Comments for Millier Dickinson Blais http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com Experience. Leadership. Results. Sat, 08 Oct 2011 03:23:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Comment on Rediscovering the Wealth of Places by Laurie Jones http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/blog/rediscovering-the-wealth-of-places#comment-92 Laurie Jones Sat, 08 Oct 2011 03:23:10 +0000 http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/?p=1320#comment-92 Power of place. Forward thinking. Power of place. Forward thinking.

]]> Comment on Is Economic Development Too Trendy? by Michael Pealow http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/blog/is-economic-development-too-trendy#comment-73 Michael Pealow Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:39:07 +0000 http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/?p=1622#comment-73 It's fairly common for politicians to want the "big win". And who can blame them? Good press usually leads to votes. It's easy for economic development professionals to get pulled into that trap because it's good for them, professionally, to make their bosses happy. We achieve what you're advocating and what I mentioned by doing exactly what we're doing right now: discussing it as economic development professionals, recognizing it for what it is, and changing our practices to be more effective in the long-run. It’s fairly common for politicians to want the “big win”. And who can blame them? Good press usually leads to votes. It’s easy for economic development professionals to get pulled into that trap because it’s good for them, professionally, to make their bosses happy.

We achieve what you’re advocating and what I mentioned by doing exactly what we’re doing right now: discussing it as economic development professionals, recognizing it for what it is, and changing our practices to be more effective in the long-run.

]]> Comment on Is Economic Development Too Trendy? by Lauren Millier http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/blog/is-economic-development-too-trendy#comment-64 Lauren Millier Thu, 11 Aug 2011 13:41:52 +0000 http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/?p=1622#comment-64 Thanks for the feedback Michael. I would add the question how do we achieve this? I think some economic development professionals have dug themselves a bit of hole with the approach taken in recent years, particularly as mayors and councils continue to want to see the next big manufacturing plant when in fact efforts to attract large scale investment on the scale of Honda or a Bombardier are few and far between. Thanks for the feedback Michael. I would add the question how do we achieve this? I think some economic development professionals have dug themselves a bit of hole with the approach taken in recent years, particularly as mayors and councils continue to want to see the next big manufacturing plant when in fact efforts to attract large scale investment on the scale of Honda or a Bombardier are few and far between.

]]> Comment on Is Economic Development Too Trendy? by Michael Pealow http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/blog/is-economic-development-too-trendy#comment-62 Michael Pealow Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:27:50 +0000 http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/?p=1622#comment-62 I agree wholeheartedly about the investment in entrepreneurs paying bigger dividends to a community over the longer term. Economic development should be viewed as a tool to help a community become the type of community it wants to be; the kind of place where people want to live. Too often the focus is on nothing more than growth (which is why so many economic developers unimaginatively jump of trendy bandwagons) - but to what end? The first job of every economic developer should be to step back and ask "what do we hope to achieve?" and - most importantly - "why?" I agree wholeheartedly about the investment in entrepreneurs paying bigger dividends to a community over the longer term.

Economic development should be viewed as a tool to help a community become the type of community it wants to be; the kind of place where people want to live. Too often the focus is on nothing more than growth (which is why so many economic developers unimaginatively jump of trendy bandwagons) – but to what end? The first job of every economic developer should be to step back and ask “what do we hope to achieve?” and – most importantly – “why?”

]]> Comment on Downtown Revitalization in Action by What’s the “C” in CED? | Millier Dickinson Blais http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/blog/downtown-revitalization-in-action#comment-37 What’s the “C” in CED? | Millier Dickinson Blais Thu, 28 Apr 2011 20:20:49 +0000 http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/?p=1328#comment-37 [...] our tour of Downtown Kitchener, Dr. Sharpe and I had a chance to catch up at dinner. He supervised both my BA and MA theses, but [...] [...] our tour of Downtown Kitchener, Dr. Sharpe and I had a chance to catch up at dinner. He supervised both my BA and MA theses, but [...]

