Creative Economic Development Consulting https://creativeedc.com Creative Economic Development Consulting Wed, 21 Jan 2026 17:42:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 https://creativeedc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/cropped-logo-32x32.jpg Creative Economic Development Consulting https://creativeedc.com 32 32 Creative EDC Welcomes Ashley Mills to the Team https://creativeedc.com/creative-edc-welcomes-ashley-mills-to-the-team/ https://creativeedc.com/creative-edc-welcomes-ashley-mills-to-the-team/#respond Wed, 21 Jan 2026 17:42:02 +0000 https://creativeedc.com/?p=3946 Creative Economic Development Consulting has recently added to its team! Ashley Mills has joined CEDC as Operations and Marketing Manager. Ashley brings her enthusiasm and organizational skills to CEDC’s marketing, project management, and administrative efforts.  “It’s great to have Ashley join our team. Her creative problem-solving and drive to help communities thrive fits well with our firm’s mission to seek out opportunities …

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]]> https://creativeedc.com/creative-edc-welcomes-ashley-mills-to-the-team/feed/ 0 2025 Wrapped: Learnings from Our Most-Read Blog Posts https://creativeedc.com/2025-wrapped-learnings-from-our-most-read-blog-posts/ https://creativeedc.com/2025-wrapped-learnings-from-our-most-read-blog-posts/#respond Fri, 26 Dec 2025 12:57:20 +0000 https://creativeedc.com/?p=3935 Reviewing the most-read posts on our blog in 2025 point to a clear conclusion: economic development leaders want tools and tactics they can use right now. They are looking for pathways to better decisions, stronger teams, and fewer constraints on growth. They also want to know how information moves, who controls it, and how it …

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]]> https://creativeedc.com/2025-wrapped-learnings-from-our-most-read-blog-posts/feed/ 0 Retail Follows Rooftops: How Economic Developers Can Capitalize on Current Trends in Retail Growth https://creativeedc.com/retail-follows-rooftops-how-economic-developers-can-capitalize-on-current-trends-in-retail-growth/ https://creativeedc.com/retail-follows-rooftops-how-economic-developers-can-capitalize-on-current-trends-in-retail-growth/#respond Sat, 13 Dec 2025 21:03:05 +0000 https://creativeedc.com/?p=3927 Whether it’s a new big box store, a supermarket, a downtown boutique, or a restaurant, people get excited when new businesses come to their community. Not only does retail fill up vacant lots or buildings, it brings in tax revenue, and helps project an image to residents as well as visitors that a place is …

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]]> https://creativeedc.com/retail-follows-rooftops-how-economic-developers-can-capitalize-on-current-trends-in-retail-growth/feed/ 0 Creative New Ways to Bridge the Childcare Gap https://creativeedc.com/creative-new-ways-to-bridge-the-childcare-gap/ https://creativeedc.com/creative-new-ways-to-bridge-the-childcare-gap/#respond Mon, 10 Nov 2025 16:37:30 +0000 https://creativeedc.com/?p=3906 For many parents, finding good quality childcare is a major stressor in their lives. Across the southeast, but especially in North Carolina, there is a wide gap between the number parents in need of childcare services and the slots available. Most areas of North Carolina see at least a 50% gap or greater, which has …

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]]> https://creativeedc.com/creative-new-ways-to-bridge-the-childcare-gap/feed/ 0 Economic Impact of Higher Education https://creativeedc.com/economic-impact-of-higher-education/ https://creativeedc.com/economic-impact-of-higher-education/#respond Sat, 20 Sep 2025 18:27:56 +0000 https://creativeedc.com/?p=3835 Western Carolina University (WCU) is a catalyst for economic development in Western North Carolina and the state. The university employs over 2,000 people, spends approximately $323 million a year on operations and capital projects, and attracts some 204,000 visitors a year. The university’s 63,000 alumni living in North Carolina contribute to the state’s economy through …

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]]> https://creativeedc.com/economic-impact-of-higher-education/feed/ 0 Best Practices for Generative AI in Economic Development https://creativeedc.com/best-practices-for-generative-ai-in-economic-development/ https://creativeedc.com/best-practices-for-generative-ai-in-economic-development/#respond Thu, 31 Jul 2025 18:26:47 +0000 https://creativeedc.com/?p=3804 As economic development professionals, we see generative AI as a tremendous innovation for how we approach regional growth, policy design, and stakeholder engagement. The technology’s ability to automate routine tasks, synthesize complex data, and generate insights is already making a measurable impact on productivity and innovation in our field. To maximize its potential, look to …

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]]> https://creativeedc.com/best-practices-for-generative-ai-in-economic-development/feed/ 0 What We’re Reading This Summer: Stories That Stay With You https://creativeedc.com/what-were-reading-this-summer-stories-that-stay-with-you/ https://creativeedc.com/what-were-reading-this-summer-stories-that-stay-with-you/#respond Wed, 11 Jun 2025 12:51:44 +0000 https://creativeedc.com/?p=3777 If you are planning for your summer getaway, or if you are already packing, don’t forget to consider the reading material that will keep you company on your journey, or on your bedside table or beach chair. We loved the thought-provoking, mind-expanding Nexus, by  Yuval Noah Harari (author of the also-excellent Sapiens). It is an …

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]]> https://creativeedc.com/what-were-reading-this-summer-stories-that-stay-with-you/feed/ 0 Compensation and Employment Trends in Economic Development in North Carolina and Virginia https://creativeedc.com/compensation-and-employment-trends-in-economic-development-in-north-carolina-and-virginia/ https://creativeedc.com/compensation-and-employment-trends-in-economic-development-in-north-carolina-and-virginia/#respond Mon, 28 Apr 2025 19:00:00 +0000 https://creativeedc.com/?p=3729 Over the last couple of months, we published two Economic Development Salary Surveys in conjunction with the Virginia Economic Developers Association and the North Carolina Economic Development Association which provide valuable information on pay and employment – both a snapshot of current practices as well as time series of data trends over time.  While talent …

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]]> https://creativeedc.com/compensation-and-employment-trends-in-economic-development-in-north-carolina-and-virginia/feed/ 0 C-PACE: A Financing Tool Economic Developers Should Know About https://creativeedc.com/c-pace-a-financing-tool-economic-developers-should-know-about/ https://creativeedc.com/c-pace-a-financing-tool-economic-developers-should-know-about/#respond Tue, 25 Mar 2025 15:38:01 +0000 https://creativeedc.com/?p=3680 Commercial Property Assessment Capital Expenditure (C-PACE) is a financing mechanism that allows commercial property owners the opportunity to access low-cost, long-term financing for qualifying energy efficiency, water conservation, renewable energy, and resiliency improvements to their properties. Financing for improvements comes from lenders but is repaid through a special tax assessment over time. C-PACE can make …

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]]> https://creativeedc.com/c-pace-a-financing-tool-economic-developers-should-know-about/feed/ 0 Analyzing the 2024 Mid-Year Industrial Announcements for NC, SC, and VA https://creativeedc.com/analyzing-the-2024-mid-year-industrial-announcements-for-nc-sc-and-va/ https://creativeedc.com/analyzing-the-2024-mid-year-industrial-announcements-for-nc-sc-and-va/#respond Wed, 07 Aug 2024 15:28:32 +0000 https://creativeedc.com/?p=3477 Industrial development announcements are one way that economic development organizations track the results of business development efforts. Many organizations set annual goals for new investment and job creation, report the information to investors, and sometimes the goals are tied to employee bonuses. EDOs report announcements to state agencies who then report that information to organizations …

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