E20 - Rural Economic Development Reimagined, with Jolene Schalper

What happens when economic development spans 44,000 square miles of rural frontier? 

In our season two finale, Jolene Schalper, CEcD, joins us to share how Great Falls, Montana, serves as the hub for a vast region and why the upcoming IEDC Rural Retreat is breaking the conference mold by taking participants directly into the communities they're learning about.

Key Takeaways:

• How to build a stronger ecosystem despite geographic challenges
• What to expect from the innovative Rural Retreat format, including mobile breakout sessions and community-based learning experiences
• How to make the most of conference networking by setting audacious goals

Resources Mentioned:

• Great Falls Development Alliance
• “Down a Staff Person” Free Guide
• IEDC Rural Retreat
• Walk2Connect
• Richard Scarry Books

About the Guest:
Jolene Schalper, CEcD, is the Executive Vice President of the Great Falls Development Alliance. You can connect with Jolene on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joleneschalper

The EDO Breakthrough podcast is brought to you by PPR Strategies. PPR Strategies is a strategic consulting firm working specifically with EDOs and other place-based organizations. We share the unique stories of communities through communications, strategic planning, marketing, media relations, and more.

Visit us at pprstrategies.com/edobreakthrough to learn more and to submit a question for a future episode.

Produced and edited by SpeakEasy Productions.