Editor's note: Este artículo está traducido al español.
Two powerhouses in Nevada’s economic development landscape are joining forces to launch the Nevada Economic Developers Association — the state’s first organization dedicated to training, education and collaboration among industry practitioners.
The Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance and the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada are establishing the developers association to unite economic development professionals across the state, fostering knowledge-sharing and best practices from north to south.
“The most important thing that we can do is create awareness for the fact that the professional economic development community in Nevada is working together to advance practice for everyone in the state who benefits from our work,” said Taylor Adams, president and CEO of Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada. “It’s a great opportunity for all of Nevada, and it’s a great opportunity for our industry.”
When Danielle Casey, president and CEO of Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance — just a few months into her role — first met Adams, she said it was only a short time before they both realized their backgrounds, teams and local economies enabled the creation of something like the Nevada Economic Developers Association, or NEDA.
“I think it’s important that everybody in Nevada knows — we’re not reinventing the wheel here,” Adams said. “Most states that have an established economic development community have a state association. And I was really surprised when I got here 2 1/2 years ago to find out that Nevada didn’t have one.”
What NEDA does is advance an industry best-practice for the economic development profession, Adams said, and ensure it brings all the benefits that come with that to the state.
“We, like most states in the union, like to see a uniform offering of economic development quality across the state,” Adams said. “And the way that we do that is through these state associations.”
He and Casey drew comparisons between NEDA and the Virginia Economic Development Alliance, Mississippi Development Authority and the Arizona Association for Economic Development.
“This is an association that we want to stand on its own after a couple years,” Casey said. “We’re just helping it get there. Every regional development authority in the state, we would love them to be part of this. … Utilities, local elected officials, state legislators.”
Adams added to that list general construction and real estate developers. “This is much bigger than our two organizations,” he said. “This is meant to serve all of Nevada.”
Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance and the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada are both large enough economic development entities that they are going to educate their communities regardless of whether there’s a state organization, Adams said. Rural communities, however, would not have the same opportunities to consistently engage with the national association.
“So, what we hope to establish is a means by which that individual can absorb the same content at the same quality that we would at what would be a national convention,” Adams said. “I cannot tell you how excited I am about this.”
Adams said he’s noticed what often appears to be a divide between the Las Vegas and Reno business communities. But the reality, he explained, is that their markets are fundamentally different — a project that doesn’t fit the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada may be ideal for the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, and vice versa.
“If both regions focus on areas where their work doesn’t overlap and they’re not competing for the same markets, there’s a real opportunity to build a collegial working environment,” Adams said.
“If you look at economic development around the country, in the places where it has been most professionalized — where the industry has been most embraced — you’ll find across those states, jurisdictions that work as colleagues, not as competitors,” he emphasized.
Economic development professionals like him and Casey already compete with every community outside Nevada, Adams said. They can’t afford to waste time competing with each other if they want to succeed.
“If I can’t site it, I want Danielle to site it,” Adams said. “I mean, it’s one of those where, if you look at our industry, we’re focused on Nevada winning. That’s the key. Our whole industry is based on the belief that the rising tide lifts all ships. If one of us wins, we all win.”
Casey agreed: If a project isn’t the right fit for Southern Nevada, she’d prefer it stay in Nevada — even if that means sending it north.
“This group will not be doing economic development,” Casey said. “They will be honing their skills around being good economic development practitioners.”
Northern and Southern Nevada don’t always face the same challenges, Adams acknowledged. But NEDA provides a platform for practitioners to network, share successes and learn from each other’s experiences. More broadly, the association aims to unify economic developers statewide — giving them a collective voice when engaging with elected officials and communities about industry issues.
“Probably one of the biggest advantages that we don’t understand yet is moving toward a place where the industry in this state can speak with one voice about issues that are affecting all of us,” said Adams, who noted that the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development also a partner in this work.
When economic developers put their voices together, Casey said, they can help their state understand that there are things that may be possible to help everybody.
“I think our goal here and I think what you’ll see happen here is that we’re going to advance practice in this state probably about 50 years,” Adams said.
Professional developers from other parts of the country are choosing to come to Nevada because of the opportunity here, Adams said, and that is what’s driving forward initiatives like NEDA.
The nonprofit is aiming to launch sometime next year, with its first training program hopefully in the second quarter, Casey estimated.