Part-Time Economic Developer and Conductor – How Growing an Economy Can Resemble Leading an Orchestra

Laura was a guest speaker at the Taubman Center for State and Local Government’s Economic Development Seminar 

 A good metaphor for economic development is one of a symphony, a harmonious blend of disciplines that needs to be led by a dialed in, professional leader – a “conductor” if you will. No matter the position, be it local, state, or national in nature, it is an exceptionally dynamic job that over the years has developed into something much broader, involving the synthesizing and integration of the interpretations of all verticals and supporting programs that support the economy into a bigger picture. Getting everyone to agree on that interpretation and its implementation is where it becomes a bit tricky, and incentives are often the lightning rod involved in the discussions. 
 
That is where a conductor in the form of an economic developer comes in. You see, it’s not just about the creation of jobs, it’s about how they contribute to and add to the fabric of a community and develop it to shape the overall ecosystem, a skill which involves psychology, emotional intelligence, knowledge of history, and a sensitivity to everything that makes us human.   
 
So much goes into an economic developer’s workday it is often hard to articulate. It is a constant balancing act between supporting a variety of different agendas from that of your public officials to those that truly employ you and often let you know it – your taxpayers – and these groups are not always in alignment.  
 
It is often up to the economic developer to assume the roles of dreamer, motivator, salesperson, interloper, mediator, arbitrator, closer, and/or umpire, on any given day to keep the forward moving momentum needed for economic success. It is an exhausting yet exceptionally rewarding job where no two days are the same, but one that is occasionally met with resistance, which often stems from differences in opinion or from those that simply do not fully comprehend all that is involved in sustaining and growing an economy. Incentives are a necessary evil in the game called economic development and for the foreseeable future here to stay, however, not all incentive programs are designed the same.  
 
For example, in my home state of Florida, incentives are performance based, awarded after jobs are delivered. We do have an incentive program that could be considered one that is awarded upfront (Florida Job Growth Grant Fund), but the funds are awarded not to the company itself, they are delivered to a government institution to assist in either workforce or infrastructure improvements for the ultimate benefit of a company. It is a unique model and essentially comes at no risk to the state if the company does not deliver on its contractual obligations upfront.  
 
Did I create this model? No. Do I support it? Yes, not only do I support it, but I also support more aggressive incentive programs that Florida used to have (Quick Action Closing Fund for example) that were similar to those that our competitive states still offer today as well as I think the return-on-investment argument against incentives is flawed.  
 
I have held a variety of local and state level roles in economic development in Florida over the past decade and I have seen firsthand the exceptional downstream beneficial impacts to a local community once a company has expanded or established its roots there. It is hard to measure those impacts in a formulaic way as the expansion is not a one and done deal, it is a continuous deliverable to the community for over what will hopefully be a long period of time.  
 
Are there situations where things go sideways in incentive deals? Yes, absolutely, but the underwriting that goes into the structure is as risk averse as humanly possible to make them a rarity. You would think a job like the above that requires so much of a single individual is something you could find at any educational institution – believe it or not, you cannot. Most economic developers at the local and state level do not have a degree in economic development, they came into the position or “fell into” the job from another profession, yours truly included in that statistic. It is an interesting fact but one that is being addressed in a big way at Harvard Kennedy School Taubman Center for State and Local Government. 
 
I had the pleasure and honor recently to visit with the students at HKS. I was blown away at the level of sophistication and consideration the students showed towards the profession as policy can be easier to teach than the applicability of said policy. I could tell from the level of questions that they have been immersed in the very layered dynamics involved in the profession and have embraced the challenge to its fullest. It was most enjoyable for me to tell them the realities of the profession – the good, the bad, and the ugly – and to share the stage with Greg LeRoy, Executive Director of Good Jobs First, an entity that is often perceived as one that is constantly waging war on economic development efforts that involve incentives. We politely and diplomatically shared our differing opinions but in the end showed the students that there is not a lot of daylight between the end goal, which is rewarding and high-paying jobs for a community. 
 
I feel blessed and am grateful for the opportunity to make an impact on the next generation of economic development “conductors” and I applaud HKS for what is a truly amazing and impactful program. Keep up the great work, my friends, and thank you again!! 
 
About Laura DiBella: Laura DiBella is a Government Affairs Advisor at the national law firm of Adams and Reese. Laura has more than 25 years of experience in economic development and government relations strategy, lobbying for clients at the legislative and executive branches with knowledge of state and local government processes, and assisting them in site selection, recruitment, and retention project assistance. She works with domestic and international businesses looking to maximize their investment opportunities. Laura was Florida’s first female Secretary of Commerce, the former Florida Commerce President of Business Development and Enterprise Florida President/CEO, a certified maritime port executive, the former Florida Harbor Pilots Association Executive Director, and Fernandina Ocean Highway and Port Authority Port Director.