News

Powering Economic Development: The role of Electric Utilities in communities

Friday, March 10, 2023

Electricity is a critical component of economic development. The availability of a reliable and affordable power supply is essential for attracting and retaining businesses, supporting industrial operations, and improving the overall quality of life for residents. However, with the increasing demands and changing expectations of modern consumers, electric utilities face mounting pressure to meet the needs of their customers while also transitioning to more sustainable energy sources. Today, companies are more aware of their environmental impact and demand greater transparency and accountability from their suppliers. As a result, many businesses have set ambitious sustainability goals, including reducing their carbon...

Mid-America EDC Board Member Spotlight: Wendy Lopez

Friday, January 27, 2023

Meet Wendy Lopez, Business Recruitment Manager, Wyoming Business Council Wendy has been on the MAEDC Board since January 2022. Q1. Tell us about yourself! How long have you been on the Mid-America EDC board? After 22 years in the newspaper industry, doing marketing and advertising, I decided to make the jump to economic development and joined the Wyoming Business Council in 2018 as the Business Recruitment Manager. I attended my first Mid-America EDC Competitive Conference in Chicago two weeks later. It was an eye-opening experience and gave me valuable foundational knowledge to jump-start my new career. In...

National Financial Wellness Month & The Mid West region: On a path to financial wellbeing

Friday, January 27, 2023

January is National Financial Awareness Month, an excellent time of the year to take stock of your financial fundamentals and set realistic goals for the year ahead. Sound business health means you have the ability to reach your goals and take advantage of opportunities, as they can give you the flexibility to pursue your dreams. The only way to achieve financial health is through financial awareness. The beginning of the year is a good time for business owners to take a look at their spending, determine their goals for the year, and set saving plans to achieve them. But financial...

Mid-America EDC Board Member Spotlight: Timothy Robinson

Monday, November 28, 2022

Meet Timothy Robinson, CEcD, EDFP, Michigan Director and Director of Operations, Lenawee Now Timothy Robinson has been a Member of Mid-America EDC for ten years, and on the board for five years. Tell us about yourself! What are your economic development specialties and main areas of focus? I have been an economic developer for 25 years and my entire career has been spent in my home state of Michigan working in countywide private/public economic development organizations. I earned the CEcD certification from IEDC in 2004 and the EDFP certification from NDC in 2014. I have had the...

Mid-America EDC Board Member Spotlight: Jesse Fonkert

Thursday, November 17, 2022

Meet Jesse Fonkert, South Dakota Director and President & CEO, Sioux Metro Growth Alliance Tell us about yourself! How long have you been on the Mid-America EDC board and a member? I’ve been on the Mid-America EDC board for a little over a year, and I've been a member for two years. My friend and colleague, Dean Dziedzic, encouraged me to join the organization and apply for a seat on the Board. I’ve been working in economic development for the vast majority of my professional career and got started in it thanks to an internship with the Sioux...

Shop Local on Small Business Saturday, and Beyond

Monday, November 14, 2022

With the holidays approaching, we’d like to remind everyone to support your local independent businesses this holiday season. Small Business Saturday is a great initiative, but we’d love to see that enthusiasm for small business extend well beyond the last Saturday in November. I dare you to imagine what your community would look like if all your small businesses ceased to exist. Now imagine trying to pitch that community to a site selector. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy but rarely get the attention or public financial support that their corporate counterparts receive. We may have little...

Mid-America EDC Board Member Spotlight: Mark Seckman

Monday, October 24, 2022

Meet Mark Seckman, Iowa Director Tell us about yourself! How long have you been a member and on the board of Mid-America EDC? I have been involved in economic development for 30 years starting at the community/regional level before transitioning to Alliant Energy 6 years ago, where I am currently the Senior Economic Development Manager. I have been on the Mid-America EDC board since December 2020. Tell us about Alliant Energy and your position there. Alliant Energy provides regulated electric and natural gas service to approximately 985,000 electric and approximately 425,000 natural gas customers across Iowa...

Mid-America EDC Hosts 2022 Competitiveness Conference in Chicago

Monday, October 24, 2022

Join us in Chicago November 30-December 2 for the 2022 Mid-America EDC Competitiveness Conference and learn from those who touch economic development projects! You will hear from experts, as well as your colleagues who are ready to share their successes and knowledge! How You'll Stay Competitive: Gain insights on unique perspectives covering many topics timely to the economic development profession. Learn about best practices to address workforce and talent shortages that we are all challenged with. Rural communities, we got you covered with beneficial and exciting resources that are specific to your communities! As today's economic...

MAEDC Board Member Spotlight: Horton Hobbs IV

Thursday, September 22, 2022

Meet Horton Hobbs IV, President Elect What have been some of the greatest advantages of being part of Mid-America EDC? The quality and caliber of Mid-America EDC's presentations have been incredibly beneficial to me, but the most valuable aspect for me of being part of Mid-America EDC is the peer-to-peer networking with fellow board members. Mid-America EDC speakers have been out in front of economic development issues before we even know what we didn't know. Thinking that far ahead, really made me more engaged and interested in these big-picture economic development issues. Mid-America EDC also provides a way to share best practices...

September is Better Breakfast Month!

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Did you know September is Better Breakfast Month? Mid-America contributes so much to the breakfast industry, including the production of breakfast staples like cereal, eggs, and bacon. In addition to just breakfast, Mid-America states are among the largest in overall agriculture output nationwide. Seven of the top ten agriculture-producing states are in Mid-America: Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Indiana, and Wisconsin. According to statistics from the USDA, agriculture, food, and related industries contributed $1.055 trillion to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020, a 5-percent share, and in 2019 the U.S. food and beverage manufacturing sector employed...