Episode 167: Five Reasons Why Econ Dev Research Is Critical to Attraction, Retention and Expansion | Emily Jerkins, Birmingham Business Alliance

Episode 167: Five Reasons Why Econ Dev Research Is Critical to Attraction, Retention and Expansion | Emily Jerkins, Birmingham Business Alliance 150 150 America's Jobs Team

“The shift facing our community and communities across the nation means economic developers must be agile and cultivate assets, like workforce, policy and brands, like never before. “ –Emily Jerkins

How are research professionals becoming increasingly vital to economic development work? Why is their time and effort foundationally critical to understanding regions and guiding future strategies? And, simultaneously, what makes this work a great starting point for aspiring economic developers?

Join Faye Davis today as she talks with Emily Jerkins, managing partner at the Birmingham Business Alliance. Emily shares five reasons that research fuels better business attraction, retention and expansion, and how organizations can use this discipline to move the needle for all stakeholders. Think along the lines of understanding your community, telling your story, driving change, understanding losses, and improving processes. She shares how curiosity is a driving force for her and why mastering her craft is personally important.

Emily is one of North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers, recognized not only for her constant drive to improve in the research field, but also for her ability to bring affinity groups together. Listen in now as she shares a peek behind the research curtain and also dives into how she helped create not one but two professional affinity groups!

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