Workshop Materials - Developing Economic Opportunity and Economic Resilience

September 22, 2015

On October 4, 2015, IEDC held this free and open to the public workshop in conjunction of IEDC’s Annual Conference in Anchorage, AK. With economic losses from natural catastrophes likely to triple over the next 15 years, it is not a question of if, but when your community and businesses will be impacted. Being prepared by developing business continuity can ensure that businesses and your economy can recover faster and with less economic damage. At least 60 percent of small businesses fail to make preparations before an emergency and of those without a plan, 43 percent will not reopen, and 75 percent will fail within three years of a major event. The workshop moderator and speakers were:

Moderator: Dale Wheeldon, President & CEO, British Columbia Economic Development Association, Chilliwack, BC, Canada

Speakers:

Slater Barr, President, Sioux Falls Development Foundation, Sioux Falls, SD
Melissa Ehlinger, Senior VP-Strategy and Business Development, New Orleans Business Alliance, New Orleans, LA
Robin Keegan, Director, Community Resilience, GCR Inc., New Orleans, LA
Kent Rupert, Economic Development Team Leader, Airdrie Economic Development, Airdrie, Alberta, Canada

Click here to download the agenda

Click here to download Slater Barr's presentation

Click here to download Melissa Ehlinger and Robin Keegan's presentation

Click here to download Kent Rupert's presentation

For any questions regarding the workshop please contact Scott Annis at [email protected].

Acknowledgements This workshop is funded through a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), Economic Adjustment Assistance Project No. 04-79-06700 from the EDA Atlanta Regional Office. The statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and other data in this workshop are solely those of IEDC and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA).