บทถอดความฉบับเต็มของ The Real Work Behind Economic Development | Shad Burner & Lucas Presson

00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:38.319 Fair, yeah. 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:38.879 We'll get that. 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:41.040 That's a great segue to Lucas. 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:42.800 Lucas, what's your background? 00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:50.240 So I actually came from a media background from this area, did my undergrad and MBA at Southeast and spent 14 years in media. 00:04:50.319 --> 00:05:00.959 Uh, was with Rust Communications for over 14 plus years from news roles to running the agency for a couple years to assistant publisher and then uh also general manager. 00:05:01.040 --> 00:05:06.639 Uh the last year plus I was also uh overseeing the commercial printing operation uh there. 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:11.600 So I I I tell people I think I touched about every department there during that 10 year. 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:14.639 I I never printed a newspaper, but they're nice that I came close. 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:15.040 Yeah. 00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:23.519 Um, but uh had a great run, um uh uh led a number of different events from SEMO Balder Wars to a bunch of other things. 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:31.040 Um and about a year and a half uh ago, there's the this opening for a new position at CMOReddy. 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:36.879 Um and you know, Shad and I are both from Southeast Missouri and want to see the area succeed. 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:50.480 Uh and uh in fact, I was uh publisher of B Magazine, the regional business publication at the time, and Simo Ready was running an ad in B Magazine for this position, and I thought, huh, that's interesting. 00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:50.879 Yeah. 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:55.279 So I texted Chad and said, why don't we talk and see, you know, what is this? 00:05:55.360 --> 00:05:56.399 Is this interesting? 00:05:56.560 --> 00:06:00.399 And so I went through the process and then and uh ended up working out. 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:04.079 And so uh been with Simo Ready now for about a year and a half. 00:06:04.240 --> 00:06:04.480 Yeah. 00:06:04.639 --> 00:06:06.720 Um, and um, yeah, love it. 00:06:06.879 --> 00:06:07.920 A lot of good stuff going on. 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:08.319 Yeah. 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:13.279 So what do you um like how do you describe your position to people? 00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:14.000 Yeah. 00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:18.959 So uh probably about 70% of my role is talking with existing businesses. 00:06:19.040 --> 00:06:29.600 Uh and and we think about it uh, you know, economic development in the sense of uh probably 80% of of economic development is gonna be how do we help our existing businesses grow and expand? 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:47.439 And so I'll spend time talking with local businesses on uh what are their opportunities, what are their challenges, making sure that they know about some of the state's uh flagship incentives for uh job growth, uh training, um, and then uh connecting folks with with different resources as well. 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:51.120 So uh are they having challenges from a utility standpoint? 00:06:51.279 --> 00:06:53.040 Is it training resources? 00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:55.759 Um, is it an infrastructure issue? 00:06:55.920 --> 00:07:07.680 Uh and so really it's just going out and talking with people and listening and hearing kind of what what are the issues that are going on, uh, and then making sure that they're getting connected with the right resources and trying to connect those dots on those issues. 00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:10.079 And so we've been able to help a number of folks. 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:13.040 Uh, I mean, the the businesses are the ones that are doing the hard work. 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:15.920 Really, we're just kind of there to make sure they're getting connected. 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:21.680 And so many times you talk to companies and they don't know about you know X, Y, Z resources that exist. 00:07:22.079 --> 00:07:27.519 And so we really just want to make sure that they know what exists and and how we can help them. 00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:31.600 Um and uh and so that's that's really most of what I'm I'm doing. 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:35.040 The other part of it is on the attraction side, which I know we'll get into. 00:07:35.199 --> 00:07:35.360 Yeah. 00:07:35.519 --> 00:07:38.959 Uh, and then on helping startups from an entrepreneurship stage as well. 00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:39.839 So yeah. 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:42.000 Um that's really what takes up most of my time. 00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:42.639 Yeah. 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:46.639 Retaining and growing existing businesses and then recruiting new ones. 00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:47.120 Absolutely. 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:48.560 So Shad doesn't do anything, right? 00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:51.759 Oh, he he has his he has his own things that he's going after. 00:07:56.399 --> 00:08:03.199 I didn't even ask you, but what does that look like from for Simo Ready, like for you on a regular basis? 00:08:03.519 --> 00:08:14.720 Yeah, so you know, when it when Lucas came on, the reason we structured that position is because it was very easy to define what needed to happen there. 00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:33.759 We knew exactly what we needed to be doing to recruit and retain businesses, and it was easy to put a job description around it and feel very comfortable that we were going to get value for the community for paying for that position and value to go out and find somebody really good because we knew it was worthwhile. 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:41.840 So what I have done is tried to then look at what's the next thing we can build out and put some structure around. 00:08:42.000 --> 00:09:00.480 So for me, um, when I when I started, and if you back this up a little bit, I mean, we had uh six private investors and five public investors when I came on three years ago as a consultant, and now we have about 20 to 25 private investors. 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:08.080 So a lot of my role was we need to get more people around the table talking about

this and being involved in economic development. 00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:09.440 So that was the first part. 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:16.320 So we we built the investor group, we built the budget, we built the strategic plan, and then now we're starting to pick off that strategic plan. 00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:19.519 So Lucas is doing that piece of it. 00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:30.639 The pieces that we're now thinking about that we knew we needed to get to is um how can we impact positively the workforce situation throughout the region? 00:09:30.960 --> 00:09:36.240 Um so we're doing uh an apprenticeship initiative, and I could talk a little more about that. 00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:39.200 Um, we're looking at technical training in the region. 00:09:39.679 --> 00:09:45.840 Um and also the other big piece of all this is regionalism. 00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:57.120 Um one of the reasons there was a shift from the old organization magnet to the new one seem already was that we just don't play very well together as a region. 00:09:57.279 --> 00:10:10.159 When I was at the state, I would see one community come up, another community come up, maybe people in the same community come up, and there was no alignment, no support for one another, a lot of regional infighting. 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:15.120 And so this organization was always designed to try to address that. 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:24.080 And so now that Lucas is doing the good work he's doing for recruitment, there's some things that we can do together as a region. 00:10:24.240 --> 00:10:28.879 And so I'm really focused on how do we build that regional approach? 00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:31.120 How do we build those workforce tools? 00:10:31.279 --> 00:10:42.000 And and what can we then package into that next full-time role that can go on and take it from beyond just this vision to actually delivering and executing like Lucas is doing. 00:10:42.159 --> 00:10:42.480 Yeah. 00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:43.279 No, that's good. 00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:57.039 I'd say one of the things that that comes up from these, what we call our BRE visits, our business retention expansion visits is yeah, it's connecting folks with resources, but we're also hearing what are those opportunities and challenges. 00:10:57.200 --> 00:11:00.720 And so after a while, you start uh connecting the dots. 00:11:00.879 --> 00:11:09.600 And so you hear enough things in a row that also helps inform a strategy of like, okay, enough people in a certain field are saying the same thing. 00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:14.000 How can we help you know inform that next decision of what do we need to do? 00:11:14.159 --> 00:11:14.399 For sure. 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:21.360 So whether it's on technical training, for example, you know, how do we help figure out um getting that next piece of the pie? 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:24.559 So we need good K through 12, which we you know, we do. 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:29.039 We have good K through 12, we have good CTC, great with

