Episode 089: Kenny McDonald | One Columbus

• January 12, 2021

“Falling behind is not an option.” —Kenny McDonald

Industry titan Kenny McDonald had a unique vantage point in 2020 as the chair of the IEDC Board of Directors. Today, he talks about the lessons he learned in the midst of a pandemic over which no one had significant control, learning to let go and allow his team to execute and respond to the needs at hand.

As economic developers, we often have to communicate with the media. Kenny talks about how he honed his skills in navigating the press, and shares a crucial discovery exercise to do prior to making statements as an organization.

The new year is also brings with it the transition of many local elected leadership positions. How does One Columbus go about immersing new public servants into the world of economic development, and why is it so important to share the importance of economic development with these folks? Tune in now to hear this (and so much more) from Kenny.

Kenny McDonald is the president and chief economic officer of One Columbus since the organization’s inception in 2010. He is a leader and a visionary in the economic development space, and he has recently wrapped up his time as the chair of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC)‘s Board of Directors. He has helped lead the execution of the One Columbus Regional Growth Strategy and development of the Columbus Region’s competitiveness agenda, and he has also built local and national partnerships that have accelerated the area’s development. Kenny has over 20 years of regional economic development and management consulting experience focused on helping companies develop and execute their location strategies and helping communities achieve their goals.

America’s Jobs Team is sponsored by Research on Investment / Gazelle.ai

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