economic development BY DESIGN

BAYOU ICON Our very own co-founder Christine Rambo, CEcD, MBA, a long-term community advocate was recently named a Bayou Icon by Bayou Life Magazine. Take a few minutes and read about how Christine a true icon.

Did you know that the members that make up the economic development BY DESIGN team, Christine Rambo, CEcD, MBA. Paige Webster, CEcD. Barry Albrecht, MEDP, Rob O'Brian, CEcD and David Gaines, MEDP are often thought leaders relating to economic development industry? In the recent addition of Expansion Solutions Magazine David Gaines, MEDP shared a few thoughts on renewable energy and how hydrogen is quickly becoming a factor in energy sources.

As the new year starts, we give a big Thank You to the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC) for letting us work with them last year to create a new five-year strategic plan starting now. Brownsville, Texas is a hot market for job growth and is seeing great opportunities with the expansion of Space X and the Port of Brownsville as well as energy-related projects. BCIC itself is doing amazing work in the entrepreneurship and community development arenas and it was great to work with Cori Pe?a, President and CEO and her team, including Nathan Alexander Burkhart, Nelson I. Amaro, Victoria Padron and so many others to develop new ideas to raise the bar going forward. We are big believers in asking questions of stakeholders and residents. Their input sets the base for understanding the community and organization. We conducted numerous one-on-one interviews, focus groups and community resident meetings, leading to input from more than 200 people. This input, and data, translated into opportunities to build on current community development successes including improving the historic downtown and expand ways to better support entrepreneurs at the eBridge Center, the joint BCIC and University facility providing resources for entrepreneurs. Also reflecting our commitment to meet the needs of the project, we were pleased to have Minerva Rodriguez, of MRR & Associates and Hector Talavera, from Upsize Marketing, help us ensure that the large Hispanic population in Brownsville was engaged. Our principals Christine Rambo, CEcD, MBA, Upsize Marketing Strategies, David Gaines, MEDP, Goldstone Consulting Group and Rob O'Brian, CEcD, O'Brian & Associates, LLC , collaborated on the project. Our fourth founder Barry Albrecht, MEDP, Strategic Location Services LLC (SLS) was already on another project but is aways available to lend expertise on military, aerospace and defense related projects. And our newest partner Paige Webster, CEcD, Webster Global Site Selectors brings a site selectors expertise to 2025 projects as well. Speaking of which, if you're interested in what economic development BY DESIGN can do to assist your organization, please message us here or contact any of the partners noted above. We look forward to helping you help your community grow.

Wishing you all the best in the New Year.

From our partners at Goldstone Consulting Group, O'Brian & Associates, LLC , Strategic Location Services LLC (SLS), Webster Global Site Selectors, and Upsize Marketing Strategies, Happy Thanksgiving.

Economic Development by Design is in Cold Lake in Alberta for the SiteLink Forum hosted in Municipal District of Bonnyville No. 87! David Gaines, MEDP and Christine Rambo, CEcD, MBA have learned about the region’s assets and opportunities. #siteselection #famtour

Rob O'Brian, CEcD and Christine Rambo, CEcD, MBA, founders of Economic Development by Design, attended International Economic Development Council Annual Meeting in Denver to connect with colleagues and clients! David Gaines, MEDP Barry Albrecht, MEDP #siteselection #economicdevelopment

Economic Development by Design Founders, Christine Rambo, CEcD, MBA Rambo and David Gaines, MEDP, will be speaking at the SiteLink Forum in MD of Bonnyville hosted in Cold Lake, Alberta Canada on Sept 18-20th. Paige Webster, CEcD #siteselection. #economicdevelopment

Congratulations to our client the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation for scoring FIVE Excellence in Economic Development awards from the International Economic Development Council. BCIC received two Gold awards for its StartUp week program with the The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, one for the program itself and one for student engagement. It won the Silver award for its small business recovery program during and post pandemic and two Bronze Awards, one for its eBridge entrepreneur loan program and one for its informative and well done annual reports. If you're at IEDC's Annual conference in a few days give the Brownsville team kudos for their great work. BCIC is leading the way in economic development in its community and the region. Great team! Cori Pe?a Nathan Alexander Burkhart Nelson I. Amaro Christine Rambo, CEcD, MBA David Gaines, MEDP Barry Albrecht, MEDP Kelly Forbes Jason Lemle Michelle McIntire Mark Jamieson Gil Jamieson David A. Dodd CEcD/FM/HLM Walter Baker Amy Madison, CEcD EDFP Adam Gawarecki Rob O'Brian, CEcD Paige Webster, CEcD