Southeast Missouri State. 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:33.120 How do we expand the technical training piece for the next level of training? 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:33.440 Yeah. 00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:40.159 Um, for not only the entry level or what we would call like the 1A level of training, but how do we get the 1B? 00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:59.440 So how can we get those$30 an hour to$35 an hour employees that have that next level of training uh to do some of these jobs, whether it's HVAC or um uh type of of of of um uh you know car um mechanics, sure, yeah. 00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:03.919 You know, um like more certifications, yeah, more certifications and so forth. 00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:14.240 And so that really kind of helps figure out, you know, what do we need to be going after to help fill that piece of the pie so our employers can hire the folks that they need um you know to to do the jobs. 00:12:14.559 --> 00:12:14.879 Yeah. 00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:15.919 Makes sense. 00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:24.720 What how would you guys describe I mean, I think you've been talking about it a little bit, but how would you describe economic development like two people? 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:27.440 Yeah, I'll I'll start. 00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:35.679 To me, um we have to be growing the population and GDP of the region. 00:12:36.399 --> 00:12:38.879 That is economic development. 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:41.039 I mean, nothing else matters. 00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:47.519 Now, obviously, we we measure ourselves against a variety of things as we are trying to reach toward that mission. 00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:57.840 But at the end of the day, Southeast Missouri, an 18th county region, has had population decline over the last 20 years and we got to do some different things than we've done. 00:12:58.000 --> 00:12:58.799 And it's not easy. 00:12:58.879 --> 00:13:12.000 There's no easy answers to any of this, but um how can we create the conditions, whether that's workforce pipelines or transportation infrastructure so that businesses want to grow and expand here? 00:13:12.639 --> 00:13:19.679 How do we then tell that story to those site selectors and businesses and try to get them to come take a look here? 00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:35.679 Because when those jobs come and and and we should get into what kind of jobs we're recruiting because there's there's primary movers in the market, I think, that import dollars into the region, which is what you want to do, right? 00:13:35.759 --> 00:13:42.559 So if we go recruit a um you know, uh your next retail store, that's great. 00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:46.960 We really need that in the region, but mostly that's local dollars staying local. 00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:49.360 It's just recirculating in the economy. 00:13:49.519 --> 00:14:03.679 Now, if we go and recruit the next expansion at Procter and Gamble, they're shipping their goods all over the country and all those dollars are coming back into the region in the way of payroll and uh construction dollars to build that plant. 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:06.559 So there's there's a lot more money that comes into the system. 00:14:06.639 --> 00:14:10.080 And when that happens, the retail follows that money. 00:14:10.240 --> 00:14:15.200 So when there's enough of that happening and population growth, you'll get the next retail establishment. 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:26.080 So for us, we're pretty laser focused on those primary economic drivers that's going to increase the amount of GDP in our system locally. 00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:30.000 I'd say on the entrepreneurship side, we're doing a couple things now. 00:14:30.080 --> 00:14:35.039 You know, one of the early projects I worked on was a uh business startup checklist. 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:39.600 So someone comes to town and maybe they're just a really new startup. 00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:46.320 They haven't started a business before, or maybe they have some experience with it, but they don't know like what permits do they need to do. 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:56.639 We wanted to create something, whether you're in Cape Girardeau or Jackson or Scott City, that made it really clear and cut and straightforward on what do I need to do to get my business started? 00:14:56.799 --> 00:15:02.879 And it's really less focused on the nuts and bolts of operating the business, although there are a little bit to that in there. 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:05.440 It's more off like what permits do I need to get. 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:13.679 And so, you know, how do we make that as easy as possible and provide information and then connect them with the right resources to go there? 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:19.600 And then part of it also is figuring out beyond that, you know, how do we streamline things for businesses? 00:15:19.759 --> 00:15:29.919 So as we're doing some of these business uh visits and talking with folks, you know, if they kind of run into things of, hey, I'm having trouble doing this or this is unnecessarily difficult. 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:31.440 So how do we streamline? 00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:37.679 And we can work with some of our partners of figuring out, okay, we're making this a little too challenging for businesses right now. 00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:39.120 Can we streamline this? 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:39.440 Yeah. 00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:45.679 Or this is costing unnecessarily a little bit too much to, you know, do this for housing right now. 00:15:45.919 --> 00:15:49.360 So is there a way that we can lower the cost for this? 00:15:49.759 --> 00:15:54.159 Um, and I think we got some some folks in the area that are looking at those things right now. 00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:59.200 Um, that, you know, not that it's out of line, but they're always trying to improve. 00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:04.799 And so they're trying to figure out those things too of like, okay, here's something that we could do that would improve things. 00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:08.399 So you hear those things and you bring

those back to the table. 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:11.039 Uh, and I think that's all part of the picture as well. 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:11.679 Yeah. 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:13.120 No, that's good. 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:28.480 So this um it's specific to our region currently, but is this a common like organization that exists around different regions, states, nations that it's just all maybe named something different? 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:28.960 Yeah. 00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:29.519 Oh yeah. 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:32.799 I mean, there's um a lot of ready's out there. 00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:36.159 Ready stands for regional economic development incorporated. 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:36.639 Okay. 00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:39.519 Columbia has a ready organization. 00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:41.440 Jeff City has a ready organization. 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:43.279 So there's a lot of those. 00:16:43.519 --> 00:16:49.679 There's a lot of communities that have um in-house economic development organizations. 00:16:49.919 --> 00:16:56.480 So they may um they may hire internally with the within the city or within the county. 00:16:56.639 --> 00:17:03.759 So it's structured differently in and it really just depends on the local group and sure how they feel about it. 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:04.160 Yeah. 00:17:04.319 --> 00:17:05.839 Um, but they're they're all over the country. 00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:12.319 I mean, this is uh an odd profession that not a lot of people know about, right? 00:17:12.960 --> 00:17:21.039 Um I tell my my wife's a teacher and she has her group of other teachers, and they they can talk about what's going on and stuff. 00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:27.920 I mean, Lucas and I basically have to go to state associations to have those conversations because it's just such a limited pool. 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:30.799 Nobody around here is doing the same kind of stuff. 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:37.119 So, you know, there's maybe 200 members of the state Economic Development Association, and that's it. 00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:41.680 Like there's just not that many people, but most communities have some touch point too. 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:42.319 Yeah. 00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:42.799 Okay. 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:44.319 That makes sense. 00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:59.599 Uh, do you get to so you kind of interact with people within the state, but is there any sort of like uh maybe national group for ready's and stuff that you kind of compare notes with and benchmark against Yeah. 00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:07.519 So this year, um, you know, this kind of goes along with with the national outreach of how we're trying to market um to site selectors. 00:18:07.680 --> 00:18:14.720 And so uh this year went to the um uh site selectors guild in Atlanta, um, which is a national organization. 00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:19.279 Uh, and that was really kind of the focus was on how do we get in front of more site selectors. 00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:25.440 Those are folks that are hired by companies uh to help make a decision on where they're gonna locate uh their organization. 00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:28.640 Maybe they're gonna relocate, maybe they're expanding. 00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:36.319 Um uh and so they're trying to make the decisions based off of you know what communities have, either buildings or sites where they can go build. 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:39.119 Uh, but there's a lot of economic development folks there. 00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:44.319 Uh then you have the SEDC Southern Economic Development Council, more regional. 00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:49.279 I think there's 17 states uh more across the southeast, and Missouri's part of that. 00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:52.000 So we went to that, uh, that was in Texas this year. 00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:53.920 There's a number of others that are out there. 00:18:54.000 --> 00:19:01.599 You could spend a lot of time and money going to different events and councils that are out there, um, but those are two of the the larger ones. 00:19:01.759 --> 00:19:12.880 Um and uh and again, our focus is more on how do we get in front of the people that are making decisions on on locating, but you also have that opportunity to talk to other people that are in the same space. 00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:18.079 Uh kind of what what are they seeing, what are their challenges, uh, what are they learning? 00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:20.400 Is that a pretty open environment? 00:19:20.559 --> 00:19:22.319 Like are people pretty information sharing? 00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:23.119 I think they are. 00:19:23.279 --> 00:19:23.440 Yeah. 00:19:23.599 --> 00:19:23.680 Yeah. 00:19:23.839 --> 00:19:37.359 I think generally, I mean, even though like everybody's kind of trying to compete for sites and and to bring businesses, but generally I think folks are are are pretty open on sharing, like, you know, this is what we're dealing with, this is what we're learning. 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:42.319 Um, and um and every state legislature is different, their programs are different. 00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:43.119 That's right. 00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:48.240 You bring to the tables different, you know, natural resources and certainly. 00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:54.480 Yeah, and there's and uh one other one I'll just throw out there is the International Economic Development Council, that's right. 00:19:54.720 --> 00:19:59.119 Which is a um kind of the premier body that does certification. 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:00.799 So I'm a certified economic developer. 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:01.759 I got it through that group. 00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:02.319 Okay. 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:06.240 Um so there's that exists, and then there's a there's a Missouri certification. 00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:11.680 So there are some professional uh uh associations that do that kind of thing in this industry as well. 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:12.799 Yeah, okay. 00:20:13.119 --> 00:20:13.759 Nice. 00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:27.039 Um what are kind of what are some of the biggest

