The field of economic development continues to evolve, adding dimensions of ecosystem building, placemaking, and network-driven strategies. However, business retention, expansion, and attraction (BREA) remains one of the dominant forms of the practice. According to IEDC's 2025 State of the Field report, 87% of practitioners surveyed identified BREA as one

More than a century ago, Alexis de Tocqueville set out to explain a new kind of society in his classic Democracy in America. He argued that a great democratic revolution was transforming the world, leveling old hierarchies and creating a social order built on equality of conditions. In the United States, he saw its clearest early expression: democracy

Washington, D.C. – International Economic Development Council (IEDC) President and CEO Nathan Ohle today issued the following statement on the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture’s Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. He said: “On behalf of the thousands of economic development organizations and professionals we serve, we thank

2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). For a century, IEDC has helped lead and shape the economic development profession, elevating innovative approaches that drive economic prosperity for communities of all sizes. As we enter our centennial year, we are both celebrating that legacy and focusing on the

As the January 30, 2026, deadline to complete the remaining funding bills approaches, and discussion of a potential or partial government shutdown increases, here is an update on the latest congressional action in the FY 2026 federal appropriations process. So far, six of the 12 regular FY 2026 appropriations bills have been enacted into law. Three were

As the International Economic Development Council approaches its Centennial, it’s worth pausing to name a quiet truth: economic development has never been just about deals. It has always been about people—how communities create opportunity, how families build stability, and how regions compete and prosper over time. For much of the last

Growing up in Pascagoula, Mississippi, the Chevron refinery loomed large over my childhood. Oil and gas defined the economy I knew. Today, as an Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) Fellow with the St. Tammany Economic Development Corporation (STEDC), I find myself working in what I call the “Northshore Energy Valley,” a region where fossil fuels are

Since its launch, the Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) has translated targeted investment into outsized community impact. Backed by a $30 million investment, ERC has helped communities catalyze more than $240 million in grants, public funding, and private capital. Through embedded, place-based Fellowships, ERC is not only advancing projects, but strengthening