2024 Annual Conference
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2023 Annual Conference
(May 3-5, 2023)
New Orleans, Louisiana
The 2023 conference covered economic development topics ranging from broadband infrastructure expansion to outdoor recreation and tourism to the affordable and accessible housing and healthcare during the three day event. Conference attendees also heard from Build Back Better and Good Jobs grantees as they shared their work and the EDA provided training on its grants reporting software EDGE.
Below are the available conference presentations and topics they covered. If more presenters make their talks available this page will be updated with the presentation.
Build Back Better Regional Challenge
H2theFuture – Lacy McManus, Executive Director, Future Energy, Greater New Orleans Development Foundation, New Orleans, LA
Oklahoma Biotech Innovation Center – Madison Jackson, Project Manager, Oklahoma City Economic Development Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK
West Texas Aerospace and Defense Manufacturing Coalition – Susannah Byrd, Director, Economic Development and Workforce Excellence Division, University of Texas at El Paso, TX
Tulsa Regional Advanced Mobility (TRAM) Corridor – Jennifer Hankins, Chief of Strategic Partnerships, Tulsa Innovation Labs, Indian Nations Council of Governments, Tulsa, OK
Good Jobs Challenge
Northern New Mexico Workforce Integration Network (WIN) – Monica Abeita, Executive Director, North Central New Mexico Economic Development District, Santa Fe, NM
Federal Legislative Updates
Federal Legislative Updates – Joe McKinney, Executive Director, NADO, Washington, DC
Creative Collaborations
Across the five-state region, EDDs are partnering with a number of other entities engaged in various aspects of economic development. This session will highlight examples of EDD partnerships with universities, Native American tribes, chambers of commerce, other regional and economic development organizations. As well, you will learn about ways that EDA is encouraging interagency collaboration for local projects.
Triable Collaborations – Errin Clocker, Executive Director, Grand Gateway Economic Development Authority, Big Cabin, OK
Regional Resilience Partnership – Emily Martinez, Director of Regional Economic Development, Coastal Bend Council of Governments, Corpus Christi, TX
Broadband: The Next Connection
As communities around the country work to capitalize on state and federal funding opportunities to expand broadband services in the most underserved locations, new challenges are emerging. In this session learn about digital equity and digital inclusion and how regional development organizations are ensuring that service expansions and implementations benefit those most in need.
Louisiana’s Digital Equity Plan – Rachael Godeaux, Director of Community and Economic Development, Acadiana Planning Commission, Lafayette, LA
Broadband: The Next Connection – Mia Ruffin, Baton Rouge, LA
Building Resilient Regions through Outdoor Recreation & Tourism
The outdoor recreation industry provides more than health and happiness to Americans; it helps drive the national economy with an economic output of $862 billion and 4.5 million jobs. As regions look to build more resilient economies, outdoor recreation planning, development, and branding have emerged as impactful strategies. Join this session to hear regional approaches advancing the outdoor recreation economy and interactive peer discussion on regional goals and challenges.
Outdoor Rec in Southwest New Mexico – Priscilla Lucero, Executive Director, Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments, Silver City, NM
Affordable & Accessible Housing: Imperative for Strong Economies
Accessible and affordable housing for existing and prospective workforce housing is a challenge nationwide. Lack of housing presents challenges to communities and regions that are hoping to attract new businesses and industries, not to mention meeting the needs of current residents. During this session you will learn about successful approaches to creating housing opportunities from across the Austin region.
Housing and Community Development – Michael Ryburn, Deputy Executive Director, Director of Business Development, SWODA, Burns Flat, OK
2022 Annual Conference
Building Resilient Regional Economies
(April 27-29, 2022)
Houston, Texas
SWREDA has made many of 2022 Annual Conference presentations available for members, planners and the public to view. A synopsis of each presentation and round table discussion conducted at the conference can be read in the agenda. The presentations below are organized by topic and presenter; click the presenter’s name to download the presentation.