barriers or question marks that businesses typically have when they're moving, looking at moving into an area? 00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:30.000 Well, I mean, uh several things that they'll look at. 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:32.319 I mean, site readiness is always part of it. 00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:36.799 Um some will look at whether it's it's land or whether it's buildings. 00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:41.599 Um, you know, we're certainly seeing a number of folks that are just looking do you have buildings? 00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:42.880 Um, but not everybody. 00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:45.119 Some folks are more open to land. 00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:51.759 Um, and so uh, but also they want to know that that the site is is shovel ready or pretty close to it. 00:20:52.319 --> 00:20:54.880 Um, you know, does it have the water that they need? 00:20:55.039 --> 00:20:57.759 Does it have the electricity or natural gas? 00:20:57.920 --> 00:21:02.799 Um, you know, so there's a lot of different specifications that they're gonna look for on that end. 00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:05.039 Workforce is always a big part of it. 00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:05.359 Yeah. 00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:08.400 Uh, and so I mean, there's a number of different factors. 00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:15.759 Um, we'll receive uh uh RFIs for different projects from uh a state organization uh regularly. 00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:22.559 And um, you know, all the the RFIs are are there's some commonalities, but each one of them is a little different. 00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:25.200 So different companies are looking for different things. 00:21:25.359 --> 00:21:30.640 Um, and some are are really in you know detailed of what they're what they really want. 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:40.480 Um, and uh but generally almost all of them, they're they're wanting to know utilities, wastewater, water, um, and then workforce is always a big one. 00:21:40.640 --> 00:21:40.799 Yeah. 00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:45.359 Sometimes really diving in deep into the workforce uh for specific trades. 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:45.920 Yeah. 00:21:46.160 --> 00:21:53.920 You're pretty much describing all the reasons why everybody has to be on the same page as I'm thinking about it while you're talking, right? 00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:57.519 Because it's like, okay, well, they want site readiness. 00:21:57.599 --> 00:21:59.519 Well, somebody has to have put money. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:05.279 Into a site and basically graded it and you know ran utilities and all that. 00:22:05.440 --> 00:22:12.799 But to have utilities to support a huge manufacturing facility, your utility companies have to be able to provide it. 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:16.960 And then if for workforce, we got to make sure we have all the schooling and certification. 00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:26.240 So um, you know, I was thinking it was more one-laned than that, but as you continue talking, I'm like, oh no, this makes sense. 00:22:26.319 --> 00:22:27.599 There's a lot of stuff that has to happen. 00:22:27.920 --> 00:22:28.079 Yeah. 00:22:28.160 --> 00:22:36.079 They it you know, the interesting thing about the economic development world is if you're not careful, it's a lot of worlds that come together. 00:22:36.240 --> 00:22:42.720 And so definitely in smaller communities, um, some economic developers end up doing a whole bunch of stuff. 00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:54.240 They might be doing housing because the issue they've run into is that they can't attract a new manufacturer because they can't they don't have the housing stock for the next 30 employees to move to their community. 00:22:54.720 --> 00:23:01.759 So so we've really tried to stay pretty laser focused and get everybody around the table because there's different ones who can solve different issues. 00:23:01.839 --> 00:23:03.599 Um and and I think that's important. 00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:09.359 In in a community uh in a region our size, um, we don't there's parts of the game we don't want to be in. 00:23:09.440 --> 00:23:09.680 Yeah. 00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:11.519 And but there's other people who are. 00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:14.319 So we we try to stay connected across that spectrum. 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:16.160 Which kind of gets back into the whole retail. 00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:31.759 I mean, we we generally don't focus a lot on retail, but if there's a developer that's gonna work on retail, we'll talk with the developer on the building and try to figure out how do we get that building, you know, is there something that we can work help the developer out on, you know, getting them to the next level so that building's in good shape. 00:23:31.920 --> 00:23:32.079 Yeah. 00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:35.039 But like we got a lot of good developers that are working on that. 00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:35.359 Yeah. 00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:40.240 So let them do what they're good at, you know, and so let's go out and figure out the industrial side of things. 00:23:40.400 --> 00:23:40.799 Yeah. 00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:57.759 So for us as a region at Southeast Missouri, what what are things that we have done well to position ourselves to attract businesses and then other things that we need to work on that we're hearing are, hey, we need this in order to move there. 00:23:58.079 --> 00:24:02.240 Yeah, I think and I'm gonna answer the same way on both sides of that. 00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:11.200 So I I think one of the best things we've done is Interstate 55 and Highway 60, which is now becoming Interstate 57. 00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:14.160 So the transportation infrastructure around here is critical. 00:24:14.319 --> 00:24:19.440 And I'm not just saying that because I'm on the Delta podcast, but that's uh it really is critical. 00:24:19.759 --> 00:24:22.960 That said, we still lack in some transportation. 00:24:23.200 --> 00:24:27.839 I think we need more east-west access on the northern part of southeast Missouri. 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:34.319 So you cross the amazing bridge at Cape Girardeau, the

Emerson Memorial Bridge. 00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:44.400 Uh, you can go about four or five miles in either direction, and then you run into miles and miles and acres and acres of woods both ways in Illinois and Missouri. 00:24:44.559 --> 00:24:49.039 I'd love to see some way to get east-west a little faster. 00:24:49.200 --> 00:25:01.839 I mean, that's what we hear from Procter and Gamble and others, is that our costs for transportation are higher here than other plants they have in the country because it's so much farther to go east and west here. 00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:02.000 Yeah. 00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:03.200 So you're makes sense. 00:25:05.920 --> 00:25:07.759 Probably why Memphis gets a lot of stuff too. 00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:08.480 Yeah, right. 00:25:08.640 --> 00:25:12.079 So they they have all the crossings of those four lanes going through. 00:25:12.319 --> 00:25:13.039 So that's one. 00:25:13.200 --> 00:25:30.000 I I think the other thing I'll say is on the on the workforce front, something we do well is that the folks we have here tend to be pretty good workers, generally speaking, throughout Southeast Missouri compared to some other parts of the country. 00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:36.000 We hear that a lot from people who have plants and locations um uh all over the country. 00:25:36.240 --> 00:25:37.200 Now we don't have enough. 00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:44.240 We don't have enough workers, our population decline is a challenge, uh, and we have some gaps in our training. 00:25:44.400 --> 00:25:48.960 I mean, we we certainly having the you see Southeast Missouri State University here is huge. 00:25:49.119 --> 00:25:53.039 That's a big deal that attracts a bunch of people into the region. 00:25:53.279 --> 00:26:01.920 Um there's certainly still some, we have Mineral Area College and we have Three Rivers College, but they're both about an hour and 15 minutes from Cape, which is the population center. 00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:08.079 Um so we we lack some technical training here in the Cape part of the region that we'd love to see solved as well. 00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:08.559 Yeah. 00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:24.160 Only thing I'd add is is, you know, in recent years we've had the CEMO Industrial Park that's really um improved an opportunity to have a Missouri certified site, and we're working through a ready site certification for that right now. 00:26:24.240 --> 00:26:29.440 But you have a 380-acre certified site uh that really is a shovel ready site. 00:26:29.680 --> 00:26:38.799 And so that gives us something to go to some of these large industrial, uh, go after some of these large industrial projects and say, okay, we have something. 00:26:38.960 --> 00:26:47.759 You know, Amazon is was the first one to go in there with the on 20 acres uh with 70 jobs, a 60,000 square foot facility. 00:26:47.920 --> 00:26:51.279 Uh and you know, we really think that's a that's an asset for the region. 00:26:51.440 --> 00:26:55.839 You know, to have a certified site in Southeast Missouri uh is a is a big deal. 00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:58.240 And so I mean that that is certainly an asset. 00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:02.640 Yeah, and then the last thing I had a chance to think while Litvis was talking. 00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:11.279 So the other, the last piece I see in the opportunity is regionalism, um, working better together as a region. 00:27:11.519 --> 00:27:15.839 So for instance, I just said mineral area college and three rivers. 00:27:15.920 --> 00:27:20.319 And what I didn't say was ranking in Perryville, which is a great opportunity. 00:27:20.559 --> 00:27:26.720 But the fact that I didn't say that speaks exactly to the problems that we're trying to overcome uh as a regional partner. 00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:28.160 So we're still working on that. 00:27:28.480 --> 00:27:34.000 And we're still building those, we have good relationships, but we're building the formal relationships now. 00:27:34.079 --> 00:27:35.039 How do we work together? 00:27:35.119 --> 00:27:36.079 How do we improve things? 00:27:36.240 --> 00:27:36.319 Yeah. 00:27:36.480 --> 00:27:40.319 And so we're getting a lot closer on that, um, still overcoming those barriers. 00:27:40.400 --> 00:27:46.079 And I think we have some pathways that are really exciting the rest of this year and into 27. 00:27:46.160 --> 00:27:48.720 And so um excited about that potential. 00:27:49.039 --> 00:27:49.359 Yeah. 00:27:49.519 --> 00:27:57.920 Well, I was gonna ask like, what are advantages and disadvantages of being in a university town, but maybe you kind of already answered it. 00:27:58.000 --> 00:28:02.720 It sounds like there's maybe plenty of education around. 00:28:03.200 --> 00:28:11.519 It's just making sure that we're all working together with education and technical skills and not overlapping a ton, right? 00:28:11.680 --> 00:28:16.960 Like feed what we need through everybody's expertise, I guess. 00:28:17.359 --> 00:28:23.200 I mean, the advantages of being in a university town far, far outweigh any disadvantages. 00:28:23.279 --> 00:28:30.799 And most of the disadvantages are negative things happening to the university that were only there because it was an advantage, right? 00:28:30.960 --> 00:28:38.160 So I mean the it's you know, 8,000 to 10,000 students given the uh year. 00:28:38.400 --> 00:28:40.559 A lot of those come from outside the region. 00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:49.519 It is our number one driver for a workforce pipeline of new imported workers into our community. 00:28:49.759 --> 00:28:56.400 Now, a lot of those leave, and they leave maybe even without knowing what opportunities we had here. 00:28:56.480 --> 00:29:02.559 And so it is incumbent upon us to make sure that those opportunities are visible to them while they're here. 00:29:02.720 --> 00:29:05.279 I mean, Lucas and I both went through that university. 00:29:05.359 --> 00:29:08.319 I he grew up here, I grew up in the boot hill an hour away. 00:29:08.559 --> 00:29:16.000 I

