Economic Future Forum 2024 - Spokane, WA | International Economic Development Council (IEDC) | 16 June 2024 | The Davenport Grand, 333 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201, USA

Join us in this forum, where we will bring together visionary economic development professionals to explore emerging industry trends, discuss cutting-edge technology and applications, and showcase innovative strategies to foster transformational economic development.

The beautiful city serves as the premier backdrop to delve into this year's theme of 'Transformational Economic Development' as we showcase advanced technology, creative economies, clean and carbon-neutral energy solutions, as well as heritage and cultural tourism in Washington state's second-largest city.

• Explore the 'Capital of the Intermountain Northwest,' with a diverse economy serving nearly 2 million people. The area boasts a thriving labor market and is a hub for healthcare, transportation, clean energy, education, and recreation.
• Learn how Spokane balances population growth, conservation, and innovative industries while still maintaining a flourishing downtown where more than half of the buildings are on the Historic Register.
• Discover how Spokane became the smallest city ever to host the World's Fair and the first to present an environmentally-themed exhibition in 1972.

2024 Speakers

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:

Kamil Agi
Consultant, Puerto Rico Science Technology Research Trust

Will Baggett
Keynote Speaker, Emergent Executives LLC

Ron Bertasi
CEO, GIS WebTech

Jessica Borza
Managing Director, Workforce Services, The Ohio Manufacturers' Association

Emilie Cameron
President & CEO, Downtown Spokane Partnership

Keith Cooke
Director of Planning & Community Development Markets, Esri

Ginger Ewing
Cofounder • Executive Director, Terrain, Spokane, WA

Eric Finch
MS, CGCIO, CISM, PMP, Chief Innovation Officer / NSF Engines Development Program Manager, Inland Northwest Center for Energy and Decarbonization (INTENT)

Kevin Gallagher
Luminary, Accenture

Lars Gilberts
VP Equity & Community Development, Numerica Credit Union, Spokane Valley, WA

Dell Gines
Vice President - Partnerships, Advisory Services, Thought Leadership, International Economic Development Council

Chonchol Gupta
CEO, Rebirth Analytics, Spokane, WA

Katie Harnetiaux
Co-Owner, President & Co-Owner, USL Spokane

Ryan Harnetiaux
Spokane USL Soccer Co-Owner, Spokane USL Soccer

Latisha Hill
Vice President of Community Affairs & Chief Customer Officer, Avista Corporation, Spokane, WA

Julia Hnilicka
USDA Rural Development-Alaska

Margi Hoffmann
Oregon State Director, USDA Rural Development, Redmond, OR

Daniel Holman
Chief Operating Officer, United Soccer League (USL)

Lauren Hyde, CFA
Executive Director, Alabama Business Intelligence Center (ABIC)

John Sklut JD
Senior Advisor to the President, Liaison for External and Government Affairs, Gonzaga University

Helen Price Johnson
Washington State Director, USDA Rural Development, Olympia, WA

Eloisa Klementich, CEcD
President & Chief Executive Officer, Invest Atlanta

Julia Kraeger
Chief Operating Officer, International Economic Development Council

Vidhu Shekhar
Government Strategy Leader, Microsoft

Charlotte Nemec SHRM-CP
President/CEO, Canopy Credit Union

Francis SiJohn
Planning Director, Spokane Tribe of Indians

Steve Stroud
Executive Director, Roswell Inc, Roswell, GA

Stephanie Vigil
CEO & COO, VGL Auctions and Apparel, San Diego, CA

Speakers:

Tamsin Bell
CEcD, Vice President Of Business Development, Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County, Tacoma, WA

Claudia Bellony
Senior Manager of Programming, International Economic Development Council

Mike Bomar, MPA, IOM, IAMPE, Port of Vancouver

Liberty Boyd
CEcD, EDFP, MPA, Economic & Business Development Manager, American Electric Power, Columbus, OH

Beka Burton
Economic Development Specialist, CEDIK at University of Kentucky

Tedra Cheatham
CEcD, Executive Director of State Economic Competitiveness, Louisiana Economic Development

Elliott Cook
Retail Strategies, LLC

Thomas Cox
Executive Director, SCDC

Michael Catsi
CEcD DFCP, Economic Development Manager, Tacoma Public Utilities

Kerry Ebersole
Chief Talent Solutions & Engagement Officer, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Lansing, MI

Suzanne Dale Estey
Executive Director, Washington Economic Development Association

Nathan Foss, MBA
Account Executive, Lightcast, Moscow, ID

Matthew Francis
Head of Sales, Resimplifi, Atlanta, GA

Ryan Frankel
President, ROI Research On Investment, Montreal, Quebec

Stacey Goddard
MLIS, Public Services Manager, Spokane County Library District, Spokane, WA

Matthew Godinez
Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Kansas Department of Commerce

Todd Greene
CEcD, Vice President, Urban Institute

Heather Wessling Grosz, MA, CEcD
Senior Vice President, Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada

Joey Gunning
Strategic Growth Manager, Greater Spokane Inc.

