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We are excited to share an important initiative that will help shape the future of the Indiana Economic Development Association (IEDA) and its Foundation (IEDAF). As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing economic development in Indiana, we are launching a Brand Audit and Positioning Strategy initiative to refine our identity, expand our reach, and increase our impact.
Why This Matters
IEDA has long been a trusted advocate for economic development across Indiana, representing a broad network of LEDOs, REDOs, businesses, consultants and institutions. However, as the landscape of economic development evolves, we recognize the need to refresh our brand—to ensure we communicate our value effectively, attract new members and sponsors, and engage underrepresented sectors.
Similarly, we aim to position the IEDA Foundation (IEDAF) for greater contributions in education, research and community development. Through this effort we will clarify the Foundation’s unique mission, strengthen its fundraising efforts and create a brand identity that complements IEDA.
Project Goals
This initiative will help us:
✅ Enhance IEDA’s brand identity to better represent our growing and diverse membership. ✅ Develop a clear and compelling value proposition that resonates with new and existing stakeholders. ✅ Design a strong, recognizable brand for the IEDA Foundation, ensuring it reaches its full potential. ✅ Improve engagement with a wider range of industries, including broadband providers, higher education, workforce development, healthcare, tourism, tech, and more.
✅ Enhance IEDA’s brand identity to better represent our growing and diverse membership.
✅ Develop a clear and compelling value proposition that resonates with new and existing stakeholders.
✅ Design a strong, recognizable brand for the IEDA Foundation, ensuring it reaches its full potential.
✅ Improve engagement with a wider range of industries, including broadband providers, higher education, workforce development, healthcare, tourism, tech, and more.
What’s Next?
We are inviting proposals from experienced branding firms to lead this transformation. The selected partner will conduct research, engage stakeholders, develop messaging strategies, and design new visual identities for both IEDA and IEDAF.
The project will be completed by August 2025, with an official unveiling at our Summer Conference in Indianapolis.
How You Can Help
We value your input and look forward to engaging with you throughout this process. In the meantime, please amplify the news of this project within your networks and share the RFP with quality vendors you know.
Thank you for being part of this exciting journey to strengthen and elevate IEDA’s impact across Indiana!
At the December 2024 conference, a panel of experts convened to discuss the critical factors in attracting and supporting energy-intensive industries, such as data centers and large-scale manufacturing facilities. This session explored how economic developers can position their communities as prime locations for these high-impact projects while prioritizing community interests and maximizing economic benefits. The panel included Rick Hall, Partner at Barnes & Thornburg, Devin Hillsdon-Smith, Director of Integrated Site Selection – Industrial at Cushman & Wakefield, and Jonathan Leist, Director of Community Development for the City of Fort Wayne. Moderating the discussion was Jeff Quyle, President/CEO of Radius Indiana.
PLAINFIELD, Ind. – The Duke Energy Foundation and the Indiana Economic Development Association Foundation are committing $150,000 in grant funding to support organizations and projects focused on improving access to affordable child care in Indiana communities.
The new round of grants follows more than $100,000 in funding awarded through the foundations last year to five organizations in Indiana working to close the child care gap in new and innovative ways.
“Inadequate access to high-quality, affordable child care not only creates significant barriers for parents and caretakers to participate and advance in the workforce, but also costs employers in lost productivity and employee retention,” said Erin Schneider, managing director of economic development at Duke Energy. “We know that Indiana’s child care challenges are complex and we hope these grant funds will help communities and employers develop solutions needed to support working parents and the state’s economy.”
State and local government entities, local and regional economic development agencies, and public and private nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply for grants up to $40,000. To be considered, applicants must submit their grant proposal to the Indiana Economic Development Association by Jan. 31, 2025. Awards will be announced in March 2025. For a full description of the grant program, including requirements, eligibility and scoring criteria, visit ieda.org/foundation.
“Hoosier families, businesses and communities all feel the burden of insufficient child care options,” said Matt Kavgian, executive director of the Indiana Economic Development Association. “Making sure that working parents have access to affordable, quality child care will have long-term benefits for Indiana’s prosperity and economic competitiveness.”
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce recently released a report examining the impact of child care challenges on Indiana’s economy. The study found that Indiana loses out on an estimated $4.22 billion annually for the state’s economy, including a $1.17 billion annual loss in tax revenue, due to shortfalls in child care. According to the report, only 61% of children needing care statewide can be served through existing capacity.
The Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.
