A message from IEDC

Dear friends and colleagues,

The International Economic Development Council is deeply disturbed and saddened by the tragic and senseless killing of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement. But we do not just grieve for George Floyd, we grieve for the families of  Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor and the many others who have lost their lives as a result of a society that treats people in different ways based on race.  We unequivocally reject racism in all of its forms and call on all our leaders to work to dismantle systemic and institutionalized racism that has existed for generations. We affirm the rights of all people to peacefully protest and call on all our fellow citizens to seek change through non-violent means.

For decades, civil rights leaders and activists have decried and worked to address inequities such as the police brutality that disproportionately affects African Americans.

Economic developers play a critical role in our communities. Our ability to affect change through economic opportunity and transformation is second to none. Our knowledge combined with our ability to convene community and business leaders will be essential, more than ever before, to recovering and rebuilding. We will need to address difficult and sometimes painful issues to be successful, but this profession will rise to the challenge.

The public health crisis which has caused a disproportionate number of African Americans to lose their life, the definition of essential workers has pushed a disproportionate number of African Americans to be relied upon to continue to work and at the same time be exposed to the pandemic,  the subsequent economic downturn which has caused a disproportionate number of African Americans to lose their jobs, and the underlying and ongoing scourge of racism in the United States has made 2020 one of the most challenges years in recent memory. 

All of these issues make our work far more difficult and simultaneously more critical as economic development leaders.   

We feel for those in our communities that feel targeted and unheard.  We hurt for the small business owners that have had property destroyed over the past several days, and those that have lost friends and family to the global pandemic.  Finally, we are all struggling to lead ourselves, our teams, and our communities against a cascading set of issues for businesses, government and non-profits.      

I am also writing to let you know that I am requesting a committee to be formed to make recommendations to the board of directors on racism and economic development.  This committee will begin its work now and advising the board for the foreseeable future. These recommendations should be provided to us by the time we approve our strategic plan to ensure this issue receives the proper attention and input. 

IEDC will continue to support our members and remain resolved in our commitment to providing you with the resources you need to lead in your communities. The global pandemic, depressed economy, and nation-wide protests have converged to create an economic landscape that looks nothing like what we have encountered before; we urge all our members to engage their stakeholders, colleagues and new partners to prepare for what is to come. 

The way forward is together. We will be with you every step of the way.

As the well-known jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr once said, “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”

On behalf of the board of directors of the International Economic Development Council,

Sincerely yours,

Kenny McDonald, CEcD
President & CEO, One Columbus
2020 Chairman of the IEDC Board of Directors