Rodney Crim and Tim Nowak participated in panel discussion in Phoenix
As part of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Leadership Summit, St. Louis Economic Development Partnership CEO and President Rodney Crim and World Trade Center St. Louis Executive Director Tim Nowak were among the featured speakers at this year’s event.
Moderated by Nowak, both he and Crim participated in a panel discussion with other economic development leadership from around the country, called Leading International Strategies at the Local Level. The discussion occurred on February 5 at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel in Phoenix.
During the discussion, the panel shared specific success stories of implementing innovative trade, foreign direct investment and immigration strategies at the grassroots level and related economic impact.
“I was honored to share a stage with these innovative leaders,” said Crim, who serves on the Board of Directors for IEDC. “We had an open dialogue where we discussed how business retention and expansion through international trade, attracting foreign born talent, engaging local business leaders and creating public and private partnerships helped transform our regions’ economies. Plus, any challenges we have experienced along the way.”
Other participants in the panel discussion included Stephen Cheung, president and CEO of Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation and president of World Trade Center Los Angeles, Melissa Miller, director of World Trade Center Kansas City, and Denise Thomas, CEO of World Trade Center Arkansas.
IEDC President and CEO Nathan Ohle was appreciative of the panelists and in particular the importance of the topic of the panel discussion. Ohle remarked, “Thank you to these amazing leaders for engaging in a discussion on how to drive global collaboration at the local level. The panelists did a phenomenal job of highlighting how bringing all of the stakeholders to the table can drive market growth, exporting opportunities, and better wraparound services for our business owners. IEDC is committed to providing more resources, tools, and opportunities to support growing global collaboration that drives economic opportunities.” The session had one of the highest speaker diversity rates at the conference with over 130 participants and record digital engagement.
