 |
 |
||
|
Advanced Search |
||
|
|||
|
|||
|
|||
 |
|||
 |
IEDC
IEDC
IEDC Staff Biographies and Contact InformationComprised of recognized leaders in economic development and professionals skilled in association management, our staff dedicates itself to supporting the endeavors of our members and advancing the profession and discipline of economic development as a whole.
ExecutiveJeff Finkle, CEcD Whether on a neighborhood or national scale, economic development is a complex, demanding endeavor. It requires financial skills, political acumen and the ability to gauge the social benefit that will result from a given undertaking. Since the late 1970s, Jeffrey A. Finkle has demonstrated mastery of all those skills, applying them worldwide—from his native Ohio to the Far East and most points in between. This experience has made Jeff Finkle a recognized leader and international authority on economic development. As President and CEO of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the world’s largest economic development membership organization, he contributes his expertise on community revitalization, business development and job creation to projects nationwide. Jeff has established multi-lateral partnerships with regional and national economic development organizations around the world and currently sits on the Consultative Committee of World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA). He has advised on economic development in China, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania. He now serves on the Board of Directors for Climate Prosperity. Inc., a company based on creating important regional economic outcomes -- green savings, green opportunity, and green talent -- while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He is also a leader in community service and philanthropy. In 2005, Jeff organized 250 economic development volunteers to work in Gulf Coast communities endeavoring to recover from Hurricane Katrina. He also founded the Bollinger Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to educate and support children who have lost one or more parent who worked in the field of economic development. The foundation to date has awarded approximately $500,000 in grants. A former Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, where he oversaw programs such as Community Development Block Grants and Urban Development Action Grants, Jeff writes and lectures frequently about economic development issues and advises Congressional Committees. His vigorous support of the use of eminent domain to promote economic development, upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, garnered him national media attention, including appearances on CBS Sunday Morning, Fox television and the Journal Report on PBS. With the formation of IEDC in 2001, Jeff set the course for a more effective and influential economic development organization. IEDC resulted from the merger of the Council for Urban Economic Development (CUED), where Jeff was president for 15 years, and the American Economic Development Council (AEDC). Addressing significant financial and organizational challenges, Jeff has grown IEDC to a $5 million annual operation with 30 employees. IEDC is recognized for its leadership in making sustainable economic development a priority in communities of all sizes and for professionalizing and diversifying the field of economic development. A past member of the Arlington Virginia Economic Development Commission, he served on its BRAC Task Force in 2005, dealing with issues that directly impacted 4 million square feet of Arlington office space and 17,000 jobs. He sits on the Executive Committee of the Commission. Jeff maintains a long-standing relationship with Ohio University’s Voinovich School for Leadership and Public Affairs and serves on the School’s Institute for Local Government Administration and Rural Development Advising Committee, where he regularly participates in programs of direct benefit to Appalachia Ohio. In this capacity, he worked closely with Ohio governors as well as other political and community leaders throughout the state. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in communications in 1976 from Ohio University in Athens and pursued graduate studies in business administration at Ohio State University.
Kelly serves as the Administrative Coordinator at IEDC. Kelly supports the Executive Department and in addition, she provides administrative support across departments on various projects. Before joining IEDC, Kelly facilitated curriculum for a national youth leadership program and volunteered as the office coordinator for a local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Kelly graduated from Kenyon College and also studied in France with Sweet Briar College. She holds a B.A. in Modern Languages (French and Spanish).
Knowledge Management and DevelopmentShari Garmise, Ph.D. Shari Garmise is Vice President for Knowledge Management and Development. Previously, she was Assistant Professor of Economic Development at the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University. Dr. Garmise has over 17 years of experience in economic development research, analysis and policy development in the United States and Europe. She has worked on various economic development issues including workforce development, technology-led economic development, entrepreneurship, legislative affairs, and many others. Last year, Dr. Garmise publishing a book entitled People and the Competitive Advantage of Place: Building a 21st Century Workforce. In addition, she has published work in several journals including Local Economy, Economic Development Journal and Regional and Federal Studies as well as various book chapters, working papers, and professional reports and policy analyses.
