Economic resilience requires more than good ideas—it requires alignment. State economic development agencies and regional Economic Development Districts (EDDs) often work in parallel, but not always in sync. CREC’s designed a nine-month national learning cohort (known internally as the Policy Academy), which is funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) and designed to close that gap.
Launched in April 2023, the nine-month Academy brought together teams from Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Each state formed a Core Team (state and EDD leaders) supported by a broader Home Teamof stakeholders from universities, nonprofits, and local organizations. Together, they built frameworks for collaboration, created new tools, and tested strategies to align planning cycles, policies, and initiatives.
From Kickoff to Cultural Change
At the Academy’s kickoff, states crafted shared visions for alignment—ranging from rural prosperity and statewide CEDS integration to climate resilience and rural development. With CREC facilitation, they analyzed assets, set goals, and mapped critical partners. The message was clear: alignment isn’t a one-time project, but a cultural shift requiring openness, trust, and intentional relationship-building.
Midway Momentum
By summer 2023, teams had gained traction through in-person site visits and regular coaching. Subcommittees formed to tackle communications strategies, asset mapping, shared planning calendars, and MOUs to institutionalize collaboration. Teams reported that engaging Home Teams was vital—broadening buy-in and ensuring sustainability beyond leadership changes.
Key Takeaways
- Be intentional about relationships. Sustained alignment requires coalitions of partners who understand and support the mission.
- Cultural change sustains progress. Teams must break silos, expand networks, and embrace new ways of collaborating.
- Simple doesn’t mean easy. Structural change takes time, resources, and persistence.
- Secure staff-level buy-in. Leadership sets the tone, but staff commitment drives the work forward.
Results and Reflections
By the Academy’s conclusion in early 2024, teams reported tangible successes:
- Colorado announced a statewide framework aligning regional and state CEDS planning.
- Idaho formalized inclusive planning processes and created an asset map.
- Kansas advanced the Kansas Association of Regional Development Organizations (KARDO) as a hub for collaboration.
- Louisiana used the Academy to unite historically siloed PDCs, REDOs, and LED around shared resiliency and quality-of-life initiatives.
- Michigan piloted a Superior Economic Development Strategy in the Upper Peninsula as a model for statewide planning.
- Wisconsin advanced rural development alignment, building stronger ties between EDDs, REDOs, tribes, and universities.
Lasting Value
The initiative showed that while great work can be done individually, transformational progress requires collaboration. For participating states, the Academy provided not just tools and strategies, but a new culture of alignment—laying the foundation for more resilient economies nationwide.