Block Your Calendar: Colorado Hosts Fall SEDE Meeting – 10/15 – 16 (SEDE) The State Economic Development Executives (SEDE) Network is holding its fall meeting for state economic development executives or their top deputy in Denver, Colorado. Eve Lieberman, Executive Director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade, is excited to bring SEDE executives to the Mile High City on October 15th and 16th. Register here and view the draft agenda here. Hotel information and additional details can be found on the SEDE website.
SEDE Webinar – Incentives Under the Microscope: Confronting Today’s Toughest Challenges (SEDE) Join the SEDE network on September 10th at 2:00PM EST for a webinar focused on today’s incentive environment. As incentive decisions grow more complex, state economic development agencies face growing questions about their incentive portfolios, including which programs are delivering results, how states should evaluate success, and 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. Register here.
The Digital Backbone: Data Centers, Community Tradeoffs, and Regional Competitiveness (SEDE) Data centers are the most visible physical form of the AI economy. They are arriving faster than many states and communities can evaluate them. This information piece offers state, regional, and local economic development leaders a grounded, evenhanded account of both sides. It argues that data centers are best understood as enabling infrastructure—like ports, airports, and electric grids—whose value lies in the economic activity they support rather than the handful of permanent jobs they create. Drawing on new research, case studies, and the wave of legislation now moving through more than 30 states, the paper shows why benefits concentrate where deals are well structured and thin where communities accept investment figures at face value.
Building the Electro-Industrial Investment Pipeline: A Recap from Basalt (SEDE) In July, the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) partnered with the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) to host a three-day Electro-Industrial Investment Workshop in Basalt, Colorado. This workshop brought together representatives from State Energy Offices and state economic development organizations from nine states to help states build the coordination, knowledge, and action plans needed to attract and grow investment in manufacturing, power-dense industrial projects, and grid infrastructure. CREC was a strong partner for RMI given its management of the State Economic Development Executives (SEDE) network.
NSF State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs (NSF) The NSF State and Regional AI Infrastructure Hubs program aims to expand access to the compute required for AI-enabled scientific discovery and to transform the research, education, and training opportunities offered by institutions of higher education. AI Infrastructure Hubs will connect researchers to new compute infrastructure that leverages contributions from state governments, research institutions, industry, and philanthropy, accelerating AI-enabled discovery across science and engineering and developing a skilled technical workforce for AI use in the scientific enterprise. Approximately $100,000,000 is available for this program. Only one award per state or multi-state region will be made. Submissions are due November 4, 2026.
Ryan Starks, Executive Director, Economic Development Corporation of Utah
As a leader in both the public and private sectors of economic development, Ryan Starks’ contributions have been instrumental to Utah’s position as the top-performing economy in the United States. His work has focused on fostering entrepreneurship, business expansions, international trade, rural development, and targeted industry growth. Prior to EDCUtah, Ryan led the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and served as a cabinet member and trusted advisor to Governor Spencer J. Cox.
State Leaders on the Move
Indiana Economic Development Corporation
We’re pleased to share recent leadership changes across State Economic Development leaders. Join us in celebrating these transitions and welcoming new leaders to our community!
Outgoing Leader: David Adams, Secretary of Commerce
Adams served as Indiana Secretary of Commerce and a member of Governor Mike Braun’s cabinet since his appointment in January 2025. In his role, Adams oversaw multiple state agencies including the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, the Department of Workforce Development, the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet, the Indiana Destination Development Corporation, the Indiana Arts Commission, the Indiana State Fair and the Ports of Indiana, driving economic opportunity for the state and fostering an entrepreneurial environment for innovation.
Incoming Leader: Chuck Goodrich, Secretary of Commerce
Goodrich began his service as Secretary of Commerce for the State of Indiana in July 2026. He also serves as the CEO of Gaylor Electric, one of the largest merit-shop electrical firms in the country. In 2014, Chuck was named President, followed by CEO in 2016. From the time he became the President of Gaylor Electric, the company has developed more than 4,000 jobs. As a three-term Indiana State Representative, Chuck was first elected to serve the constituents of House District 29 in 2018. During his six years in office, Chuck authored/co-authored several bills, many of which were signed into law by then Governor Holcomb.
State Grant Programs Support Manufacturers and Improve their Competitiveness (SSTI) With the release of the new Notice of Funding Opportunity for MEP Centers, the uncertainty around the program appears to be in the past. Even so, this has prompted many manufacturers, small businesses, and MEP centers to explore new funding and partnership opportunities. Many states have long supported their share of MEP funding through legislative appropriations or through in-kind contributions from state economic development agencies, public universities, and community colleges. Several states including Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are highlighted in this brief for offering broader manufacturing and small business support through initiatives and investments. The included grant programs summarize how select states are continuing to invest in manufacturing capacity.
West Virginia Releases 20-year ‘Responsible Data Center Development’ Plan (West Virginia Office of the Governor) The Governor joined the West Virginia Department of Commerce to announce a unified legislative and executive vision for data center development in the state of West Virginia. The framework, developed in partnership with the West Virginia House and Senate, leverages the legislative authority of House Bill 2014, the Power Generation and Consumption Act, to establish state-level oversight and strict development criteria for hyperscale data centers. Key principles of the plan include comprehensive state planning, direct tax relief for citizens, grid reliability, and expanding capacity for national defense and economic security.
Nevada the Entrepreneurial (Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development) Last month, Nevada kicked off a year-long campaign to highlight entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial support organizations to share their journeys, insights, and perspectives, including why they decided to launch in Nevada. In addition, elected officials will contribute their perspectives on why entrepreneurship is essential to Nevada’s economy, the barriers they are working to remove, and what it will take for Nevada to lead nationally in supporting business growth and innovation. Each week, a new story is featured, sharing the variety of small businesses and innovations across the state.
Allison Ulaky of the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) led the development of this newsletter; for questions on the content in this newsletter contact Bob Isaacson, CREC Senior Vice President.