]]> Comment on What’s so Hot about the Profit Hot 50? by ontario east interview | Millier Dickinson Blais http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/blog/what%e2%80%99s-so-hot-about-the-profit-hot-50#comment-34 ontario east interview | Millier Dickinson Blais Wed, 30 Mar 2011 20:28:44 +0000 http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/?p=772#comment-34 [...] had the opportunity to chat with the Ontario East Economic Development Corporation about our Profit Hot 50 success, economic development, eastern Ontario, and the creative economy. You can read the whole [...] [...] had the opportunity to chat with the Ontario East Economic Development Corporation about our Profit Hot 50 success, economic development, eastern Ontario, and the creative economy. You can read the whole [...]

]]> Comment on No Jobs, No Problem for Youth Entrepreneurs by jobs in dc http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/blog/no-jobs-no-problem-for-youth-entrepreneurs#comment-22 jobs in dc Sun, 13 Feb 2011 15:10:29 +0000 http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/?p=1058#comment-22 Quite a few men and women go by way of high school and then even begin college with a particular major in mind. On numerous occasions the major is changed when the person is exposed to other issues arriving at college, and develops skills or a new attachment to a specific field of study. This is really a great opportunity to invest the time experimenting with various areas and developing different abilities. Quite a few men and women go by way of high school and then even begin college with a particular major in mind. On numerous occasions the major is changed when the person is exposed to other issues arriving at college, and develops skills or a new attachment to a specific field of study. This is really a great opportunity to invest the time experimenting with various areas and developing different abilities.

]]> Comment on Rethinking Service Work by No Jobs, No Problem for Youth Entrepreneurs | Millier Dickinson Blais http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/blog/rethinking-service-work#comment-12 No Jobs, No Problem for Youth Entrepreneurs | Millier Dickinson Blais Mon, 20 Dec 2010 21:33:29 +0000 http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/?p=986#comment-12 [...] are also proving that there are still market niches that are unfilled. Interestingly, given my own interest, many of these niches exist in the service economy. Derek Thomson, writing in The Atlantic, notes [...] [...] are also proving that there are still market niches that are unfilled. Interestingly, given my own interest, many of these niches exist in the service economy. Derek Thomson, writing in The Atlantic, notes [...]

]]> Comment on Housing Gen Y by No Jobs, No Problem for Youth Entrepreneurs | Millier Dickinson Blais http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/blog/housing-gen-y#comment-11 No Jobs, No Problem for Youth Entrepreneurs | Millier Dickinson Blais Mon, 20 Dec 2010 21:31:05 +0000 http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/?p=1038#comment-11 [...] colleague Darren Shock recently used this space to write about how the values and priorities of Gen Y-ers like him and I may have significant impacts on housing [...] [...] colleague Darren Shock recently used this space to write about how the values and priorities of Gen Y-ers like him and I may have significant impacts on housing [...]

]]> Comment on What’s so Hot about the Profit Hot 50? by Patrick Nelson Marshall http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/blog/what%e2%80%99s-so-hot-about-the-profit-hot-50#comment-2 Patrick Nelson Marshall Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:24:06 +0000 http://www.millierdickinsonblais.com/?p=772#comment-2 I really admire the depth of field that Millier Dickinson Blais has demonstrated in its starter position. Being and accelerator in a typically post industrial oriented profession is not an easy place to be. It requires a lot of energy, tenacity and responsibility for carving and path finding a new direction for economic development. I enjoy your communications and congratulations on making the Top Fifty. All the Best From out here, on the Pacific Frontier. I really admire the depth of field that Millier Dickinson Blais has demonstrated in its starter position. Being and accelerator in a typically post industrial oriented profession is not an easy place to be. It requires a lot of energy, tenacity and responsibility for carving and path finding a new direction for economic development. I enjoy your communications and congratulations on making the Top Fifty.
All the Best
From out here, on the Pacific Frontier.

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