Event Types: Webinar

Economic development leaders are operating in an environment of heightened scrutiny and expectations for results. As incentive decisions grow more complex and consequential, state economic development agencies face persistent questions about their incentive portfolios:

• Which programs are delivering results?
• How should states evaluate success beyond jobs and capital investment
• How do leaders know when deploying an incentive is the right call?

This session will include time for states to share their own approaches and engage in peer discussion — an opportunity to learn how colleagues are navigating similar challenges in their own incentive programs.

Speakers

Ellen Harpel: Ellen brings extensive experience in incentive design, evaluation and policy analysis to these questions. The session will include discussion on evolving data center incentives, approaches to measuring program success, and what past projects can teach us about advancing economic development goals and demonstrating value to taxpayers.

Nicolas Miller: Nicholas Miller is a policy associate with NCSL’s Fiscal Affairs Program, where he supports work on economic development policy and state budgets. Previously, Miller spent time with the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy with honors from the University of Chicago.

Jason El Koubi: Jason El Koubi serves as President and CEO at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, where he leads VEDP’s overall strategy and operations to encourage, stimulate, and support the development and expansion of the economy of the Commonwealth. Prior to joining VEDP in July 2017 as Executive Vice President, El Koubi was previously President and CEO of One Acadiana, a regional economic development organization based in Lafayette, Louisiana. Previously, El Koubi served as Assistant Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development.

Read more below:

Incentives 101: The Essential Concepts — A primer that defines business incentives, surveys the main types governments use, and explains why incentive decisions should be treated as a strategic process tied to economic development goals rather than as one-off deals.

Incentives that Work: A guide for designing and managing effective programs — A guide drawing on program evaluations to identify the design features that make incentives effective and to frame incentive use as an investment partnership between governments and companies.

Incentives Best Practices — A brief from PFM and Smart Incentives that distills ten best practices for incentive design, implementation, and administration from dozens of state evaluations conducted since 2020.

Incentives for Entrepreneurial Firms — A Kauffman-funded report that maps the types of state and local incentives aimed at entrepreneurial firms, examines how they are used in practice, and offers guidance for improving their design given their limited role within the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Access Julie’s presentation here.

Access Mark’s presentation here.

For state economic development leaders, employment data is more than just a statistic—it is the foundation for policy, investment, and strategic planning. However, the transition from initial monthly estimates to final benchmarked data often introduces shifts that can impact regional narratives and economic forecasting. Join the SEDE Network for an in-depth technical briefing designed to pull back the curtain on the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data lifecycle. This session focuses on the “why” and “how” behind state-level data collection and the revision process, offering leaders the clarity needed to interpret fluctuating figures with confidence.

Key Discussion Points:

• The Lifecycle of a Data Point: An overview of the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program and the methodology used to transition from survey samples to administrative records.
• Demystifying Revisions: A technical look at why revisions occur, the role of the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) in the benchmarking process, and how these adjustments improve long-term data integrity.
• The State Perspective: A look at how state labor departments interface with federal data, managing the nuances of local economic shifts versus statistical adjustments.
• Strategic Communication: Best practices for communicating data changes to stakeholders and the public when “the numbers move.”

Featured Speakers:

Julie Hatch, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Julie will provide a deep dive into the federal frameworks governing employment data, explaining the rigorous collection standards and the structural necessity of the revision cycle in maintaining national and state-level accuracy.

Mark McInerney, Maine Department of Labor
Representing the state-level vantage point, Mark will share insights on how state agencies navigate these data flows, reconcile federal benchmarks with local economic realities, and ensure that policymakers are working with the most robust information available.

Download the slides here.

Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MIIs) are driving innovation in critical technology sectors — but maximizing their impact often depends on creating the right partnerships.

Join Manufacturing Momentum and the State Economic Development Executives (SEDE) Network for a presentation and panel discussion featuring leaders from AIM Photonics and Empire State Development (ESD). They’ll share how their partnership took shape, what each organization brought to the table, and the tangible benefits that followed.

This webinar will provide a cooperative template for MIIs and state economic development agencies.

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Webinar Speakers

Amie Kaplin, Interim Executive Director, AIM Photonics

Vincent Esposito, Senior Vice President for Regional Economic Development, Empire State Development

Workforce Pell has the potential to open new doors for apprenticeship learners – but effective implementation requires thoughtful planning from states, intermediaries, and training providers. Join AFA for an in-depth webinar featuring expert analysis from Safal Partners and state leaders who are shaping early implementation strategies, on track for a Summer 2026 launch.

This session will break down what states and practitioners should be thinking about to make Workforce Pell work for apprenticeship programs, including program eligibility, quality criteria, data and reporting requirements, and co-ordination between higher education and workforce systems.

Electricity prices are on the rise for millions of Americans. In more than half of U.S. states, electricity prices have outpaced inflation since 2019, straining household budgets while undermining economic growth and activity. Based on the latest estimates, these price increases are likely to continue. Without credible policy solutions to rein in rising prices, electricity will increasingly contribute to the cost-of-living crisis in the U.S. and potentially harm economic competitiveness. It is therefore essential to take an objective look at the potential explanations for rising rates and account for the complex variation in electricity prices across regions, states, and customer types.

On Monday, March 2, the Center on Regulation and Markets at the Brookings Institution will host an event to understand why electricity prices are rising across the U.S. and what can be done about it. Part of the center’s ongoing series, Reimagining Modern-day Markets and Regulations, the event will kick off with a keynote fireside chat with Joseph Bowring, president of Monitoring Analytics.

