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

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

Last week’s Super Bowl was fantastic; it had everything you could possibly want in an NFL football game: fast pace, great execution, the highest caliber of athlete, intrigue, entertaining half time show, competitive game, a coming out part for a new stadium, and of course most importantly, funny commercials! Even if you are not a football fan, I hope you had a chance to see it. For me, it was refreshing in the sense that I had no dog in the hunt. I didn’t care who won, I just

You’ve done everything right. Your private sector and community stakeholders are at the table. You have regional alignment and cooperation. Your proposal was first class. Maybe, as Rob Radcliff said in RDG’s last blog, you even made a point of going outside your comfort zone. How can you fail? Then you do. This scenario is certainly not an uncommon occurrence in the economic development world. One of the latest examples is the Toyota-Mazda plant that was recently announced. Y

I’m never ready for Thanksgiving until the day before. I’m never ready for Christmas until Thanksgiving. As I grow older, the years go faster and I try my hardest to make time stand still. The arrival of Thanksgiving means the year is almost over and the year being almost over means time has gone too fast. Everyone, both at work and at home, starts to focus on the next year and the future. The pace at which we forget the now and focus on the future quickens year after year an

My original intent for this Blog was a wrap-up on the recent American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) Convention in Nashville.  Always a highlight, this year’s meeting didn’t disappoint.  In fact, there is almost too much to write about but in spite of that, I can’t stop thinking of one of its lasting images:  retiring CEO Mick Fleming on stage at the Awards Reception bidding adieu after 16 years at the helm. I will apologize at the outset if this blog comes off as a li

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

Last month as I watched the first half of the Super Bowl come to an end with the Patriots trailing by 21 points, I turned to the group assembled in my living room and said  “this one’s over, so much for Brady and Belichick winning ring #5”. Of course, we all know what happened next. I remember questioning why the Patriots didn’t play more aggressively having the ball with a minute to go in the first half, but they simply ran the clock out and headed to the locker room. What d