never left because I came here and found opportunities and a wife that also kept me here, I guess. 00:29:16.079 --> 00:29:19.920 So that's the other factor, you know, that it is a contributor, I suppose. 00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:24.079 But but I think that's uh, you know, maybe we should just do more matchmaking with locals. 00:29:24.240 --> 00:29:24.480 Yeah. 00:29:24.799 --> 00:29:25.519 We keep them all here. 00:29:25.680 --> 00:29:32.720 Just do say the there is certainly a buzz when the university is in session, you know, when when summer kind of gives way to fall. 00:29:32.799 --> 00:29:33.200 Yeah. 00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:35.440 You know, Cape Girarde looks different. 00:29:35.519 --> 00:29:37.519 Yeah, in a very positive way. 00:29:37.680 --> 00:29:37.839 Yeah. 00:29:38.000 --> 00:29:41.920 It is a good thing for Cape Girardeau when more students are back in town. 00:29:42.240 --> 00:29:43.519 It's good for retailers. 00:29:43.599 --> 00:29:47.359 They're certainly spending more money in this community, which is a good thing. 00:29:47.440 --> 00:30:05.119 You know, it's something that kind of stuck with me uh in a uh meeting we had today, and it wasn't a it wasn't a CEMO student, but it was someone that was in town for an internship uh elsewhere, but they were exposed to the community by being here and they just had a really positive experience in different things that they were doing. 00:30:05.279 --> 00:30:07.680 But I think that also translates with CEMO students. 00:30:07.759 --> 00:30:14.240 Like if they're in town over a period of time and they have a positive experience, you got a lot better chance of keeping them. 00:30:14.319 --> 00:30:14.480 Yeah. 00:30:14.880 --> 00:30:29.279 You know, and so you see, you know, whether they're going, you know, things that we may take for granted and some of the things that were mentioned, you know, in that meeting today, uh, you know, you wouldn't have thought of, you know, some things certainly I I would have thought of, but other things less so. 00:30:29.440 --> 00:30:39.759 Uh and and so the more that they're exposed to uh the area and have that good experience, better chance that you have of of keeping that talent in Southeast Missouri. 00:30:40.000 --> 00:30:40.400 Yeah. 00:30:40.640 --> 00:30:41.920 Oh, that's great. 00:30:42.319 --> 00:30:50.480 What uh portions of your jobs would you guys say is like sales, consulting, problem solving? 00:30:51.759 --> 00:30:54.960 I mean a huge portion, I think. 00:30:55.279 --> 00:30:56.000 Maybe it's all of them. 00:30:56.160 --> 00:31:09.599 Yeah, I mean Lucas's role is to go sit down with a business and find out what's working and what's not working, and then be a consultant, a free consultant for them on state tools and all this stuff, right? 00:31:09.759 --> 00:31:09.920 Yeah. 00:31:10.160 --> 00:31:31.519 And I think I think mine is probably more a very large board that has to um have engagement and and very intelligent people around the room that

we need to be sure we're um taking advantage uh of their intelligence and their smarts and their experience. 00:31:31.599 --> 00:31:34.640 And it's easy to lose that when there's 30 plus of them. 00:31:34.720 --> 00:31:47.759 And so um to me, uh maybe that's not sales or consulting in a traditional sense, but I think um being a liaison for the community and trying to grasp and wrap my head around where do we want to go? 00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:52.079 And then being that voice and going out and selling that, I think is really important. 00:31:52.240 --> 00:31:57.119 But Lucas is probably more in line with sales every day, I would think. 00:31:57.440 --> 00:32:09.680 I used to be in a a role where I was kind of mentoring younger um professionals and some that just did not see themselves in a quote unquote sales role at all. 00:32:10.400 --> 00:32:14.960 I would if I didn't say it verbally, I certainly presented it in this way. 00:32:15.119 --> 00:32:19.599 Everybody's in sales at some level, you know, whether you're actually selling something or not. 00:32:19.759 --> 00:32:36.720 But yeah, you know, you're you gotta present yourself in some level of like, okay, how do you, you know, present yourself and help, you know, uh present a product or service or help help people, and you're not selling, but you're you're selling and you're you're you're providing a service um and helping solve problems. 00:32:36.880 --> 00:32:37.119 Yeah. 00:32:37.279 --> 00:32:48.640 So it's that old um Clayton Christensen jobs to be done, you know, axiom of like how do you how do you solve um you know the problem and and you know um figure that out. 00:32:48.799 --> 00:32:54.160 So um yeah, I would say if probably most of the role is isn't that. 00:32:54.480 --> 00:32:54.799 Yeah. 00:32:55.279 --> 00:33:22.160 Chad, you brought up an interesting point, and it's I'd be curious how you look at this from a leadership perspective of you're kind of you are leading this board of 30 board members or whatever between private and public representatives, um but none of them report to you, but you're still trying to get something done in the economy and in the community. 00:33:22.240 --> 00:33:31.839 So how like what kind of leadership skills do you lean into or what things have you seen work and don't work in that type of setting? 00:33:32.160 --> 00:33:33.599 Yeah, and it's a it's a classic. 00:33:33.680 --> 00:33:39.359 If if you've spent your career in private sector, that's a really weird concept, right? 00:33:39.519 --> 00:33:46.240 And um, for those of us who've spent most of our career on the public side, Chamber of Commerce is structured the same way. 00:33:46.480 --> 00:33:47.039 Yeah, that's true. 00:33:47.279 --> 00:33:50.640 Um uh nonprofits are often structured the same way. 00:33:50.799 --> 00:34:01.440 Um what my belief is that you want those board members to be smarter than you at s something and probably a lot of things, right? 00:34:01.519 --> 00:34:07.279 And so you want the folks around that table um to provide the real guidance in the strategic direction. 00:34:07.519 --> 00:34:21.039 And it's it's my job uh to be sure that we're listening to it, we're engaging all the folks, but at the end of the day, I got to go make a decision and move uh the organization forward. 00:34:21.280 --> 00:34:26.320 And as I have I think the board's been really good about this. 00:34:26.480 --> 00:34:32.400 They've given me the flexibility to do that without micromanaging because none of them are in this every day. 00:34:32.639 --> 00:34:38.000 Um, they bring a ton of value for a short period of time when I have them, and then they're off running their own businesses. 00:34:38.480 --> 00:34:47.519 And so I I have to keep the ball rolling down the field, like let's move it, let's go another yard line, let's go another yard line. 00:34:47.679 --> 00:34:52.320 Um, and if I don't do that, at some point they'll come back and say, Well, you're not moving the ball fast enough. 00:34:52.400 --> 00:34:53.920 We're we're gonna find somebody else to do it. 00:34:54.000 --> 00:34:55.199 And that's that's fine, right? 00:34:55.360 --> 00:35:11.039 And so to me, uh it I think you just have to balance the um it all comes back to the fact that I am in no way even close to the smartest person in that room, and I gotta recognize that. 00:35:11.360 --> 00:35:25.599 So I gotta lead with this sense of humility that there's 30 people around this table who have done something or maybe almost everything that I'm doing in some ways, other than the technical aspects of economic development, but the leadership stuff. 00:35:25.679 --> 00:35:25.840 Yeah. 00:35:26.000 --> 00:35:31.039 And I mean my board chair as an organization with over 3,000 employees. 00:35:31.199 --> 00:35:31.440 Yeah. 00:35:31.599 --> 00:35:31.840 Right. 00:35:32.159 --> 00:35:34.079 I mean, the most I've ever managed is 20. 00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:39.920 And so it's it's pretty clear to me that uh he's gonna have insights in that area. 00:35:40.159 --> 00:35:53.199 So um where I think some people in my role fail is that they that they try to um prove that they're smart and they don't you utilize that expertise around them. 00:35:53.360 --> 00:36:07.440 I mean, I it how great would it be in your job if any day you could pick up the phone and there's 30 people who are committed to your organization who have a ton of experience who are willing to talk to you and tell you, yeah, I think I'd do it that way, or no, have you thought about this? 00:36:07.679 --> 00:36:08.800 Utilize that network. 00:36:08.880 --> 00:36:11.599 That's a really critical aspect of making this all work. 00:36:11.840 --> 00:36:14.079 Yeah, that's a really good answer. 00:36:14.320 --> 00:36:30.800 Um, and I think it's it's interesting because like a lot of higher up manager roles, you're kind of doing the same thing with a team, but then they also work for you all the time, right? 00:36:30.880 -->