Following the keynote, a panel of distinguished experts including Brendan Pierpont (Energy Innovation), Abe Silverman (Johns Hopkins), Ryan Wiser (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) will offer their analyses and a path forward for policymakers and industry alike. Malihe Alikhani, visiting fellow with the Center on Regulation and Markets and assistant professor at Northeastern University’s Khoury College of Computer Science, will moderate the panel.

This event will be open to attend in person or watch online. Online viewers can submit questions via email to events@brookings.edu.

On March 19, 2026, SEDE members are invited to a webinar with Michael Aikens and Andrea Kruszka of Tennessee Tech University’s Center for Rural Innovation. Drawing on their extensive experience working at the intersection of universities, rural communities, and state partners, they will explain the role of the University Economic Development Association (UEDA), how it supports state economic development priorities, and where SEDE members can engage with and benefit from the UEDA network.

Michael Aikens, currently serving as Acting Vice President for the Office of Research and Economic Development, as well as Assistant Vice President for Economic Development at Tennessee Tech University, directs the Center for Rural Innovation (TCRI) and chairs the Rural Reimagined Grand Challenge. Under his leadership, TCRI has driven over 1,000 rural projects, supported 1,500 small businesses, retained 800 jobs, and analyzed $2.5 billion in investments. Aikens’ rural work spans applied research, technical assistance, small business development, tourism, economic impact analysis, energy, critical infrastructure, poverty alleviation, and more. He hosts the PBS television series “It’s Your Business,” now in it’s fifth season. He also leads the student Eagle Works Innovation & Entrepreneurship program and supports faculty commercialization initiatives. He holds a PhD and a master’s in leadership and actively gives back to his community through various volunteer initiatives, including serving as a trustee on the Upper Cumberland Broadcast Council, a member of the Tennessee Small Business Development State Advisory Board, and chairing the Caney Fork & Eagle Scout Board of Review.

Andrea Kruszka is the Director of Strategy & Engagement for the Center for Rural Innovation (TCRI) at Tennessee Tech University. She leads TCRI’s Rural Tourism Initative providing branding services, small business technical assistance, and economic impact studies to rural communities across the state of Tennessee. Since the initiative began in 2019, Kruszka has spearheaded efforts on over 20 destination branding projects and managed technical assistance for over 75 tourism-related small businesses, working with seven distressed and fifteen at-risk areas. In addition to rural tourism, Kruszka directs student innovation & entrepreneurship activities on campus. She holds a masters of professional studies with a concentration in media and strategic communication, and is a certified Travel Marketing Professional through Southeast Tourism Society’s Marketing College program.

See the recording here.

Join a timely, expert-led conversation focused on how state and regional leaders are responding to the updated Opportunity Zone Program and what those insights mean for policy, planning, and practice.

This webinar brings together four respected voices working at the intersection of economic research, data analysis, and applied regional strategy. These experts will share information about the previous Opportunities Zones iteration, what to expect from 2.0, and how state incentives can shape outcomes.

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Webinar Speakers:

• Ellen Harpel President Business Development Advisors and Founder Smart Incentives
• Kenan Fikri Senior Fellow Economic Innovation Group  
• Brady Meixell Senior Research Associate Urban Institute
• Maia Berlow Associate Director of State and Local Government Affairs Urban Institute    

Join us for a discussion on innovative strategies to build, attract, and retain talent in rural communities. This webinar brings together three experts who will provide actionable solutions for overcoming rural workforce challenges.

Featured Speakers:

• Lisa Miller, Director of Partnership and Engagement at Michigan’s Office of Rural Prosperity within the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.
• Julianne Dunn, Senior Program Officer for Workforce and Financial Prosperity at the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) in Kansas City.
• Stephanie Norris, Associate Director of the Community College Initiative and Senior Research Analyst at the Richmond Fed.

Whether you’re a state economic development executive, policy director, program manager, or regional development specialist, this webinar will provide you with strategic frameworks and practical approaches to enhance your state’s rural workforce initiatives.

Watch the recorded session here.

Watch the recording here.

Join the SEDE Network in this webinar on housing supply and economic development. This webinar will equip economic development leaders with the knowledge and tools needed to address housing shortages in their regions, ultimately supporting economic growth and community prosperity. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with our speakers during a Q&A session following the presentations.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights from industry experts and connect with peers facing similar challenges. Register now to secure your spot in this informative session on boosting housing supply and driving economic development!

Speakers:

Maurice Harris is the Research Manager for Transwestern’s Minneapolis office. Maurice provides in-depth analysis and insights on a range of real estate, demographic, and labor data to the firm’s brokers and clients. Maurice is also the national research lead for the Retail Services Team, producing a range of research products to provide insight on the retail industry for Transwestern.

Eric Lynch, CBE, is an economist in the survey research group for NAHB where he is responsible for conducting and assisting with surveys, including multifamily, remodeling, and other related housing topics. In addition, he provides data and information on housing topics related issues to NAHB members, staff, financial institutions, and other stakeholders. Prior to joining NAHB, he worked as a senior associate in the research and knowledge department at the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), gaining industry knowledge on the built environment and residential market.

Join the SEDE Network for this webinar on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in economic development. This presentation from Jeff DeBellis and Maggie Smith from the North Carolina Department of Commerce and Erik Vasilauskas from the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, will cover general trends and specific applications of AI in economic development.

Erik Vasilauskas is a Research Analyst at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research

Jeff DeBellis is the Director of Economic & Policy Analysis in the NC Department of Commerce’s Labor & Economic Analysis Division

Maggie Smith is a Research Analyst at the NC Department of Commerce

Webinar Materials

The recording of this webinar is available to watch here.

The slide deck from North Carolina Commerce is available here.

The slide deck from The W.E. Upjohn Institute is available here.

The results from the in-webinar poll are available here.