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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.

Over the years, the Consultant Connect team has seen many amazing economic development warriors battling for their communities. We are connecting with these fellow community champions to dive into how they got to where they are, what lessons they have learned along the way, and what inspires them daily. We firmly believe that when leaders get better, communities thrive!

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

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

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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April 14: Quentin L. Messer, Jr. | New Orleans Business Alliance | COVID-19 MINISERIES
 April 14: Quentin L. Messer, Jr. | New Orleans Business Alliance | COVID-19 MINISERIES 150 150 America's Jobs Team

Quentin L. Messer, Jr. joins Ron Kitchens and shares insight on why New Orleans became a hotspot for the virus and how the city is fighting back by making fast, tough decisions. He emphasizes the resiliency of the city and talks about three ways that economic development will change in the future. Quentin is the…

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April 13: Greg Wathen | Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana | COVID-19 MINISERIES
 April 13: Greg Wathen | Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana | COVID-19 MINISERIES 150 150 America's Jobs Team

Carla Sones talks with Greg Wathen about how COVID-19 is affecting his region. Greg shares insight into what he’s seeing in terms of deal flow and how businesses are reacting. Greg has served as the president and CEO of the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana since 2007. During his tenure, he has helped garner…

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April 10: Gray Swoope | VisionFirst Advisors | COVID-19 MINISERIES
 April 10: Gray Swoope | VisionFirst Advisors | COVID-19 MINISERIES 150 150 America's Jobs Team

Gray Swoope joins Faye Davis to talk about what trends he’s seeing in the COVID-19 response and how he believes it will affect the economic development industry. Gray is president and CEO of VisionFirst Advisors and a recognized leader in economic development and site selection. After a successful 30-year career in economic development, Gray launched…

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April 9: Kimm Lauterbach | REDI Cincinnati | COVID-19 MINISERIES
 April 9: Kimm Lauterbach | REDI Cincinnati | COVID-19 MINISERIES 150 150 America's Jobs Team

Kimm Lauterbach, president and CEO at REDI Cincinnati, talks with Ron Kitchens about how her three-state region is reacting to the pandemic impacts, and how her organization is navigating governmental direction from those three states. A founding member of the REDI Cincinnati leadership team, Kimm engineers practices and strategies that strengthen the three-state, 16-county Greater…

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April 8: Josh Bays | Site Selection Group | COVID-19 MINISERIES
 April 8: Josh Bays | Site Selection Group | COVID-19 MINISERIES 150 150 America's Jobs Team

Ron Kitchens talks with Josh Bays, who sheds light on what he believes businesses should be working on now, what actions and reactions he’s seeing in the business community and what the future might hold. Josh leads the industrial practice at Site Selection Group. He is a critical part of the executive team as well,…

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April 7: Chris Camacho | Greater Phoenix Economic Council | COVID-19 MINISERIES
 April 7: Chris Camacho | Greater Phoenix Economic Council | COVID-19 MINISERIES 150 150 America's Jobs Team

Chris Camacho joins Carla Sones to dive into how the Greater Phoenix area is responding to the COVID-19 crisis. Chris talks about all the initiatives and programs GPEC has made available to their business community, including: – Their COVID-19 resources page populated with community responses by cities and towns and other statewide resources – The…

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April 6: Jeff Pappas | ESRP | COVID-19 MINISERIES
 April 6: Jeff Pappas | ESRP | COVID-19 MINISERIES 150 150 America's Jobs Team

Jeff Pappas, executive vice president of site selection and brokerage at ESRP Real Estate Services, joins Ron Kitchens to share what he’s experiencing during this crisis response. Jeff talks about the industries that are seeing tremendous growth and he shares very specific details from the CARES Act that may affect the onshoring of jobs over…

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April 3: Alex Philips | City of Burleson, TX | COVID-19 MINISERIES
 April 3: Alex Philips | City of Burleson, TX | COVID-19 MINISERIES 150 150 America's Jobs Team

Alex Philips, economic development manager at City of Burleson, Texas, joins Carla on the podcast to talk about how small business is being supported in his community, and how his team is reacting to COVID-19 impacts. Alex has been with the City of Burleson for 12 years and in his current role as the economic…

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