00:36:37.519 So like the majority of your time is okay, well, let's collect thoughts and data from them and then make a decision and let's start it back over. 00:36:37.840 --> 00:36:43.440 They're not necessarily going and then doing all the work themselves, right? 00:36:43.519 --> 00:36:54.880 So you're kind of flipping back and forth between, okay, well, I gotta be a leader manager of this large team, get all their ideas and get everybody on the same page, then go do the work and then go back to it. 00:36:54.960 --> 00:36:56.400 So you're flipping back and forth. 00:36:56.559 --> 00:37:00.159 And I think it's super relatable, right? 00:37:00.320 --> 00:37:06.239 Like for most people, having 3,000 employees is not relatable, right? 00:37:06.400 --> 00:37:09.039 Yeah, like that's a very high-powered position. 00:37:09.360 --> 00:37:17.280 Like you said, probably super smart, has a lot of insight and experience and all that, but it's also not most people. 00:37:18.639 --> 00:37:20.000 Yes, that that's 100%. 00:37:20.559 --> 00:37:33.679 And plus they almost always hit like there's no way, yes, there's 3,000 people that report through them or like through them ultimately, but their leadership team is 15 to 20 people or whatever, right? 00:37:33.760 --> 00:37:34.800 And you got to count on others. 00:37:34.880 --> 00:37:35.360 But yeah. 00:37:35.440 --> 00:37:43.440 And and the other piece of all that is if I went and polled every board member on every decision, I'd have 30 different directions. 00:37:43.840 --> 00:37:44.800 I mean, you can't do that. 00:37:45.119 --> 00:37:51.119 Yeah, you got to know um there's certain board members who are going to bring certain insights on certain things. 00:37:51.199 --> 00:37:57.119 And so I will call one and just say, hey, I'm thinking about this, but I might not call the other 20 on that one. 00:37:57.199 --> 00:37:57.920 I might call two. 00:37:58.159 --> 00:37:58.400 Sure. 00:37:58.559 --> 00:38:00.480 And then we make a decision and we move forward. 00:38:00.639 --> 00:38:09.760 And so it's learning the balance of that and just being really uh receptive to to who's good at what and what matters when you need a decision made. 00:38:09.840 --> 00:38:17.360 I mean, sometimes there's just board members who you need them on your side so that they'll speak up in the room and be an advocate for you. 00:38:17.440 --> 00:38:17.760 Yeah. 00:38:17.920 --> 00:38:19.920 Um, because they sway the room. 00:38:20.000 --> 00:38:20.159 Yeah. 00:38:20.320 --> 00:38:22.960 And so there's some politics involved in it, right? 00:38:23.119 --> 00:38:32.960 And uh I I think we're a little less political than most organizations in this world just because of the nature of the people who um who were in charge when I I got brought on. 00:38:33.119 --> 00:38:38.639 They're very uh all about process and openness and and which attracted me to the role, right? 00:38:38.719 --> 00:38:40.159 I mean, I thought that was really critical. 00:38:40.320 --> 00:38:42.800 So um it's an it's an interesting experience. 00:38:42.880 --> 00:38:45.760 I've and we've got a great board and I enjoy it. 00:38:46.079 --> 00:38:47.280 Yeah, that's good. 00:38:47.920 --> 00:38:50.159 Do you share kind of the same experience, Lucas? 00:38:50.480 --> 00:38:55.840 Or because I mean you're you guys really have no direct reports, right? 00:38:56.000 --> 00:39:01.440 But you're I guess a lot of your team per se could be businesses in the area. 00:39:01.599 --> 00:39:08.480 I mean, you're getting research from them and helping them solve problems, but you're also maybe an advocate for them in some ways. 00:39:08.719 --> 00:39:09.360 Yeah, yeah. 00:39:09.440 --> 00:39:14.480 I mean, certainly, you know, you want to um you want to see the businesses in the area succeed. 00:39:14.639 --> 00:39:17.280 And so ultimately that's our that's our goal on there. 00:39:17.440 --> 00:39:27.360 And you know, and like Shadow, you know, I I've been impressed with our board uh of you know, you have folks, it's it's not a rubber stamp group of like, well, hey, you know, go team. 00:39:27.519 --> 00:39:36.639 Um, you know, they they're clearly they want to see the area succeed, but you know, they'll grapple with issues and try to figure out how do we make you know the group stronger and the area stronger. 00:39:36.800 --> 00:39:43.360 Um, but they also there's some flexibility in there of like we're not gonna just you know micromanage every issue. 00:39:43.519 --> 00:39:43.679 Yeah. 00:39:43.920 --> 00:39:47.519 What issues do they want to kind of get around and have some input in? 00:39:47.840 --> 00:39:54.480 Um and you know, there's certain things are like, well, you know, that's what we hire you all to manage, yeah, you know, to do. 00:39:54.639 --> 00:40:02.400 And then there's other things that like you know that they kind of want to have some input and where they bring value, and we know we're kind of where they bring value. 00:40:02.480 --> 00:40:11.599 And so there's that figuring out of like, okay, what stuff do we need to bring to them uh and go through uh and what things they just need an update on and you go forward. 00:40:11.840 --> 00:40:12.159 Yeah. 00:40:12.320 --> 00:40:12.719 Yeah. 00:40:14.000 --> 00:40:22.960 I feel like I already know the answer to this, but what's what are some industry trends that are really like driving growth right now and interest? 00:40:24.079 --> 00:40:25.039 You want to go with that? 00:40:25.280 --> 00:40:26.400 Uh sure. 00:40:27.280 --> 00:40:30.639 Happy to jump on the fall on that grenade. 00:40:30.880 --> 00:40:31.280 Yeah. 00:40:31.599 --> 00:40:43.519 You know, I a few trends and and then I'll back into this, but um across the board uh we've seen a lot more demand for energy. 00:40:43.760 --> 00:40:44.000 Yeah. 00:40:44.239 --> 00:40:46.639 And so that's been a trend that we've been dealing with. 00:40:46.800 --> 00:40:51.360 Um, and this is, and I'll talk about data

centers in a minute, but this is not only data centers. 00:40:51.440 --> 00:40:57.679 Manufacturers are using more energy right now, and it's a uh the curve has gone up quite a bit. 00:40:57.760 --> 00:41:07.440 And so these projects, they used to come in and say, we need, you know, uh a megawatt or something, and now they're like, we need 15 megawatts and or way more. 00:41:07.599 --> 00:41:10.719 I mean, you've just seen it grow uh significantly. 00:41:10.880 --> 00:41:13.840 Um so that that's been an industry trend. 00:41:14.000 --> 00:41:27.840 Um the other one that is kind of interesting, and we did a study of the region um and we interviewed about 97 businesses, and I'm I'm very interested in the AI impacts on businesses. 00:41:28.079 --> 00:41:34.800 Um, I I think that globally a lot of businesses are seeing impacts from AI. 00:41:35.039 --> 00:41:38.880 We did not see those results in our local survey in Southeast Missouri. 00:41:38.960 --> 00:41:52.800 So I think that some of our businesses aren't, at least as of about nine months ago, weren't experiencing them in the same way that some uh other businesses, if you're on the coast or if you're in tech, were experiencing them. 00:41:52.960 --> 00:41:58.960 I'm really interested to watch that and see when those impacts come in because it certainly changed the way I function. 00:41:59.119 --> 00:42:02.880 And I'm sure that's true of a lot of individuals within those companies. 00:42:03.039 --> 00:42:12.639 But we we didn't have one reported layoff due to AI out of all those 97 companies, which represented thousands and thousands of employees uh throughout an 18 County region. 00:42:12.880 --> 00:42:14.639 So really interesting trend to watch. 00:42:14.800 --> 00:42:19.519 And then the the the last one, I will um end on data centers here. 00:42:19.599 --> 00:42:28.159 I mean, at 50 percent of this is a rough estimate, but maybe 50 percent of the potential projects we see now are data center related. 00:42:28.320 --> 00:42:33.519 We and in various stages, there are people who are poking around. 00:42:33.599 --> 00:42:39.039 They're they're pretty uh we've we've had calls from actual end user data center companies. 00:42:39.199 --> 00:42:43.679 We don't have a specific project or anything at the moment, but we there's a lot of chatter around it. 00:42:43.840 --> 00:42:50.800 And I think there's it's taking up a lot of oxygen in the room for development, not only here, but throughout the country. 00:42:50.880 --> 00:42:56.960 And so there's other manufacturers that aren't getting into that space yet because it's driving up land prices. 00:42:57.039 --> 00:43:02.880 And there's all these um follow-on impacts of what's happening that that's in influencing what we do. 00:43:03.119 --> 00:43:03.360 Yeah. 00:43:03.519 --> 00:43:10.559 The only thing I'd add, and we've kind of talked about this a little bit here, but on workforce, you know, I think uh folks are still looking for workers. 00:43:10.800

