Original Post - May 14, 2013
My name is Clark Smith and I have been practicing economic development my entire career, since 1985. For the most part, I have truly enjoyed my time.
I started as the executive for the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development in 1985. In 1986, I moved to the Iowa Department of Economic Development where I began as a community consultant and eventually led the state’s Business Retention & Expansion program.
Five years later, I became the Director of Economic Development for Peoples Natural Gas (now Black Hills Energy), where I enjoyed the work for 15 years. In 2005, I joined Smart Solutions Group as a partner.
Very few individuals have worked at the local, state, utility, and consultant levels in economic development. This has given me a unique perspective on the industry.
But one truth stands out: economic development really happens at the local level. I believe more resources should be spent assisting the local EDO Pro.
With this belief in mind, I am embarking on a year-long blog journey, suggesting what an economic development professional should be doing every workday. Drawing from my experience, I will create a daily to-do list.
Over the years, I have seen many economic development organizations pulled in various directions, forgetting their key mission: creating wealth for the citizens in their region. I believe the best way to do that is by making sure the region or “product” is the best it can be, supporting local businesses, and marketing the region effectively.
Our firm has worked with over 400 EDOs. We have observed diverse organizations and provided suggestions for improvement, helped start new EDOs, and even provided temporary staffing for some clients.
I’m not one to seek attention, so blogging takes me out of my comfort zone. But I see it as a challenge and a way to give back to the profession. I hope both new and seasoned execs find this blog helpful and even contribute suggestions.
Some posts may seem obvious, but others might offer new insights or reaffirm what you already know. I’ll include funny stories and useful links along the way. I promise the rest of my posts will be short and concise unless there’s a good story involved.
The blogs won’t be in order of importance, but they will reflect what I would do in my first year on the job.
My First Story
In my senior year of college, I knew I wanted to be a Chamber Exec. So, I scheduled a meeting with the Chamber Exec in my college town, thanks to an introduction by my hometown exec.
Bob greeted me in the lobby with a hammer in hand. Seeing my puzzled look, he chuckled and said, “Follow me, son.”
In his office, he asked me to lay my hand on the desk. I hesitated, but did. He raised the hammer and said seriously, “I’m sorry Clark, but I’ve been told you’re thinking about getting into the Chamber profession. I’m hoping I can pound some sense into you today.”
He lowered the hammer with a smile, and we had a great discussion. He was honest about the headaches and challenges, but also shared great stories. I could tell he truly loved his work.
Tomorrow: “What’s in the Office?” — It will be dramatically shorter!
Clark’s Commentary
This year marks my 40th in economic development, and Bob’s 45th. Back in 2013, I wrote a series of blog posts to share practical tips from the field—one idea for every workday in a year. A lot has changed since then.
With the launch of our new website and a fresh direction for the company, we thought it was the right time to bring these posts back—with a twist. We’re revisiting each original entry and adding a short update from Bob and I. We’ll reflect on what’s changed, what’s stayed the same, and what new tools or thinking are shaping the work today.
We’re calling it Then & Now—a conversation between past and present, and a look at how experience shapes perspective.
Bob’s Commentary
My name is Bob Henningsen and Clark and I are Partners with Smart Solutions Group. I started my economic development career in 1980, and I have served in a variety of roles at the local, regional and state level over that time. As I think about the economic development perspectives that I can share, those perspectives started to form with my first job, and my very first assignment in Council Bluffs, Iowa. I was virtually fresh out of college and my boss said they wanted me to put together the strategy to market an exciting new industrial park. My first thought was, “WTH is an industrial park”! However, I didn’t express that thought and just went to work on learning what I needed to know about marketing industrial parks. Since then, I’ve served in a variety of economic development roles before founding Smart Solutions Group in 2001. Since forming SSG we have served over 500 clients throughout the country at all levels, on virtually any task you can imagine in the realm of economic development. The consistent theme in all SSG projects and throughout our careers is CHANGE. So, some may say Clark and I are experts in how change has and may impact approaches to economic development. THEN & NOW will allow us to share our perspectives and we’re excited to be a part of your journey on the road to success.