Unleashing Fundamental Change: Transforming Economic Development for an Economy That Does Not Exist

The ongoing economic challenges have raised questions among economic leaders regarding how long this time of great volatility will continue and when things will return to normal. For economic developers, however, there is a more fundamental question: “When recovery occurs, will we be back to business as usual or are the core dynamics of the economic system changing?” Our answer to this question is that we are in the midst of a systemic change. The idea of developing a new type of economic resiliency in our communities is at the core of preparing for a different kind of future that will require us to learn how to adapt to constant change.

We are now moving rapidly into an age of dynamic connections and disconnections, where the economic vitality and sustainability of any local area or state will be based on how well its leadership, workforce, capital availability, educational system and methods, and governance decision-making processes are designed and organized to be able to adapt quickly and effectively. There must be nothing less than a transformation of approach that focuses on total “comprehensive community transformation” for our local economies to be vital and sustainable in an emerging era of constant change.

Participants will be introduced to a new framework of thinking and action for economic development for local communities in the twenty-first century by a panel of national economic development leaders.