success in Ormond Beach demonstrate that good economic development takes time. It takes time to develop leaders. It takes time to launch major projects. Working together makes it all possible.