Federal Legislative Update
Joe McKinney, Executive Director, NADO, Washington, DC
Moderator: Sandy Chancey, SWREDA Chair and Executive Director, Eastern Plains COG, NM
Build Back Better Showcase
Ben Stafford, Vice President for Workforce & Education at Lamar State College, Port Arthur, TX
Moderator: Betty Voights, SWREDA Secretary-Treasurer and Executive Director, CAPCOG, TX
The E-Health Transformation Center
Amy Wenger, Vice-Chancellor, UAMS Northwest Campus, AR
Ryan Cork, Executive Director, Northwest Arkansas Council Healthcare Transformation Division, AR
Building the Oklahoma Biotech Innovation Center
Jeff Seymour, Executive Vice President, Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, OK
Tulsa Regional Advanced Mobility Corridor
Brian Bigbie, Principal Economic Development Planner, Indian Nations Council of Governments, OK
Reclaiming Aerospace and Defense Manufacturing Dominance through Frontier Technologies
Sara Bradford, Vice President of Advancement, GNO, Inc., LA
Information Technology
Jessica Gentry, Regional Economic Competitiveness Officer, Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, NM
Trends in the Regional Economy and Opportunities for Economic Development
Chris Schreck, Community Engagement Manager, Federal Reserve Bank, TX
Moderator: Betty Voights, SWREDA Secretary-Treasurer and Executive Director, CAPCOG, TX
Expanding Opportunities for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses
Marco Johnson, MBA, Sparkyard Network Builder, UNTHSC, TX
Russell Lowery-Hart, PhD, President, Amarillo College, TX
Omar Fortune, Manager, Houston-Galveston Local Development Corporation, H-GAC, TX
Moderator: Priscilla Lucero, Executive Director, Southwest New Mexico COG, NM
Creating Opportunities for Innovation
Kelly Violette, CEcD, PCED, AICP, Executive Director, Tomball Economic Development Corporation, TX
Janna Hoglund, MLIS, Director, LSC-Tomball Community Library, TX
Juliana Garaizar, Vice President of Innovation, Greentown Labs, TX
Moderator: Jamie Setze, SWREDA Vice Chair and Executive Director, Capital Region Planning Commission, LA
Surviving Economic Shock: Resiliency Strategies for Small Businesses
James Slaydon, PhD, Professor of Finance, Lamar University, TX; Gevorg Sargsyan, PhD, Assistant Professor of Finance, Lamar University, TX; and Henry Venta, PhD, Professor of Management, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX
Emily Martinez, Director of Regional Economic Development, Coastal Bend COG, TX; and Katya Wowk, Senior Scientist and Director of Texas OneGulf, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M, TX
Moderator: Kyle Ingham, Executive Director, Panhandle Regional Planning Commission, TX
Local Approaches to Small Business Development
Veronica Dimas, Executive Director, Brownsville Wellness Coalition, TX
Cheryl Mergo, Senior Manager, Community and Environmental Planning, H-GAC, TX
Chuck Vanderbilt, Community and Economic Development Manager, East Texas Council of Governments, TX
Moderator: Renee Dycus, SWREDA Immediate Past Chair, Executive Director, Southwest Arkansas PDD, AR
University Center Showcase
Jeff Howlett, Executive Director, East Texas Entrepreneurship Center, University of Texas, TX
John Gamble, PhD, Mary & Jeff Bell Endowed Distinguished Professor of Business, Texas A&M, TX
Ron Garza, Associate Vice President, Workforce and Economic Development, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, TX
Moderator: Susan Geist, Management and Program Analyst, U.S. Economic Development Administration, TX
Putting the CEDS into Action: Goal Setting, Project Planning, and Implementation
Brian Kelsey, Assistant City Manager, City of Edinburg, TX
Stacey Webb, Economic Development Representative, U.S. Economic Development Administration, TX
Emily Gojkovich, Economic Development Planner, Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments, NM
Melissa Rivers, Executive Director, East Arkansas Planning and Development District, AR
Moderator: Heather Urena, Executive Director, Kisatchie-Delta Regional Planning and Development District, LA
2021 Annual Conference
Collaboration: The Key to Resilience
(Sept. 1-3, 2021)
Rogers, Arkansas
2021 Federal Legislative Overview
Joe McKinney, National Association of Development Organizations, Washington, DC
2021 Star of the Southwest Showcase Presentation Presentation
Workforce Development
Dennis Williamson II, Western Arkansas Planning & Development District, Fort Smith, AR
Mike Rogers, Tyson Foods, Siloam Springs, AR
Developing Strong Projects
April Campbell, U.S. Economic Development Administration Regional Office, Austin, TX
Promoting Entrepreneurship to Build Regional Economies
Jeff Amerine, Startup Junkie Consulting, Fayetteville, AR
Creative Collaborations for Economic Development
Kelly Davila, South Plains Association of Governments, Lubbock, TX
Matthew S. Weaver, Association of Central Oklahoma Governments, Oklahoma City, OK
Broadband Leads to Economic Growth
Andrew Coker, West Central Arkansas PDD, Hot Springs, AR ,
Chuck Vanderbilt, East Texas Council of Governments, Kilgore, TX
Rachel Godeaux, Acadiana Planning Commission, Lafayette, LA
CEDS Best Practices & Examples to Support Economic Development & Resilience
Conya Spencer, Central Arkansas Planning & Development District, Lonoke, AR
Dorthy Jackson, Heart of Texas COG, Waco, TX
Monica Abeita, North Central New Mexico Economic Development District, Santa Fe, NM
Promoting Economic Growth with Creative Communities
Sandy Martin, Arkansas Film & Entertainment Commission, Eureka Springs, AR
Talicia Richardson, 64.6 Downtown, Fort Smith, AR
Setting the Stage for Regional Resilience
Amber Berg, Arkansas Economic Development Institute, Little Rock, AR
Kim Marousek, Capital Region Planning Commission, Baton Rouge, LA
2019 Conference
Leveraging Local Assets, Building Regional Economies
(December 4-6, 2019)
Read the presentation from the 2019 Annual SWREDA Conference by clicking on the names of the presenters below. Most presentations are saved in a .pdf format, but some links take you off site to either a website that was demoed during the conference or to another presentation format such as Prezi or Youtube.