--> 00:43:24.000 Uh, you know, the one thing that we've we've seen probably more is generally speaking, and again, not in all cases, is you can get the entry-level worker, it's that additional next level worker with the additional technical training. 00:43:24.159 --> 00:43:24.320 Yeah. 00:43:24.480 --> 00:43:35.039 And so finding that that worker that can uh you know be the um the diesel mechanic, the electrical trays, the HVAC, uh, who can do that that next level job. 00:43:35.119 --> 00:43:38.400 Um, that's something that we're seeing more of a of the need for. 00:43:38.559 --> 00:43:42.000 Um, the need for soft skills that's that's tougher. 00:43:42.239 --> 00:43:46.400 I think really since COVID, we've seen, you know, more and more challenges. 00:43:46.559 --> 00:43:52.880 Um, you know, we know that we have a lot of of baby boomers that are are retiring and more to come. 00:43:53.119 --> 00:43:59.360 And so you got a you got a big section of the workforce that's exiting um the workforce. 00:43:59.519 --> 00:44:02.000 Um And not as many that are replacing. 00:44:02.079 --> 00:44:03.679 So, I mean, there's certainly a shortage. 00:44:03.760 --> 00:44:04.079 Yeah. 00:44:04.159 --> 00:44:12.639 Uh and so um as much as people get concerned about AI, I think there's a component of AI just to make people more productive. 00:44:12.880 --> 00:44:23.920 Um, but you know, there's still a need for people to do the basic functions for a number of a lot of these jobs, um, whether it's professional level or in the trades. 00:44:24.159 --> 00:44:29.599 And so um certainly workforce, and I don't think I that's certainly not exclusive to Southeast Missouri. 00:44:29.679 --> 00:44:34.480 That's everywhere as we talk to people in our fields, you know, everybody's looking for workers. 00:44:35.119 --> 00:44:35.599 Yeah. 00:44:35.920 --> 00:44:56.480 I'm curious, based on what you said about uh people companies reporting layoffs due to AI on the coast and stuff, if we're not seeing it because we're the Midwest and we kind of trail coastal timelines, or if it's our types of business. 00:44:57.280 --> 00:44:59.840 I'd be specul speculating a little bit. 00:45:00.000 --> 00:45:22.320 I I think it has to do with types of business more than a trailing indicator like you see on other trends just because AI became available uh universally about the same time, you know, and Chad GPT launched in late 22 and then it could hardly do anything, but pretty quickly it could do something. 00:45:22.480 --> 00:45:26.320 And now there may be some adoption rates that are a little slower around here. 00:45:26.480 --> 00:45:33.840 Um, but we don't have companies that have 10,000 coders in southeast Missouri, right? 00:45:33.920 --> 00:45:41.199 I mean that if you have 10,000 coders and you can cut 20% of them because your AI made the rest of them more efficient, that's a whole different world. 00:45:41.280 --> 00:45:42.639 You still have a lot of employees. 00:45:42.800 --> 00:45:45.840 Uh our largest employer, I think, in the entire region is St. 00:45:46.000 --> 00:45:52.800 Francis, which has about um 31, 3,400 employees and with some open positions. 00:45:52.960 --> 00:45:58.480 Um, you know, a lot of those positions, uh, I mean, they're healthcare providers, right? 00:45:58.559 --> 00:46:05.519 You're not going to replace that until uh the AIs become really good robots, maybe, and and get some bedside manner and all this stuff, right? 00:46:05.599 --> 00:46:11.119 Uh that's more like a dystopian future, I think, than than where we are in any near term. 00:46:11.519 --> 00:46:19.360 And even in healthcare is what I've heard is that it's not helping them get significantly more patients through. 00:46:19.440 --> 00:46:19.599 Yeah. 00:46:19.840 --> 00:46:22.719 It's helping make things richer and how they treat patients. 00:46:22.800 --> 00:46:23.119 Yes. 00:46:23.360 --> 00:46:29.280 But it's not like you're, you know, treating five X the number of patients a day, you know, even with AI. 00:46:29.519 --> 00:46:29.599 Yeah. 00:46:29.760 --> 00:46:40.559 So I think we've seen uh AI make work easier for our existing employees, but we haven't seen it replace employees yet. 00:46:40.800 --> 00:46:43.920 And so that's kind of I I think that's the trend we're seeing locally. 00:46:44.239 --> 00:46:45.679 Yeah, that makes sense. 00:46:46.000 --> 00:46:57.360 So outside of being involved with like SEMO ready board and everything, how do we go about aligning all these people together? 00:46:57.599 --> 00:47:01.920 Employers, schools, you know, the different communities, things like that. 00:47:02.239 --> 00:47:06.559 Yeah, uh I'll start on this one, and Lucas will probably have insights as well. 00:47:06.719 --> 00:47:12.639 Um, I thought it would be easier, uh honestly, from a and not that we're not making progress. 00:47:12.800 --> 00:47:23.440 I just in my role at the state, I worked with all of these partners, and I I erroneously assumed I could just walk in and be like, hey, I'm here to do good stuff. 00:47:23.519 --> 00:47:25.360 Let's all go do good stuff together. 00:47:25.519 --> 00:47:27.440 And they'd be like, Cool, let's do that. 00:47:27.519 --> 00:47:30.320 And so that wasn't exactly waiting for you. 00:47:30.480 --> 00:47:31.039 Yeah. 00:47:31.440 --> 00:47:34.400 I don't know why, but for some reason that didn't sell it. 00:47:34.639 --> 00:47:49.920 So uh I I learned pretty quickly that um, you know, we we had to get our act together and what we were doing, and there was a there was had been some transition from magnet to CMO ready, and there was I there was no director for a couple years. 00:47:50.079 --> 00:48:00.719 And so um when I first got on, I started having some of those conversations, and it was pretty clear the message was go figure out your stuff, then come back. 00:48:00.960 --> 00:48:05.360 And so we've done that, I think, and and we're in a much better position than we are. 00:48:05.519 -->

00:48:16.960 Um, it doesn't mean we have uh kumbaya among all our partners at this point, but um we do have all our partners or most of them are starting to be around the table. 00:48:17.199 --> 00:48:28.320 And so uh there's still a long way to go, but I think I think the only true pathway to getting there is consistent, open, honest communication with everyone. 00:48:28.480 --> 00:48:29.920 We're never gonna please everyone. 00:48:30.079 --> 00:48:31.440 It it's never gonna be perfect. 00:48:31.599 --> 00:48:31.920 Yeah. 00:48:32.079 --> 00:48:41.840 Um, I have arguments with leaders in this community on one issue, and then we talk the next day on another issue, and and that that's just a different thing. 00:48:42.000 --> 00:48:43.920 We have to put that behind us and move on with something else. 00:48:44.000 --> 00:48:45.360 So it can't be personal. 00:48:45.519 --> 00:48:47.519 Uh, you can't make things personal. 00:48:47.599 --> 00:48:49.280 Um, and that doesn't always happen. 00:48:49.360 --> 00:48:56.639 Sometimes people do, but uh I think I think that we're in a much better place than we are, and we just have to stay focused on that. 00:48:56.880 --> 00:49:05.920 Um just like I said earlier, I'm I'm I forgot about an asset in our region that's a that's a partner's asset, right? 00:49:06.000 --> 00:49:13.440 And that's that's I I need to be uh admit that and and change that and try every day to get a little better about that. 00:49:13.599 --> 00:49:14.079 Mm-hmm. 00:49:14.719 --> 00:49:15.840 That's fair. 00:49:16.239 --> 00:49:23.119 Um what makes our area most attractive? 00:49:24.639 --> 00:49:28.079 I think being centrally located is a huge asset. 00:49:28.159 --> 00:49:33.039 Um, you know, where you can get to a good portion of the country um, you know, pretty quickly. 00:49:33.119 --> 00:49:47.519 You know, that was again brought up again this morning of like, well, you know, being in the middle country where it is, you can get nearly everywhere in a in a fairly short distance, you know, being on the interstate, you know, access to uh the airport. 00:49:47.679 --> 00:49:50.239 Uh one thing we haven't brought up today is our port. 00:49:50.400 --> 00:49:55.119 You know, the port is a is a huge asset, um, just you know, a few miles down the road. 00:49:55.199 --> 00:49:56.800 And that's a that's a big deal. 00:49:56.960 --> 00:50:08.719 Uh and so when you think, you know, river, rail, airport, interstate, centrally located in the country, um, there's a lot to lot to like about where we are. 00:50:09.039 --> 00:50:12.800 Yeah, and there's you know, I think those are all very valuable assets to sell. 00:50:12.880 --> 00:50:18.320 And a lot of regions in the country have somewhat similar assets, right? 00:50:18.400 --> 00:50:24.320 And and so I think at the end of the day, there's a handful of things we really have to lean in on. 00:50:24.400 --> 00:50:25.599 We have to do all that stuff. 00:50:25.679 --> 00:50:28.400 We have to support um those assets. 00:50:28.639 --> 00:50:45.199 But to differentiate ourselves, we have to go after the people who have a tie here, who grew up here, who have family here, who had a grandparent that was here and they visited as a kid and they have some nostalgic memory of it. 00:50:45.360 --> 00:50:54.159 I mean, these are the lowest hanging fruits for the kind of people who are going to bring companies and make investments in our region. 00:50:54.320 --> 00:51:01.519 And it's just, I mean, you look at a handful of projects that we've done in our role, one of the best ones is TrustWorks. 00:51:01.679 --> 00:51:09.039 Well, the owner of Trustworks grew up in Jackson, Missouri, went off, spent 40 years in the trust industry, did really well. 00:51:09.199 --> 00:51:15.119 All the but he wanted to retire here and he wasn't quite ready to retire, so he built a business here. 00:51:15.280 --> 00:51:19.199 So that's a that's a huge, and he got on city council in Jackson, right? 00:51:19.280 --> 00:51:22.559 I mean, that that's a great pool to get him back in the community. 00:51:22.719 --> 00:51:24.880 He's not coming here if he didn't grow up here. 00:51:25.039 --> 00:51:26.559 I mean, he's not gonna make that decision. 00:51:26.719 --> 00:51:41.119 So I think that's one thing we really have to think about is how do we ensure that if you went to high school in Puxico, Missouri, that you have an opportunity here and that we're always following up with you to make sure that you understand what the opportunities are. 00:51:41.360 --> 00:51:56.559 The second thing is that um I think we have to create something that is different and stands out from the thousand other communities that say, we have great schools, parks and people, you know, or whatever. 00:51:56.639 --> 00:51:59.840 Uh, or we have a 70-acre site. 00:51:59.920 --> 00:52:03.599 Uh, and so, um, okay, there's uh 870-acre sites. 00:52:03.679 --> 00:52:08.480 And if you're in site selection, that's really a misnomer for what the industry does. 00:52:08.639 --> 00:52:10.880 It is a site elimination industry. 00:52:11.119 --> 00:52:19.039 You look, if if if Delta wanted to make an expansion somewhere and they're like, we need to be kind of over, you know, in the Midwest. 00:52:19.119 --> 00:52:24.800 Uh, probably we're gonna draw a giant circle, and there's about five states we touch. 00:52:24.960 --> 00:52:28.960 And then within those five states, let's reach out to those states and see if they have any sites. 00:52:29.119 --> 00:52:41.119 So that state, one of them's Missouri, they're gonna send it out to their entire ecosystem, and there's gonna be about 50 sites that get submitted to them as potential places for Delta to do that expansion. 00:52:41.280 --> 00:52:46.000 Now you multiply that by over eight states and you got 400 sites coming at you. 00:52:46.159 --> 00:52:50.880 Well, you're gonna what's the easiest way I can take this from 400 to 50? 00:52:51.119 --> 00:52:52.559 And then let's