Supporting the economic development profession, the Indiana Economic Development Association Foundation provides scholarships and other support to tomorrow’s economic development leaders.
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The IEDA Board and Legislative Committee has approved its legislative agenda for 2025, outlining a comprehensive strategy to drive economic growth, enhance quality of life, and strengthen Indiana’s position as a leading state for business and innovation.
Key Priorities for 2025
The agenda focuses on three core areas:
The IEDA will work closely with lawmakers to advance these priorities and ensure that Indiana remains a top choice for businesses and individuals alike.
The Indiana Economic Development Association Foundation (IEDAF) today announced the release of a comprehensive study, “Best Practices for Attracting Talent,” that provides valuable insights and recommendations for communities seeking to attract and retain top talent.
The study, conducted in partnership with the Indiana Economic Development Association (IEDA), explores a range of strategies and initiatives implemented by communities across the United States to successfully attract and retain talent. Key areas of focus include childcare initiatives, place-based grants and incentives, and sector-based efforts.
“This study offers invaluable guidance for Indiana communities seeking to enhance their competitiveness and economic growth,” said Matt Kavgian, Executive Director at the Indiana Economic Development Association Foundation. “By understanding and implementing best practices identified in the study, we can create a more attractive environment for talent and foster economic development throughout the state.”
The study's findings and recommendations are designed to assist communities in:
STUDY
The IDEAF and IDEA wish to thank the numerous community-minded sponsors whose generosity made this study possible.
Get ready to celebrate! The IEDA Board of Directors is thrilled to introduce Matt Kavgian as our new Executive Director!
Matt brings a wealth of experience in strategic communications, branding, and leadership to the IEDA. While his knowledge base lies outside of economic development, he possesses a strong foundation for success. Throughout his career, he's consistently demonstrated a passion for learning, building relationships, and developing winning strategies.
Matt's Eager to Learn from You!
Matt approaches this role with a spirit of collaboration and a deep respect for your expertise. He's committed to meeting as many IEDA members as possible and learning from your experiences in economic development.
Together, We'll Shape IEDA's Future!
Through open communication and teamwork, Matt will develop a shared vision and plan for IEDA's future. There's no doubt that by combining Matt's strategic skills with your guidance, we can achieve incredible things together.
After five weeks with the IEDA, Alan Tio has decided to pursue a new opportunity leading business development at the South Bend International Airport. While we're disappointed to see him go, we fully support Alan’s decision and wish him the very best.
This may come as unexpected news, and we want to assure you of the IEDA's unwavering commitment to our mission – empowering our members and driving economic growth across Indiana. The board, along with our dedicated staff, is fully invested in ensuring a smooth transition.
We haven't yet established a specific timeframe for appointing a new executive director. However, we're actively reviewing strong candidates. In the interim, our experienced team will seamlessly continue their outstanding work, guaranteeing ongoing initiatives maintain their momentum.
Transparency and open communication are core values at the IEDA. We know questions might arise, and we encourage you to reach out. Please don't hesitate to contact myself or any board member to share your thoughts or concerns.
The landscape of economic development is brimming with exciting opportunities. While challenges may appear, we will face them head-on, just as we always do, with the strength of our collective effort. Remember, our unity and resilience are the cornerstones of the IEDA spirit. When we stand together, we stand strong.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Erin Schneider IEDA Board Chair
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Mark Fisher Chief Executive Officer Indiana Association of REALTORS®
In today’s talent-driven economy where workforce is often the top priority for corporate decision-makers, housing development goes hand-in-hand with economic development: Communities can’t compete (and companies can’t grow) if residents and recruits can’t find affordable, appealing places to live.
For Indiana, housing is a cost-of-living advantage that boosts state-level buying power: According to federal measurements of price parities across states and regions Hoosiers pay roughly 75 cents for every dollar of housing costs paid by the average American. (Indiana’s median home price passed $255,000 this summer, while the U.S. eclipsed $400,000.)
But this advantage can disappear. Indiana housing prices have outgrown the nation for the past five years. REALTORS®, homebuilders, economic development professionals and elected officials have to work together to ensure housing capacity keeps up with the demands created by new jobs and business investment.
One respondent to the latest Site Selection Magazine Site Selectors Survey (2023) gave a first-hand account: “Other than the metropolitan communities, most communities do not have the labor to accommodate a large production facility…Unfortunately, almost every metropolitan community has a significant housing shortage, which is greatly skewing the labor market.”