Clif Harald
Principal, First Flatiron Consulting

Leigh Hopkins, AICP, CEcD
Assistant Director, Georgia Tech Center for Economic Development Research, Atlanta, GA

Tracey Clark Jeffries
DBA, CEO, Capital Consulting Services

Helen Price Johnson
Washington State Director, USDA Rural Development, Olympia, WA

Bill Kalivas
Sales Executive, Google Cloud and Managing Partner, LaunchPad Inland Northwest, LaunchPad Inland Northwest

Renata Kowalczyk, MBA, MS
CEO, Wilmington Alliance, Wilmington, DE

Chad LaComb
Director of Economic and Community Development, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Barbara LaMue, CEcD, EDFP
President & CEO, New North, Inc.

Lucas Levine
Chief Commercial Officer, FutureFit AI, New York, NY

Kristin Meira
Director of Government Affairs, American Cruise Lines

Christopher Miller
Chair and founding board member, National Coalition for Community Capital

Kathleen Minogue
Founder & CEO, Crowdfund Better

Matt Moloney
Director of Marketing & Sales, Bludot

Jonathan Morgan Ph.D.
Professor of Public Administration, UNC School of Government

Jennifer McDonald MPA
Director of Cities Work and Assistant Director of Activism, Institute for Justice

William Murphy, CEcD, EDFP, MEDP, IOM
President & CEO, Ardmore Development Authority, Ardmore, OK

Colby Nate
Founder/CEO, EDOiQ, Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

Susan Nielsen
City of Spokane Valley

Ishmael Nuñez
Partner, Uncommon Bridges

Brittany Osazuwa
Director, Workforce Partnerships, CompTIA

Kendahl Palmer
Director, Customer Success, Placer.ai

Chris Pengra
Executive Director, S3R3 Solutions

Sheba Person-Whitley
Regional Director, Economic Development Administration

Andre Pettigrew
Director, Office of Economic and Workforce Development, Durham, NC

Christopher Pike, CPM, Edfp
President/CEO, Urban Pulse

Darya Pilram
ERC Fellow, Economic Recovery Corps

Mark Pond
Business Research Librarian, Spokane Public Library

David Rumbarger, CEcD, FM, HLM
President/CEO, Community Development Foundation

Taylor Sarman
Fellow, Economic Recovery Corp (ERC), Tualatin, OR

Rose Scovel
Indianapolis MPO

Gina Stark
Economic Development Project Manager, Port of Bellingham, Bellingham, WA

John Sternlicht
Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County

Erika Stricker
Executive Director, Southeast Washington Economic Development Association

Steve Stroud
Executive Director, Roswell Inc, Roswell, GA

Vaughn Taylor
Vice President of Economic Development, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce

Allison Thompson, CEcD, FM, EDFP
President & CEO, Economic Development Alliance for Jefferson County, AR

Brittany Tyler
CEO, Four Roots

Lalita Uppala
Executive Director, Indian American Community Services (IACS)

Mandy Wallner
Economic Development Manager, City of Richland

Frances Weiner, MBA
Economic Recovery Corps Fellow, The Center by Lendistry

Kay West
Principal Consultant, People In Place Economics

Christine Windle
Director, Community Outreach, NAR

Josh Wright
Executive Vice President, Community Division, lightcast.io, Moscow, ID

John Zakian, CEcD
Senior Vice President of Program Development, GrantWorks, Inc., Austin, TX

2024 Sponsors

CO-SPONSORS:
• Greater Spokane Incorporated
• Washington Economic Development Association
• Amazon
• DCI
• Placer.ai
• Washington State Department of Commerce

PLATINUM SPONSORS:
• Accrisoft
• S3R3 Solutions

GOLD SPONSOR:
• USL United Soccer League

BRONZE SPONSORS:
• AWB
• EDASC
• CdA EDC
• Idaho Commerce
• Lightcast
• Port of Vancouver USA
• Research FDI
• Tridec

COPPER SPONSOR:
• Grant County