Welcome to New Mexico
Leveraging Local Assets, Building Regional Economies (Opening Plenary)
Federal Legislative Update
2019 Star of the Southwest Awards Showcase
When Silicon Valley Comes to Town
- Todd Christensen, Director, New Mexico State Film Office, Santa Fe, NM (prezi presentaiton)
- Ralph L. Mims, Economic Development Manager, Village of Los Lunas, NM
Developing Strong Projects
Creating a Sense of Place: Placemaking and Economic Development
- Michelle Negrette, Revitalization Specialist, Creative Economy and Cultural Planning, New Mexico MainStreet, Santa Fe, NM
- Ron Garza, Executive Director, Lower River Grande Valley Development Council, Weslaco, TX (website)
- John Waters, Executive Director, Carlsbad Department of Development, Carlsbad, NM (websites)
Broadband and Economic Development
- Justin Fazzari, Telecommunications Data Analyst, BroadbandUSA, NTIA, Boulder, CO
- Terry McDermott, Community Solutions Specialist, Partnership Innovation Center, USDA RD, Albuquerque, NM & Brian Smith, Telecom General Field Representative, USDA RD, Goodyear, AZ
Creative Communities and Economic Development
- Ginny Sterpka, Program Manager, Creative Placemaking Programs, Creative Startups, Santa Fe, NM
- Maggie Woodruff, Director of Economic Development, Regional Planning Commission, New Orleans, LA
Human Resources: Insights from the Field
Getting the Most Out of Opportunity Zones
- Monique Boulet, Executive Director, Acadiana Planning Commission, Lafayette, LA
- Kelly Davila, Director of Regional Services, South Plains Association of Governments, Lubbock, TX
- David Ives, Interim Director, Performance & National Programs Division/Planning Coordinator, U.S. Economic Development Administration, Washington, DC
State of the EDA Austin Region Report
Empowering Regions through the CEDS Process
- David Ives, Interim Director, Performance & National Programs Division/Planning Coordinator, U.S. Economic Development Administration, Washington, DC
- Brett Schwartz, Associate Director, NADO Research Foundation, Washington, DC
- Ann Simon, Economic Development Program Manager, Mid-Region Council of Governments, Albuquerque, NM
- Jason Wilson, Economic Development Representative, U.S. Economic Development Administration, Austin Regional Office, Austin, TX
2018 Conference
Proven Strategies, New Approaches
Below are presentations from the 2018 SWREDA Annual Conference. Presentation file types are all in .pdf. Please click on the presenter’s name or the session title to download each available presentation.
Modern Strategies for Communication and Workflow Management
Lori Grimm, Assistant Workforce Outreach Coordinator, Southwest Arkansas PDD (AmeriCorps VISTA), Magnolia, AR
Jennifer McCollum, Director of Public Relations & Community Development, ACOG, Oklahoma City, OK
Digital Tools for GIS
Barbara Gibson, Senior GIS Specialist, INCOG, Tulsa, OK
Ty Simmons, Senior GIS Analyst, INCOG, Tulsa, OK
Tina Thompson, GIS/911 Administrator, Western Arkansas PDD, Fort Smith, AR
The Art of Placemaking: Community-based Approaches to Designing Public Spaces
Jeff Stava, Executive Director, The Gathering Place, LLC, Tulsa, OK.