Ms. Anderson is a Senior Associate and Managing Editor for IEDC’s Advisory Services team. She edits IEDC’s newsletter, Economic Development Now, and a quarterly magazine, Economic Development America, on contract for the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Ms. Anderson formerly coordinated IEDC’s work on brownfields-related projects with the Environmental Protection Agency. She also worked on numerous state and local economic development planning projects. Prior to joining IEDC, Ms. Anderson worked in growth management, historic preservation, public relations and nonprofit management. She obtained master’s degrees in regional planning (with a focus on economic development) and public administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also holds bachelor of arts degrees in journalism and English literature from Indiana University at Bloomington.
Swati Ghosh is a Senior Economic Development Associate in the Advisory Services and Research department at the International Economic Development Council in Washington, DC. She brings a range of experience from local economic development in United States to municipal financial creditworthiness and sustainable financial practices in developing countries. Swati currently manages IEDC’s Weed and Seed Program under a grant from the Department of Justice that provides free technical assistance services in Weed and Seed communities around the country. She also manages the IEDC Intern Program. Swati has broad experience in developing and organizing education courses on various economic development topics and helped design a new certification exam for the Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) Program at IEDC. She has a Masters in Governmental Administration and Certificate in Public Finance from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She obtained her Bachelors in Urban Planning from the School of Planning and Architecture in New Delhi, India.
Christopher Girdwood manages the educational content delivered in IEDC’s professional development training courses. This task includes working closely with industry leaders to continually review and revise the content delivered in each of IEDC’s thirteen training courses. In addition, Chris performs quantitative and qualitative economic development research and he assists in writing course manuals and professional publications. Prior to joining IEDC, Chris spent over two years working for the U.S. Department of Defense where he proudly supported the war-fighter in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Chris has received a MA from the University of Michigan, a BA from Michigan State University and an Accounting Certificate from Kellogg Community College. Chris has also taken a number of courses from the Defense Acquisition University. He has a deep interest in learning new languages and is currently studying Arabic.
Talib Hudson serves as the Legislative Affairs Associate, and oversees all legislative matters impacting members of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and the economic development community as a whole. Mr. Hudson plays an active role in steering the department, managing legislative projects and staffing the Public Policy Advisory Committee. In addition to the daily legislative tasks, he manages the IEDC annual legislative conference in Washington, D.C., the Federal Economic Development Forum. Talib Hudson previously served as the Education, Publications, Job Center, and Clearinghouse Coordinator. Prior to joining IEDC, Mr. Hudson worked in higher education administration. He earned a B.A. in American Studies with a minor in Africana Studies from The George Washington University.
Carrie Mulcaire is a Senior Economic Development Associate in the Advisory Services and Research department at the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in Washington, DC. She comes to IEDC with 13 years of broad experience in local and regional economic development in the United States, China, and Western Europe. She currently serves as the program manager of the Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) New Orleans & Gulf Coast Post-Disaster Economic Recovery Program (2008-2010), which seeks to rebuild economic development capacity and lay a foundation to generate new investment and job growth in the Louisiana / Mississippi Gulf Coast. She has previously served as project manager for several UNIDO–ITPO - China office projects to conduct strategic planning assessment for two communities in Shandong Province, P.R. China. Prior to joining IEDC, she worked as an Associate at Economics Research Associates (ERA) in Washington, D.C. and served as a consultant on an Asian Development Bank (ADB) technical assistance project in mainland China. Other positions include: business attraction for the government of Northern Ireland; directing marketing efforts for a downtown Business Improvement District (BID); assisting in redevelopment projects for a city agency; and research on a large workforce study for the IT industry. She obtained a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from UC Berkeley where she specialized in regional economic development and international development. She has a Bachelor of Sciences in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.
