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WE ARE AMERICA’S JOBS TEAM.

America’s future relies on people like you to foster a dynamic economy. It’s a big responsibility, but you are not alone in shouldering the weight. You are part of America’s Jobs Team!

You know—as do we—that the business of creating jobs is hard work, requiring more than just a little bit of elbow grease. You’ve got to have: deep industry knowledge; community and workforce familiarity; an ability to form deep relationships and create unity; perseverance; and the drive to keep growing both your community and within your leadership capabilities.

Over the years, the Consultant Connect team has seen many amazing economic development heroes reach incredible goals, and we know these winning moments happen because of continuous learning, evolving and innovation. Join us each week for in-depth interviews and relevant leadership development topics to help economic developers grow. We firmly believe that when leaders get better, communities thrive!

Listen to the America’s Jobs Team podcast below, or find it on Apple Podcasts.

Sign up to receive America’s Jobs Team directly to your inbox!

April 24: Cristina Paredes | Office of Economic Vitality | COVID-19 MINISERIES
 April 24: Cristina Paredes | Office of Economic Vitality | COVID-19 MINISERIES 150 150 America's Jobs Team

Cristina Paredes joins Carla Sones on the podcast and shares how she re-purposed an existing website with minimum effort in order to fill a desperate need in her region, and where she’s putting the majority of her focus in this time of rapid change. Cristina is a director at the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic…

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April 23: Ann Petersen | Atlas Insight | COVID-19 MINISERIES
 April 23: Ann Petersen | Atlas Insight | COVID-19 MINISERIES 150 150 America's Jobs Team

Ann Petersen joins Ron Kitchens to talk about the implications COVID-19 will have on incentives and incentive compliance. Ann shares her predictions for the rest of the year and dives into what economic developers should be focusing on in this time of flux. Ann is a director at Atlas Insight. With 15 years of combined…

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April 23: Roger Lee | Economic Development for Central Oregon | COVID-19 MINISERIES
 April 23: Roger Lee | Economic Development for Central Oregon | COVID-19 MINISERIES 150 150 America's Jobs Team

Roger Lee joins Ron Kitchens to talk how his organization is responding to the impacts from COVID-19. Roger and Ron talk about the resiliency and ingenuity shown in manufacturing and technology, and what great economic development organizations will look like in the future. Roger is the CEO of Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO), where…

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April 22: Rob Cleveland | Cornerstone Alliance | COVID-19 MINISERIES
 April 22: Rob Cleveland | Cornerstone Alliance | COVID-19 MINISERIES 150 150 America's Jobs Team

Rob Cleveland talks with Carla Sones. Rob talks about the challenges in pivoting a team from their daily roles to taking on brand new responsibilities for the foreseeable future, and how he’s keeping his team engaged. Rob joined Cornerstone Alliance as president in 2015. Located in Michigan’s Great Southwest, the Cornerstone Alliance is Berrien County’s…

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April 22: Brett Bayduss | Site Selection Group | COVID-19 MINISERIES
 April 22: Brett Bayduss | Site Selection Group | COVID-19 MINISERIES 150 150 America's Jobs Team

Brett Bayduss talks with Carla Sones about what the longterm effects of COVID-19 may be. He dives into whether the work-from-home culture is here to stay or if people will naturally gravitate to office environments again, and reminds us that it’s okay to just be there to listen to your community. Brett is executive vice…

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April 21: Courtney Ross | Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce | COVID-19 MINISERIES
 April 21: Courtney Ross | Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce | COVID-19 MINISERIES 150 150 America's Jobs Team

Courtney Ross joins Ron Kitchens to talk about how Nashville is faring through not only COVID-19 impacts, but also from the tornado which destroyed parts of downtown in early March. Courtney shares insight on the healthcare industry getting hit hard by the cancelations of almost all elective surgeries, and talks about finding joy and laughter…

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April 20: Rodrick Miller | Invest Puerto Rico | COVID-19 MINISERIES
 April 20: Rodrick Miller | Invest Puerto Rico | COVID-19 MINISERIES 150 150 America's Jobs Team

Rodrick Miller joins Ron Kitchens to talk about Puerto Rico’s response to COVID-19. Rod talks about how his region’s muscle memory from previous crisis responses has helped it to respond quickly. He dives into the need to underscore a message of resilience and acknowledging that no one is immune to outside risk. Rod is president…

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April 17: Kenny McDonald | One Columbus | COVID-19 MINISERIES
 April 17: Kenny McDonald | One Columbus | COVID-19 MINISERIES 150 150 America's Jobs Team

Carla Sones has a conversation with Kenny McDonald. Kenny talks about the importance of identifying which companies and industries are going to be an anchor in this storm, and why having strong relationships with existing industries in the community is crucial. He shares that two questions are driving his and his team’s decisions: How do…

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April 16: Misti Martin | Cherokee Office of Economic Development | COVID-19 MINISERIES
 April 16: Misti Martin | Cherokee Office of Economic Development | COVID-19 MINISERIES 150 150 America's Jobs Team

Ron Kitchens talks with Misti Martin, who shares the unexpected businesses that are doing well in this crisis. Misti talks candidly about the concerns for public-private partnerships, divulges excellent advice about how to reach out to existing businesses, and dives into the inevitable changes for economic development. Misti is the president of the Cherokee Office…

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April 15: Tim Eckerle and Mikayla Marazzi | Grant County Economic Growth Council | COVID-19 MINISERIES
 April 15: Tim Eckerle and Mikayla Marazzi | Grant County Economic Growth Council | COVID-19 MINISERIES 150 150 America's Jobs Team

Tim Eckerle and Mikayla Marazzi team up with Carla Sones on today’s podcast to talk about the initiatives they’re implementing in Grant County, Indiana to help cushion the effects of COVID-19 on the business community. Tim and Mikayla share insight on the funding programs put in place, as well as how much this crisis is…

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