Episode 186: What Sets a Community Apart to Land on a “Best Place To” List?

• February 24, 2022

“There is immense power when a group of people with similar interests gets together to work toward the same goals.” –Idowu Koyenikan

You’ve undoubtedly seen those articles with “Best Places to…” or “Top Metro for…” lists. Maybe your community was on the list. Maybe you aspire to be on such a list. But what is the real story behind places that find themselves on certain lists time and time again?

On this episode of the podcast, we’re revisiting four economic developers with behind-the-scenes knowledge about what sets their region apart and how they landed on each list. Brandon Simmons from REDI Cincinnati talks about how the region has made the Top 10 Metro list by Site Selection Magazine a whopping 18 years in a row, and Ashley Cagle from Wake County Economic Development shares why Cary, NC found itself named the #2 Best City for Working from Home. The Northwest Arkansas region was hailed as the fourth Best Place to Live in the whole country, and Mike Harvey from Northwest Arkansas Council talks us through what makes the region so stable and desirable. We round out the episode with insights from Liana Hovakimyan, Toronto Global, about Toronto being named by CBRE as a Top Destination for Tech Talent.

While there is no silver bullet for communities to land themselves on any particular list, today’s various angles showcase that communities need to identify their strengths and capitalize on those. Glean inspiration from fellow economic developers working in creative ways to tell their unique stories by tuning into this episode! You can listen on our website, via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts!

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

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