Indiana’s housing shortage is actually more acute than most parts of the country. In 2012, an average of 45,000 homes were listed for sale across the state’s MLS marketplaces on a given day; today, that number is just over 11,000. In the same timeframe, we’ve grown by more than 160,000 new households while adding fewer than 150,000 new housing units.
This lack of housing forces workers further from jobs, raising labor costs and challenging corporate expansion plans.
This imbalance between supply and demand is responsible for escalating price appreciation as well – roughly 50% since 2018, from a median sale less than $160,000 to nearly $245,000 year-to-date.
REALTORS® obviously don’t mind price appreciation; rising property values create wealth for homeowners as a byproduct of healthy economic and demographic demand. But when lack of inventory increases housing prices and outpaces wage growth by a wide margin, it pushes potential homebuyers to the sidelines and stymies our business climate.
Fortunately, help is on the way: The state’s current budget includes historic levels of support for housing development, including a new $75 million state-backed revolving loan fund to help local governments invest in infrastructure to encourage new housing projects, with priority given to localities that have analyzed their housing needs and enacted pro-growth zoning reforms.
The General Assembly also provided more flexible residential tax increment financing options for repaying these infrastructure loans from a growing property tax base, further enhancing the value of TIF to local communities.
More than 40% of the projects requested in the first round of Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) grants focused on workforce housing needs, and ‘READI 2.0’ formalizes housing as a funding priority for the next $500 million.
These appropriations headline the largest state-level investment in housing ever for Indiana. Lawmakers recognized that housing development, workforce development and economic development are inter-connected; we can’t promote quality of life without creating places to live.
We’re eager to see the dollars allocated in Indiana’s budget put to work expanding housing opportunities and encouraging economic growth across Indiana. REALTORS® can be tenacious allies advocating for new development and pushing back against ‘not in my backyard’ resistance.
We’re also ready and willing to partner with READI regions and local economic development organizations to provide housing market data drawn from our MLS marketplaces. REALTOR® associations can be a resource for real-time, market-driven assessments of housing availability, affordability and sales demand.
REALTORS® and local economic developers are natural partners with a shared purpose – selling the communities you serve to potential homebuyers and growing employers. Let’s work together to attract more Hoosiers by choice, job creators and capital investment.
Devin Hillson-Smith Director, Integrated Site Selection – Industrial Cushman & Wakefield
Having spent a decade as an economic developer before transitioning into the role of a national site selection consultant, I have had the privilege of experiencing the dynamic world of economic growth from both sides of the table. It’s important for community leaders to recognize and empower their economic development team – they are a crucial force that holds the key to a community's prosperity.
Economic development professionals are not just administrators; they are skilled navigators in the complex waters of commerce, capable of steering a community towards greater economic prosperity. Their insights are deep-rooted in the understanding of their community's strengths, challenges, and aspirations. Their expertise goes beyond numbers and spreadsheets; they possess an innate sense of the pulse of the region, enabling them to strategically position it for success.
As a site selector now responsible for guiding corporate clients through competitive location searches, I seek out communities where local leaders and economic developers have formed a collaborative bond. Remember this: when a company is looking to construct and open a new factory or office, there can be hundreds of millions of dollars in investment on the line. Most of my clients prioritize locations with supportive business environments and leadership that inspires trust with the long-term success of their investment. In short, corporate attraction is an exercise in risk reduction.
Site selection and corporate attraction is, at its core, the art of matching a business with the ideal location. This process requires a delicate balance of understanding business needs and community values. An economic development team is skilled in this craft, meticulously weaving a tapestry of opportunities that benefits both new/existing businesses and the community. By giving these professionals the resources and support they need, local leadership is empowering these highly specialized professionals to create an environment for economic growth that aligns with their community's vision.
However, economic developers often face obstacles that can impede their progress. Limited resources, limited support, and bureaucratic hurdles can stifle their ability to attract and retain investment. This is where strong local leadership can make all the difference. By allocating the necessary resources, creating available and ready sites, and showing unwavering support, they enable the economic development team to flourish and create lasting, positive change. And, yes, it’s immediately apparent to us site selectors which communities prioritize economic development, no matter how smooth the talk is.
Having the dedication, vision, and commitment to strong economic development will shape a legacy of sustained economic vitality for generations to come. Stand by your economic development team, and, together, you can forge a brighter and more prosperous future for your community. I look forward to working with you in the future!
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Cushman & Wakefield.
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