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| Melissa Waldner, Executive Director of Webster Area Development Corporation and Day County Champion Community pictured with colleagues from South Dakota: Joe Fiala of SD Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Joshua Hofer of Freeman Development Corporation, and Andrew Nilges of North Sioux City Economic Development Corporation. |
Melissa Waldner of Day County was one of 87 economic development professionals to attend the Heartland Economic Development Course (HEDC) April 23-26, 2018 in Blue Springs, Missouri.
Heartland
attendees receive intensive lectures, expert panels, educational tours and
small group challenges on topics ranging from business, retention and
expansion, workforce development, real estate and entrepreneurship to
marketing, finance, ethics and managing and economic development organizations.
“It
was an incredible experience learning from national experts, and I am eager to
implement several ideas and strategies in Day County,” said Waldner, Executive
Director of Webster Area Development Corporation (WADC) and Day County Champion
Community (DCCC). “I am very grateful for the opportunity to attend Heartland.”
HEDC
is coordinated by the Institute for Decision Making at the University of
Northern Iowa and certified by the International Economic Development
Council. The 2018 class includes
economic developers from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and South
Dakota, as well as nationally recognized faculty from within the profession of
economic development.
“Heartland
students experience a variety of presentations, best practices and networking
opportunities that they can apply back in their own organizations and
communities,” says James Hoelscher, CEcD, HEDC Director. “Heartland provides a solid foundation upon
which each developer can build their base of knowledge and experience.”
The
Heartland Economic Development Course is a partnership of the Kansas Economic
Development Alliance, Professional Developers of Iowa, Missouri Economic
Development Council, Nebraska Economic Developers’ Association, South Dakota
Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and the Oklahoma Professional
Economic Development Association.
