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Your go-to source for all economic development fundraising related matters.

From the most recent Economist: “The world should start preparing for the next recession while it still can” We are ten years removed from the global downturn of 2008, and while we have experienced unprecedented economic growth in the decade since, those words sent a chill down my spine when I read them earlier today. Clearly, the next recession is not an “if” but a “when”. As I watched the market tank for yet another day, I asked myself three questions: How soon? How ready a

Today is the 30th anniversary of my 30th birthday!  Another milestone; one step closer to the next phase of my journey.  So, I apologize in advance if this is too long, too random, too much free-flowing stream of consciousness and not your normal feel good about everything kind of a blog.  Bear with me, there is a point! Birthdays are always interesting for me. No longer a big celebration they are more a time to reflect and project — reflect on where I’ve been and project whe

You never know what’s going to stick. Have you ever wondered why certain things resonate with people and other things don’t? Why some things seem to stick in someone’s mind even when you think it’s insignificant? I recently attended my 35th high school reunion and was looking forward to reacquainting myself with old friends, many of whom I’ve not seen since the last reunion I attended 25 years earlier. As I arrived my wife and I approached past classmates and the reminiscing

Graduation season is upon us, and after the excitement of finishing their final exams, walking across the stage and proceeding to throw their cap in the air most graduates wake up with one burning question: What next?  Luckily for the Class of 2017 the World’s Richest Man skipped out on being the keynote at the Harvard and Yale ceremonies and took to Twitter to give his commencement speech. Followers were not disappointed. In a series of tweets, Bill Gates covered many inspir

Ashley Folladori, Director of Investor Relations for JAXUSA Partnership This year, JAXUSA Partnership is celebrating 27 years of successfully supporting economic growth in the Jacksonville region. Last year, JAXUSA hit two milestones – 1. It kicked off its fifth five-year funding cycle and 2. JAXUSA hired a dedicated Director of Investor Relations. Ashley Folladori, a long-time member of the JAXUSA team, was selected to step into this new role and create an innovative strateg

Sh&t Happens: Are You Prepared? On April 9, 2017 a passenger named David Dao on a United Airlines flight was forcibly removed from his seat after refusing to vacate when asked after he was bumped from the flight to make room for United Airlines crew members that needed to travel.  What ensued was nothing short of a tornado, leaving no one unscathed in its tracks – bad press, bad customer service, poor listening skills, lack of sympathy, lack of respect, all leading to further

Something incredible happened this past Friday:  The Mississippi State Bulldogs Women’s Basketball team beat the Connecticut Huskies Women’s Team in the NCAA Championship semi-finals, ending the longest winning streak in college basketball.  In fact, incredible might not be a big enough word to describe this occurrence.  Phenomenal?  Stupendous?  Insurmountable? You see exactly one year ago today, these two teams met in this same game and the Huskies won by 60 points!  Yes, y

Written by RDG Principal Nicole Bogdan Last fall, I had the privilege of attending the Metro Cities Dinner at ACCE’s Annual Conference in Savannah, GA.  I was seated at a table with a group of individuals, all of them important leaders in their respective organizations from around the country. The conversation eased into the subject of millennials fairly quickly as it was apparent as a 27 year old that, in fact, I am a millennial. I seem to find myself in these conversations

Our entire Resource Development Group team attended ACCE’s Annual Conference in Savannah a few weeks ago, and in case you missed it, it was a great conference!  The three-day event that Mick Fleming and his team executed was nothing short of exceptional!  The content offered was very relevant to the most pressing opportunities and challenges faced by Chambers today.  With the ACCE Horizon Initiative: Chambers 2025 as it’s foundation, ACCE is leading civic change in America! A