Dana manages the content development of IEDC’s conferences and web seminars. Her work experience includes logistics management for a professional speaker, market research and coordination of international trade shows. Dana possesses a B.A. from the University of Maryland, College Park in Government with significant coursework international relations, development, french and economics. In addition to working at IEDC, Dana is a youth group advisor within the Jewish community.
Jeremy manages the Clearinghouse Database, IEDC’s repository of knowledge in the field of Economic Development, performing customized research in response to member questions on all aspects of the practice of economic development. He is also a primary researcher for IEDC’s Economic Development Research Partners program and staffs the IEDC International Committee. Prior to joining IEDC, Jeremy spent six years working in state and local economic development in Indiana. Most recently, he served as the Vice President of Business Development for the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation where he helped create and manage the Bloomington Technology Partnership, a unique partnership between Bloomington area technology businesses, entrepreneurs, higher education and the public sector. Jeremy also worked with Bloomington area life sciences companies and helped foster relationships with Indiana University and nearby NSWC Crane military base. Jeremy graduated from the Indiana University School of Environmental and Public Affairs and completed the curriculum for the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute.
Elizabeth Thorstensen serves as a Senior Economic Development Associate in the Advisory Services and Research department. Having worked in public, private and non-profit settings, Elizabeth brings a wide breadth of experience to IEDC. Prior to joining IEDC, she worked directly with domestic and international communities, aiding them in community revitalization efforts and effectual institutional capacity building strategies. Her background focuses on urban policy planning as well as effectively integrating public participation into planning and economic development initiatives. Currently, Elizabeth works on a wide variety of technical assistance and research projects related to economic development. Elizabeth is also the project manager of IEDC’s Accredited Economic Development Organization Program, a means of recognizing professional excellence in economic development organizations. In 2007, Elizabeth co-authored an IEDC report which researched and documented lessons learned from the past forty years of economic development. Elizabeth earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland in Geography and GIS and holds master’s degrees in Urban Planning and Local Economic Development from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the London School of Economics respectively.
Marketing, Member Services, and MeetingsJill Frick Estavillo Jill has more than 20 years of experience in economic development and downtown management. Prior to joining IEDC, Jill held various positions with the International Downtown Association. She also previously served as the first Executive Director of the Georgetown Partnership, a start-up business improvement district in Washington, DC. Jill also served as the General Manager of the Washington, DC office of Flexcar, an innovative concept in transportation called carsharing and a public-private partnership with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Jill has previously held positions as the Executive Director of Corning Intown Promotions, a special events, marketing and public space management organization in Corning, New York and as a Public Relations Assistant for Alfred Technology Resources, a business incubator project and partnership between Alfred University and Corning Incorporated. Jill received a Bachelors in Science in Journalism from the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University.
Emily Bell is the Member Services Coordinator in the Marketing and Member Services Department at IEDC. She manages publication sales and job postings and also works with IEDC’s External and Member Relations Committee and Awards Task Force. Prior to joining IEDC, Emily served in the Peace Corps as a youth development volunteer in Koristivka, Ukraine and worked as the Grievance Director at the Cuyahoga County Bar Association in Cleveland, Ohio. Emily holds a BA in Social Science from St. Bonaventure University, where she was a 3 year starter on the women’s soccer team.
Mary Helen is responsible for assessing, identifying, and developing critical membership alliances to IEDC. She brings with her 20+ years of experience in the legislative, marketing, and business development fields. Prior to joining IEDC, Ms. Cobb was Vice President of Client Relations for the Corporate Registry. Her responsibilities included collaborating on the business plan, developing and executing marketing alliance strategies with Fortune 500 companies, banking institutions, federal and local governments, and the non-profit sector. Ms. Cobb owned and operated a successful novelty and manufacturing business, consulted in real estate and land acquisition development, and was a heath-care lobbyist. Ms. Cobb received a B.A. in Communications and Public Affairs and Government from Mount Vernon College in Washington, D.C. in 1981. She received a Paralegal certificate from Georgetown University in 1983.
