We are pleased to announce long-time principals Clint Nessmith and Matt Chambers will be transitioning to leadership roles as founders Rob Radcliff and Mike Trubiano shift to Of Counsel status with the firm. Rob and Mike will remain involved with RDG on specific projects and consulting engagements as needed, but both are very excited about a less hectic schedule that allows them to spend more time with their families and pursue other interests. “This has been years in the mak

We are very pleased to announce that Lindsay Bensko has joined the RDG team. Lindsay brings 15-years of experience working in investor relations and strategic business development. She is no stranger to the economic development and chamber industry. RDG had the pleasure of working with Lindsay when she was Manager of Investor Relations for the JAXUSA Partnership in Jacksonville, Florida. “Working with RDG in my previous role at JAXUSA offered me the opportunity to learn about

By RDG Director of Innovation and Global Research Doug Radcliff As a result of the ongoing pandemic, we know governments at all levels are suffering financially. What is the federal government doing to help improve the climate? President Joe Biden has proposed one of the largest, “once-in-a-generation investments in America.” The American Jobs Plan includes over $2 trillion of federal money that would go to rebuilding schools, fighting climate change, restoring landmarks, tra

By RDG Principal Clint Nessmith I hope all our readers are doing well! With mass-vaccinations occurring (my arm was incredibly sore!) I think we are finally seeing the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. But is it just the end of the first “tunnel”? Speculation about the long-term impact of the pandemic has become a popular subject of late. Certainly, we won’t know for years what the full impact might be, but experts at McKinsey and Brookings, among many others, are alre

A Revolutionary Pivot or an Unscalable Experiment? By RDG Principal Matthew Chambers Only have ten seconds? The pandemic continues to foster innovative ideas. There's a luxury hotel chain offering subscription-based access to 60,000 different trips all over the world so that you can take your Zoom call from a socially distanced African Safari or poolside in the Maldives. Want to get away? Keep reading. If you're like me you've probably got a subscription to Netflix and HBO

RDG's INTERVIEW SERIES A Conversation with Dr. Anna Lebesch about Talent Development By RDG Principal Clint Nessmith Resource Development Group's relationship with JAXUSA Partnership dates back to the early 1990s when eventual RDG co-founder, Mike Trubiano, managed the first funding campaign for the organization that was then known as Cornerstone. Since then, we have had the pleasure of witnessing first-hand as this organization has become one of the top-performing economic d

These are truly unique times in which we are living: global pandemic, renewed focus on systemic racism and economic disparity, generational economic upheaval and the ensuing instability and uncertainty about our future.  It reminds me that many of our problems are not new and the solutions are long overdue.  Just today I read an article highlighting a report issued this past week titled, “White Supremacy as Pre-existing Condition: Eight Solutions to Ensure Economic Recovery R

This week we are expanding our normal commentary on the intersection of life and economic development funding to look a bit more broadly at how our behavior impacts the world in which we live. Our interests span much more than raising money and with many of us trying to figure out the new normal, we are all searching for the positives that may come from this mess in which we currently find ourselves. The COVID-19 Wake-Up Call – Is it all Bad? By Doug Radcliff, RDG Director of

By RDG Principal Beth Pulliam A few weeks ago, an organization known as Stop Predatory Gambling requested lottery betting to be immediately shut down in the US until at least 30 days after stimulus payments are received. Reported in the Wall Street Journal, the ARTICLE reminds us that humans like to take risks. Think about it: speeding, dating, stock trading, sitting underneath a tree hosting birds (current situation as I write this). If you are not convinced of our proclivit

If your corporate structure happens to be as a 501(c)6, that headline probably got your attention. In a recent POLL RDG conducted, 70% of the organizations surveyed were structured solely as a 501(c)6. More surprisingly, only 10% had both a 501(c)6 AND 501(c)3. Admittedly, this was not a scientific survey, however, the results are still instructive given one of the current issues facing Chamber’s and EDO’s today; namely, the exclusion of 501(c)6 organizations from the Paychec

Do you read The Hustle?  It’s an online subscription news service that offers an edgier dive into the topics of the day.  Mike and I have been subscribers for a number of years and recently were interviewed as part of an article on small businesses that made it through the great recession (LINK HERE).  Admittedly, that’s a time we try to forget most days, but the exercise offered an opportunity to think about some very important lessons learned that still apply today. We thou

First off, I hope everyone is healthy and safe right now.  This is an uncertain time for us all and the most important thing we can do is take care of ourselves.  I for one am “sheltering in place” in our home near Hendersonville, NC; up in the beautiful Western NC mountains, somewhat isolated from the major urban areas.  Not immune by any means but in a place where let’s just say it’s easier to shelter in place. Too busy to read it all? I get it. Here’s the nutshell: In this

I recently heard a comment that really stuck with me: We see what we dare to see. When I first heard this, I wasn’t exactly sure what the speaker was trying to convey, but then it hit me; our own optics limit or expand our respective views of the world. How positive or negative we tend to be – confidence versus pessimism, encouraging versus discouraging – all flow from our individual lenses. We see what we dare to see! The statement is profound in its simplicity. If we can’t

Earlier this year, JP Morgan Chase announced the winners (see here) in their most recent round of Advancing Cities funding, which included five recipient communities receiving a total of $15 million. It’s an impressive display of a corporation putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to encouraging innovative and collaborative approaches to problem solving in major urban centers around the country. What does this latest round of funding (stay positive, there wil

As EDOs look to their budgets over the next few months, determining the proper course of action will be challenging to say the least.  We believe real answers are going to come from experience and creativity, not necessarily process and fundamentals.  We also believe that once we maneuver our way through triage, this will become an incredible time for industry innovation so the companies and organizations thinking that way now, will be better positioned to prosper in the futu

Tiger’s back! That was the headline a little over a month ago when Tiger Woods won the Masters, his first major championship since 2008. His struggles, both professional and personal, have been well documented over the past decade as has his quest to reinvent his golf game via physical and mental resets. While I am not a huge golf or Tiger Woods fan, I do have a deep appreciation for the work ethic and intestinal fortitude required to be a world-class athlete so I was intrigu

Happy fourth annual Economic Development Week! Economic Development Week was created by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in 2016 to bring awareness to the industry and its critical role in the success of communities large and small. RDG has the privilege of engaging with many of these organizations throughout the country and we see first hand the work being done to educate their communities on what they’re doing to create jobs, bring growth to their regio

In my role as behind-the-scenes design “expert” for RDG, I am the chief Principal responsible for making our proposal responses to RFPs look the part. I am also involved in many of RDG’s projects simultaneously. As a result, I see just how different each engagement develops over time and ends up serving our respective clients, each sharing similar tenets, but in the end, taking shape as its own unique case. I’ve thought a lot about this over the last few months as we have tru

I live in Statesboro, GA, a small college town close to Savannah. Despite our relatively small size, Statesboro’s most pressing challenges mirror the issues that I see the communities of RDG’s largest major metro clients grappling with. This was hammered home over the weekend when my amazing wife and I attended the Mayor’s Ball where our mayor, a host of community volunteers, and Chamber leadership offered a call to action for addressing inclusive economic development, transp

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of joining a panel at IEDC’s Annual Conference in Atlanta where my role was to speak about the preparation work that Chambers and EDOs should undertake BEFORE launching a funding campaign. I focused on the importance of taking the time to develop a multi-year strategy that casts a vision for the organization and the community in collaboration with private and public sector investors and partners. The plan developed should offer strategies