start narrowing down. 00:52:52.639 --> 00:52:57.920 So you may get eliminated way before you're ever really looking at the details of that property. 00:52:58.079 --> 00:53:06.400 You may get a this is um, you know, you may get eliminated because the state income tax is too high or whatever. 00:53:06.480 --> 00:53:10.239 I mean, there's somebody's making a decision somewhere to eliminate and narrow down. 00:53:10.400 --> 00:53:12.719 So what can we do to stand out and be different? 00:53:12.800 --> 00:53:23.119 And that's where I think that our apprenticeship opportunity, SEMO works, is the is the best path for us to go down. 00:53:23.199 --> 00:53:32.239 If we could be the number one region in the country for apprenticeships, and that and I'm speaking this vision into existence everywhere I go, and because I think there's a pathway there. 00:53:32.320 --> 00:53:39.920 But if we can say that to some company that, hey, the thing that's different about Southeast Missouri is that we have figured out our workforce pipeline. 00:53:40.079 --> 00:53:40.719 Let me show you how. 00:53:40.960 --> 00:53:41.760 Let me show you why. 00:53:42.000 --> 00:53:46.320 This website documents everything we've done on apprenticeships. 00:53:46.480 --> 00:53:48.239 It has some certifications. 00:53:48.400 --> 00:53:50.639 We've gotten some national press, all this stuff. 00:53:50.719 --> 00:53:52.400 Then they go, oh, that's kind of interesting. 00:53:52.559 --> 00:53:57.599 Maybe let's not eliminate those three sites in Southeast Missouri in the first round. 00:53:57.679 --> 00:54:04.880 Let's get a little bit farther down the list before we knock those off the list because they they're doing some cool stuff in workforce development. 00:54:04.960 --> 00:54:08.639 So I think we got to create some differentiators, and that's the one that I'm most excited about. 00:54:08.880 --> 00:54:10.320 Yeah, that makes sense. 00:54:10.639 --> 00:54:14.559 What um Lucas, maybe this is good for you. 00:54:14.800 --> 00:54:21.039 What's a common misconception that site selectors have about our area? 00:54:21.760 --> 00:54:25.920 Or like, you know, general region, Midwest, even maybe. 00:54:26.320 --> 00:54:28.480 Well, I don't know if that's even a misconception. 00:54:28.639 --> 00:54:31.440 I th you know it's it's more of just getting it on the radar. 00:54:31.679 --> 00:54:32.000 Okay. 00:54:32.239 --> 00:54:36.320 You know, it's it's there are as Chad said, there's so many sites. 00:54:36.559 --> 00:54:45.119 Um, and so part of it is just making sure that it's on the radar of like what's available um and what does it have to offer. 00:54:45.679 --> 00:54:55.199 Um and so as they're thinking about size and they have a client um that, oh yeah, I remember there was that site down in southeast Missouri that we talked about. 00:54:55.360 --> 00:55:00.239 And so um, you know, you you just kind of have to ping things a little bit. 00:55:00.320 --> 00:55:12.079 So you know, we'll send a newsletter out every six to eight weeks, we'll you know, be at some of these events, you know, and just you know, you're regularly just kind of talking to some of these folks and getting messages out so that uh it's top of mind. 00:55:12.239 --> 00:55:14.559 Uh I mentioned the Missouri Certified Site Program. 00:55:14.639 --> 00:55:16.159 We're doing the Ready Sites program. 00:55:16.400 --> 00:55:29.760 And so um, you know, we think about site readiness or site elimination, you know, part of it is just trying to get down the funnel of so that you know you you still kind of make their funnel of sites that they're gonna consider. 00:55:29.920 --> 00:55:32.159 Um, that you're you're checking the boxes. 00:55:32.559 --> 00:55:35.679 Uh and I think that's that's a that's a big part of it as well. 00:55:35.920 --> 00:55:41.199 Yeah, I think we don't have a perception issue, we have a lack of perception issue. 00:55:41.360 --> 00:55:41.679 Yeah. 00:55:42.320 --> 00:55:42.719 Yeah. 00:55:42.880 --> 00:55:43.039 Okay. 00:55:43.599 --> 00:55:44.719 They just don't know we're here. 00:55:44.880 --> 00:55:45.280 Yeah. 00:55:46.079 --> 00:55:51.519 So that's why people who do know we're here is the is the easiest path because they grew up here or something. 00:55:51.679 --> 00:55:51.840 Yeah. 00:55:52.159 --> 00:55:54.960 But um it's our job to make sure more people know we're here. 00:55:55.199 --> 00:56:02.719 Yeah, your take is we're not actively being um removed from the selection. 00:56:02.960 --> 00:56:04.639 We just don't stick out. 00:56:04.960 --> 00:56:09.360 We're being removed by lack of awareness of anything we have to offer. 00:56:09.519 --> 00:56:11.119 And and it's nobody's fault, right? 00:56:11.199 --> 00:56:13.119 We're just a smaller fish. 00:56:13.199 --> 00:56:20.960 And that's why I think we have to play together as a region because Cape is a certain size fish, but Southeast Missouri is a little bit bigger of a fish. 00:56:21.199 --> 00:56:30.480 And the bigger fish we can take to those ponds, the more likely we are to get a hook and start to try to reel something in. 00:56:30.559 --> 00:56:32.880 I just flip the metaphor right in the middle, but that's what we're doing. 00:56:32.960 --> 00:56:34.239 We're reeling them in. 00:56:34.960 --> 00:56:36.719 You're full of metaphors today. 00:56:37.119 --> 00:56:38.480 You just right-flip through them. 00:56:39.119 --> 00:56:42.159 I'm doing all kinds of stuff with my metaphors. 00:56:42.719 --> 00:56:48.559 Uh how do you guys measure success and your roles now? 00:56:49.599 --> 00:56:56.000 Yeah, I think we talked about this a little bit earlier in the sense of, you know, it's it's um you know, population growth and GDP. 00:56:56.159 --> 00:57:01.360 Everything we do, you know, it has to be focused on does this do something to help us grow our population? 00:57:01.519 --> 00:57:03.519 Does this do something to help us grow our GDP? 00:57:03.679 --> 00:57:03.920 Yep. 00:57:04.159 -->