Kobi Enwemnwa serves as Education Programs Associate for the Education Department at IEDC. Prior to joining IEDC, Mr. Enwemnwa served as an event coordinator for John Casablancas Career Center in San Diego, CA. Mr. Enwemnwa graduated with a marketing degree, along with a specialization in international business, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he served as a marketing intern for the Wisconsin Union Directorate. In his current position with IEDC, Mr. Enwemnwa administers all aspects of the certification program and works closely with other education staff to coordinate IEDC’s professional development program. Mr. Enwemnwa also works with the certification committee to further develop and strengthen the certification program.
Phil Goodwin works in the membership department, providing support for member services such as maintaining IEDC’s affinity program and consultant database. Other responsibilities focus on the recruitment of new prospects and the retention of existing members. Phil graduated with a bachelors in economics, with a focus in international economics from the University of Washington.
As the Conference & Course Specialist for IEDC, Jackie Gibson acts as Project Manager and Meeting Planner for IEDC’s Leadership Summit, Spring Conference and Federal Economic Development Forum. In this capacity Jackie works closely with conference host committees and ensures that IEDC’s internal efforts are cohesive. In addition to IEDC’s Conferences, Jackie handles registrations and logistics for IEDC’s Professional Development Courses. Jackie has over a decade of experience in the hotel industry in all facets: from front desk to banquets to housekeeping and overall hotel operations. She graduated from Mercyhurst College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management and a concentration in Convention Management. After graduation she completed the Marriott Corporate Training Program and worked at a Marriott Residence Inn as Operations Manager until making the switch within the hospitality industry to Meeting Planning for associations.
Ms. Jones serves two important roles at IEDC: Conference Registrar and Membership Manager. As Conference Registrar, she provides assistance in all aspects of conference planning, execution, and follow-up, including managing all conference registration and billing concerns. As the Membership Manager, she works closely with the Membership Director in promoting membership and maintaining the organization's membership records, including disseminating information to members and potential members, preparing membership activity reports, and overseeing membership dues. In addition, Ms. Jones maintains the IEDC database and is responsible for coordinating office services and related activities. She also supervises the staff person holding similar responsibilities with NAID/ADC. Prior to joining IEDC, Ms. Jones was the Manager of Marketing and Sales for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of the National Capital Area. Ms. Jones attended Strayer College.
Beth serves as the Sponsorship Development Specialist at IEDC and is responsible for securing sponsorship and exhibitors for IEDC’s four yearly conferences, as well as managing the fulfillment of sponsorship benefits. This entails reaching out to past sponsors and newer prospects to secure funds for the conferences, as well as coordinating with the Host Committees and internal IEDC staff to ensure that the sponsor benefits are satisfied. Prior to joining IEDC, Beth worked in the staffing industry for several years, first as a recruiter and then in a business development role. Beth holds a BA in Psychology from the George Washington University.
Chanise D. Reese is a Certified Meeting Professional. She has been in the meeting planning profession for over 12 years. Prior to joining IEDC, Chanise held various positions with the Society of Research Administrations (SRA), National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), American Urological Association (AUA), U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Georgetown University Medical Center. She is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). Chanise is a native of Washington, DC. She holds a B.A. in Human Relations from Trinity University. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Public and Community Health.
Erin Way handles the marketing and media relations for the IEDC, including composing the bi-weekly newsletter “IEDC News.” Prior to joining the IEDC, Erin worked for the British Embassy in Washington DC, coordinating Foreign & Commonwealth Office training programs for North America and the Caribbean. She was also involved in the Internet Communications dept. of Gov. Howard Dean’s 2004 primary campaign. In addition, Erin completed a cultural and linguistics immersion program focusing on creating cross culture communication with young adults through T.I.E. volunteer program in San Jose, Costa Rica. Erin has a B.S. in Communications and Rhetorical Studies from Syracuse University as well as an M.A. in Political Communications from Leeds University.
