DT #699 How Economic Developers Can Navigate Opposition, Trust, and Change

How can economic developers build trust with their communities while navigating opposition, misinformation, and increasingly complex development projects?

In this episode of Develop This!, Dennis Fraise sits down with Maureen Donohue Krauss to discuss lessons from her 30-year career in economic development and how the profession is evolving.

Maureen shares her experiences working with international companies and communities around the world, offering perspective on how global competition, changing expectations, and increased skepticism are shaping economic development today.

A major focus of the conversation is community trust. Maureen explains why transparency, early engagement, and consistent communication are becoming essential as communities evaluate controversial projects such as data centers, wind farms, and other major developments.

• Trust and transparency are essential to successful economic development

• Early community involvement can reduce opposition and build support

• Verifiable data can help address misinformation and community concerns

• Economic developers must become effective consensus builders

• Confidentiality and transparency must be carefully balanced

• Strong relationships should be built before they are needed

• Community conversations should be proactive rather than reactive

• Economic developers need to manage multiple priorities and stakeholders

• Knowing when to walk away from a project can be just as important as pursuing one

• Community opposition to development projects

• Building trust and transparency

• International economic development lessons

• Community engagement and communication

• Misinformation and data-driven decision-making

• Balancing confidentiality with transparency

• Building community consensus

• The evolving role of economic developers

• Skills needed for the future

• Proactive community conversations

• Developing a social contract for economic development

"Trust with your community is new and essential."

"Use verifiable data to combat misinformation."

"The future of economic development is doing multiple things at once."