00:57:12.079 Then beyond that, you know, there's the tactical aspects of like, okay, we're gonna try to do a certain number of visits with companies. 00:57:12.239 --> 00:57:22.559 We want to try to make sure that we're helping make sure we're, you know, Missouri Works applications or or credentialing um, you know, uh applications for um job training. 00:57:22.639 --> 00:57:26.639 So there's the tactical aspects of individual things that we're trying to go after. 00:57:26.719 --> 00:57:31.840 Um, but as far as big goals, you know, it's it's anything we're doing, we want to focus back on that. 00:57:31.920 --> 00:57:33.840 You know, is this gonna help our population? 00:57:34.000 --> 00:57:35.519 Is this gonna help GDP? 00:57:35.679 --> 00:57:37.840 Are we helping our local companies grow? 00:57:38.000 --> 00:57:47.119 Um, is this gonna be something that potentially gets in front of a site selector or uh an individual company that's you know, regional or Chicago or St. 00:57:47.280 --> 00:57:56.400 Louis or Memphis, that maybe they're thinking of adding a location or relocating that you know, we can we can help them and make sure that we're on their radar. 00:57:56.639 --> 00:58:01.760 Um and um so I mean it goes to that, or you know, it does something with training. 00:58:01.920 --> 00:58:04.880 Maybe we're adding another training component to the area. 00:58:05.039 --> 00:58:09.760 Um, so I think, but it again, it all goes back to that population or GDP. 00:58:10.000 --> 00:58:24.000 Yeah, and it and I'll just say that it's it's an pretty early on, that was the target, the population GDP, and the iterative steps, tactical steps to get there have been um evolving. 00:58:24.159 --> 00:58:32.239 Uh, you know, the at first it was how do we make sure the deltas of the world in our own community know what we're doing and why we're doing it. 00:58:32.320 --> 00:58:33.920 And so that was the first step, right? 00:58:34.000 --> 00:58:36.880 Is that we got to get our local stakeholders on board. 00:58:37.039 --> 00:58:42.880 And then it's been evolving and changing, and and we're just now, I think, getting into a place where we're going. 00:58:43.119 --> 00:58:55.519 We went from an organization that wasn't really functioning to an organization that was functioning pretty well for economic development organizations in our region to now one that I think is doing some things that others in Southeast Missouri aren't doing. 00:58:55.679 --> 00:58:58.000 So we're continuing to step up. 00:58:58.159 --> 00:59:00.159 I mean, I want to be a world-class organization. 00:59:00.239 --> 00:59:00.400 Yeah. 00:59:00.559 --> 00:59:01.760 Or what are we doing here? 00:59:01.840 --> 00:59:02.559 Why even bother? 00:59:02.719 --> 00:59:04.639 So we're we're gonna continue to push that envelope. 00:59:04.880 --> 00:59:05.119 Yeah. 00:59:05.280 --> 00:59:06.320 The competitive edge. 00:59:06.480 --> 00:59:07.360 You want to be the best. 00:59:07.599 --> 00:59:08.079 That's right. 00:59:08.239 --> 00:59:18.559 You brought up a good um just general business like goal setting and leadership stuff is defining the end goal initially, right? 00:59:18.719 --> 00:59:34.880 So the big end goal is moving the GDP and the population numbers, and then breaking those up into bite-sized goals of, okay, well, you know, if we just say that's our end goal and we just blindly start working towards that, we're probably not gonna make a difference with it. 00:59:35.039 --> 00:59:44.079 But let's break it down and bring it all the way back to present day and how we make it there in three to five years or whatever that timeline is, right? 00:59:44.159 --> 00:59:45.760 So that's that's absolutely right. 00:59:45.840 --> 00:59:48.719 I mean, it's it's that's more of a vision statement, right? 00:59:48.960 --> 00:59:49.280 Yeah. 00:59:49.440 --> 00:59:55.360 Um these things have not done well over the last couple decades in our region. 00:59:55.440 --> 01:00:04.480 And I don't know that we have the secret sauce to uh improve it, but we're certainly not going to sit around and watch it continue to decline without trying to do something. 01:00:04.639 --> 01:00:04.880 Yeah. 01:00:05.039 --> 01:00:11.920 And that's why I think everybody on that board's around the table is because they are aware of the challenges uh and they want to be a part of the solution. 01:00:12.000 --> 01:00:15.360 And if they knew the exact solution, they'd all just go do it. 01:00:15.440 --> 01:00:17.679 And that's why we're all getting together because we're trying to figure it out. 01:00:17.840 --> 01:00:18.079 Yeah. 01:00:18.239 --> 01:00:18.559 Yeah. 01:00:18.800 --> 01:00:19.440 Nice. 01:00:19.760 --> 01:00:26.800 So what we do on the podcast as a tradition is the last guest leaves a question for the next guest. 01:00:27.199 --> 01:00:33.760 So your question is what do you think would make the world a better place to live and work in? 01:00:35.920 --> 01:00:42.559 I I'll start because I uh uh I'm an economic developer. 01:00:42.800 --> 01:00:51.119 So I I everything I d do think and say, I think, um is in shrouded in that lens. 01:00:51.360 --> 01:00:59.840 Um to me, you know, when I think about that, I think about our region and I think about the gutting of jobs. 01:01:00.079 --> 01:01:12.159 Uh you know, when you look at especially, I mean, I grew up in Stoddard County and you look at the jobs that are left there and their home healthcare worker roles because it's such an aging population. 01:01:12.639 --> 01:01:23.280 Um and so I think a balance of recruiting good high-wage jobs into a community solves a lot of problems. 01:01:23.599 --> 01:01:37.920 If you have a proctor and gamble doubling its size and the kind of wages they pay, and then that money circulating in your economy, I think life expen expectancy goes up in a region that has good jobs. 01:01:38.239 --> 01:01:42.639 You have better infrastructure because they're following, you have better things to

do. 01:01:42.880 --> 01:01:49.679 So, in a true economic developer answer here, I'm gonna say recruiting jobs improves the world. 01:01:49.840 --> 01:01:50.159 Yeah. 01:01:50.320 --> 01:01:52.960 Uh improves my little world in Southeast Missouri. 01:01:53.039 --> 01:01:55.679 And I and I'm not equipped to answer anything beyond that. 01:01:56.159 --> 01:01:58.400 We're not talking foreign affairs or politics. 01:02:00.639 --> 01:02:02.079 Lucas is smarter than me. 01:02:02.320 --> 01:02:04.480 Maybe he'll go deeper into world affairs. 01:02:07.199 --> 01:02:33.760 Well, I mean, certainly uh branching off from just strictly economic development, I would say, you know, engagement in your community, you know, getting families um engaged, getting their children engaged in a community, uh, in their church, local churches, you know, just uh a lack of of engagement, I think is a problem there, which also gets back from an economic development standpoint on soft skills too. 01:02:33.920 --> 01:02:43.519 Like so if you're if you're raising the next generation of workers without uh a foundation of soft skills, um, that's a real, real challenge. 01:02:43.679 --> 01:02:48.719 And so, and you know, you see that to some extent um with what's going on in the workforce. 01:02:48.880 --> 01:02:51.920 So um I think that could be that's certainly a big part of it. 01:02:52.239 --> 01:02:53.599 Gosh, that's such a good answer. 01:02:53.760 --> 01:02:57.119 I have to talk again because his his answer is so good. 01:02:57.280 --> 01:02:58.800 Um, because I I think he's right. 01:02:58.880 --> 01:03:04.000 I mean, you see these like the rotary clubs of the world losing attendance. 01:03:04.400 --> 01:03:20.960 Uh, you see people, reasonable people choosing not to run for a local office, uh, and then the void gets filled um by people with an agenda or uh who or who aren't reasonable in some cases. 01:03:21.119 --> 01:03:33.440 Uh and and in some ways that needs to happen, but but you want more of a bench on those kinds of things, like people interested and excited about it to do it and to make their community a better place. 01:03:33.519 --> 01:03:46.480 Because if it it all starts here, like the world gets better if Missouri gets better, and Missouri gets better if Cape Girardeau gets better, and Cape is gets better if Ward 4 gets better. 01:03:46.559 --> 01:03:53.039 You know, it's all these little pieces, and and that all happens if people care and get involved. 01:03:53.199 --> 01:03:53.599 Yeah, yeah. 01:03:53.840 --> 01:04:02.800 And so I think your answer was so good because uh we we're seeing people check out from that kind of and for a variety of reasons. 01:04:02.880 --> 01:04:04.719 I'm not saying anyone's wrong for checking out. 01:04:04.800 --> 01:04:07.440 I mean, we the economic conditions have shifted. 01:04:07.599 --> 01:04:14.400 If you're getting out of college at a I mean, I got out of college during the great um like the 08 recession, right? 01:04:14.480 --> 01:04:15.119 Right in there. 01:04:15.199 --> 01:04:19.360 And it was I was pretty fortunate, but a lot of my classmates couldn't find jobs there. 01:04:19.440 --> 01:04:21.519 So their perception was a lot different. 01:04:21.679 --> 01:04:24.559 They weren't then joining Rotary Club three years later. 01:04:24.639 --> 01:04:27.440 They're still trying to get on their feet and with a job. 01:04:27.519 --> 01:04:30.159 And so I think there's a lot of impacts that got us here. 01:04:30.320 --> 01:04:33.519 Um, but man, if we turn the tide on some of that stuff, it would be huge. 01:04:33.679 --> 01:04:33.920 Yeah. 01:04:34.000 --> 01:04:34.159 Yeah. 01:04:34.320 --> 01:04:34.639 Yeah. 01:04:35.280 --> 01:04:39.119 Well, in fairness, I think you both answered kind of the same way. 01:04:39.440 --> 01:04:41.360 Just in different ways. 01:04:41.599 --> 01:04:49.360 But I think you're both saying uh a healthy community with involvement is what makes everything better, right? 01:04:49.440 --> 01:04:50.480 And so Yes. 01:04:50.639 --> 01:04:52.880 Thank you for reframing me more eloquently. 01:04:53.199 --> 01:04:54.000 You're welcome. 01:04:54.239 --> 01:04:57.119 You took a hardcore economic developer approach. 01:04:57.599 --> 01:04:58.719 That's what I do. 01:04:59.039 --> 01:05:00.719 I said I said go back to church. 01:05:00.800 --> 01:05:05.440 He said get involved in economic development between the two of us. 01:05:05.840 --> 01:05:07.280 That's a very churchy drive. 01:05:07.519 --> 01:05:08.159 Okay, and then he came back. 01:05:08.480 --> 01:05:12.000 Then he came back and said, Oh, you he had to humanize himself. 01:05:14.000 --> 01:05:14.320 Okay. 01:05:15.119 --> 01:05:16.639 Uh well, thanks, guys. 01:05:16.880 --> 01:05:17.840 This is fun. 01:05:18.159 --> 01:05:19.199 Well, thank you for having us. 01:05:19.920 --> 01:05:20.400 Really appreciate it. 01:05:20.639 --> 01:05:30.480 Appreciate your your involvement in SEMO ready um and all you do to drive um growth in our region from building the things we need to move goods around. 01:05:30.559 --> 01:05:32.239 So it's sure and and people. 01:05:32.320 --> 01:05:32.400 Yeah. 01:05:32.559 --> 01:05:33.760 Not just goods, but people too. 01:05:34.000 --> 01:05:34.320 That's right. 01:05:34.400 --> 01:05:34.719 That's right. 01:05:34.960 --> 01:05:35.440 Absolutely. 01:05:35.599 --> 01:05:36.000 Cool. 01:05:36.159 --> 01:05:37.199 Thanks so much. 01:05:40.159 --> 01:05:58.400 If y'all enjoyed the episode, please rate our show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, and check out Delta on all social media platforms at Delta Companies, and our website at Delta C O S looks like Deltacos.com. 01:05:58.639 --> 01:06:01.199 Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next week.