Cody Mosely, Executive Director of Community and Retail Development, Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce, Broken Arrow, OK
Digital Tools Workforce
Kira Livingston, Administrative Support Specialist, Central Arkansas PDD, Lonoke, AR
Shawntell Brown, Business Services/Special Projects Coordinator, Central Arkansas PDD, Conway, AR
Chris Schreck, Planning and Economic Development Manager, CAPCOG, Austin, TX
Shelley Cadamy, Executive Director, Workforce Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
Strengthening Resilience and Building Community
DeVon Douglass, Chief Resiliency Officer, City of Tulsa, OK
EDA Program Updates
Rick Sebenoler, Economic Development Integrator, EDA Austin Regional Office, Austin, TX
Trisha Korbas, Economic Development Representative, EDA Austin Regional Office, Austin, TX
Corey Dunn, Project Engineer, EDA Austin Regional Office, Austin, TX
State of the Region
Jorge Ayala, EDA Austin Office Regional Director, Austin, TX
2017 Conference
Navigating the New Norm Presentations
Below are presentations from the 2017 SWREDA Annual Conference, Navigating the New Norm. Presentation file types include .pptx and .pdf. Please click on the presenter’s name or the session title to download each available presentation.
Peers from around the region discussed planning for resilience in communities and integrating resilience into their CEDS.
New Strategies for Achieving Innovation
EDA Regional Innovation Strategies highlights on project financing (including how federal investments were leveraged), community impacts and key partnerships.
Presentation by Dr. Dave N. Norris, Chief Research and Innovation Officer, Office of Research and Innovation, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA
Presentation by Dr. Byron C. Clayton, President & CEO, Research Park Corporation, Baton Rouge, LA
When Organizations’ Culture Changes
A look at the various factors impacting productivity and performance of an organization during times of transition.
Presentation by Sandy Chancey, Executive Director, Eastern Plains COG, Clovis, NM
Presentation by Betty Voights, Executive Director, CAPCOG, Austin, TX and Chairperson, SWREDA
Plenary: Economic Diversification with Boom and Bust Cycles
Shared examples from communities that have experienced boom and bust economies.
Presentation by Rick Osburn, City Manager, City of Levelland, TX
EDA Grants Online and EDA 101
An overview of current EDA programs, noting any particular items that grantees (and potential grantees) should be aware of as they manage their grants, and key information about Grants Online.
Presentation by Sally Waley, Senior Economic Development Specialist, U.S. Economic Development Administration, Austin, TX
Presentation by Jessica Falk, Area Director, U.S. Economic Development Administration, Austin, TX
EDA Updates
Shared thoughts on current state of the SWREDA region and updates on EDA programs.
Helping Local Businesses Compete Globally
A look at the important roles freight (trucks, trains, ships, planes) has on regional economic stability and vitality.
Presentation by Paul Aucoin, Executive Director, Port of South Louisiana
Presentation by Tim Trevino, Senior Director of Operations & Strategic Partnerships, Alamo Area Council of Governments, San Antonio, TX
Managing Information in the Digital World
Addressing the benefits of cloud solutions and aggregation, as well as offering information on ways to avoid or recover from cyberattacks.
Presentation by Dale Graver, Vice President of Business Development, VC3, Raleigh, NC
Strengthening Regional Resilience
A look at recovery information that has strengthened local resilience planning and improved coordination and collaboration at the regional, state, and federal levels.
Presentation by Kim Marousek, Director of Planning, Capital Region Planning Commission, Baton Rouge, LA
Presentation by David Dodd, CEcD/FM, Contractor, EDA, Economic Recovery Support Function, National Disaster Recovery Framework, New Orleans, LA
Presentation by Sandra Bowling, FEMA, Community Planning Capacity Building Recovery Support Function, Baton Rouge, LA
Presentation by Moderator: Brett Schwartz, Program Manager, NADO Research Foundation, Washington, DC
Keeping It Local: Food Systems as Economy Stabilizers
A discussion about the link between food and economic development; the various ways restaurants can partner with workforce development to create job and career opportunities, and ways local food systems fit into other parts of the overall economy.
Presentation by Chris Schreck, Capital Area COG/EDD, Austin, TX
Plenary: Federal Legislative Updates
A report on activity on Capitol Hill that has impacted regions.