Kara is the Marketing Coordinator in the Marketing and Member Services department. She oversees all the IEDC print marketing publications as well as assists with the Awards Program. Prior to joining IEDC, Kara received a MA in International Affairs from American University’s School of International Service where she specialized in Comparative and Regional Studies of Europe as well as International Economics. For her thesis, Kara wrote a cost-benefit analysis on the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Iceland joining the euro-area following the financial crisis. She received her BA from the University of Rochester in Political Science and Italian. Kara studied abroad in Italy during both undergraduate and graduate school.
Finance and AdministrationSharon Coy Sharon Coy serves as the Vice President of Finance & CFO for IEDC and the Chief Financial Officer for the Association of Defense Communities. In her role with IEDC, she ensures efficiency, accuracy, and timeliness within the organization's daily accounting operations. As ADC’s CFO, she oversees and manages the accounting function. Ms. Coy is responsible for providing accurate financial information to each organization’s Board of Directors and President/CEO. Sharon Coy graduated from Hawaii Pacific University with a B.S.B.A. in Accounting. Ms. Coy brings 12 years of professional experience to each organization. She has served as an auditor for Reznick, Fedder & Silverman CPAs. She has managed the monthly close and executive reporting for a publicly traded telecommunications company which also included a foreign subsidiary. Ms. Coy has also served as a Principal Accountant for America Online where she provided contract review support for the Shared Services Department. At AOL, her duties included reviewing and providing the specific payment terms of all Partnership Agreements as well as the proposed accounting treatment of these bounty and royalty contracts.
Jason manages the design and development of IEDC's information technology infrastructure, including its internal network, databases, and websites, the last for which he won a WebAward in 2002. He has also developed websites with partners such as Forbes and the Economic Development Administration. Prior to joining IEDC, Jason served as Project Manager of Web Design for FIRSTLINK, where he managed the online integration of the nation's largest community information services database. He holds a BA in Technical Communications, with a minor in Japanese, from the Ohio State University.
Dante Williams serves as the Assistant Controller for IEDC. He is responsible for overseeing accounts receivable and accounts payable, preparation of monthly financial statements, coordination and preparation of information for the annual audit, ensures compliance with any and all financial and contract reporting requirements, and assist in maintaining effective internal controls. Mr. Williams has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting with a minor in Economics from West Virginia Wesleyan College. Dante has prior professional experience in non-profit accounting. He worked for Tate & Tryon, CPA’s for 3 years in their Outsourced Accounting Services Department as a Senior Accountant. In this role, he was responsible for assisting in the preparation of the client’s annual budget, designing the client’s internal financial reports, monthly reconciliation of balance sheet accounts, preparation of monthly financial statements and audit preparation. Dante also worked for the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society for 4 years as a Staff Accountant and Accounting Supervisor. His responsibilities included investment reconciliation, month end close, and staff training on Great Plains. NMCRS is a 501(c)(3).
Kysha Romney serves as a Staff Accountant in IEDC’s Accounting Department. She has over 17 years of experience in the accounting profession. Kysha works closely with the Assistant controller and VP of Finance & CFO assisting with the day-to-day accounting functions for both the International Economic Development Council and the Association of Defense Communities. Ms. Romney graduated from the University of Phoenix with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and is currently pursuing her MBA.
Rebecca Thomas serves as the Administrative Coordinator for IEDC. Ms. Thomas provides administrative support to the Executive staff and other departments throughout the office. In addition, Rebecca assists with the Basic Education Courses that are accredited by IEDC. Prior to joining IEDC, Rebecca attended and graduated from Virginia Tech where she studied Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations. She has also taken many classes pertaining to professional writing. Ms. Thomas also received a minor in marketing/special event planning.
|
|
|
 |
||
 |
||
|
Upcoming IEDC courses:
• Technology-led Economic Development |
||
Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Contact
© 2001 - 2010 International Economic Development Council
734 15th Street NW / Suite 900
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 223-7800 | Fax: (202) 223-4745