Episode 140

Transforming Southern Illinois' Economic Development with Deb Barnett

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September 16th, 2024

29 mins 42 secs

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cross-county cooperation entrepreneurship rural revitalization podcasting field trip fridays regional marketing local assets strategic growth business incubation workforce development community partnerships innovation storytelling small business rural economy deb barnett si now regional collaboration southern illinois economic development

About this Episode

In this episode, Dane talks with Deb Barnett, the executive director of SI Now.

SI Now is a relatively new regional economic development organization founded in the fall of 2022, serving 17 counties in Southern Illinois. She explains that the organization was created to address the need for a more strategic and collaborative approach to economic development in the region, moving away from the previous model where communities and counties worked in isolation.

During the conversation, Barnett highlights SI Now's focus on long-term economic growth and shares insights about their current projects and future plans. She also discusses her involvement in a podcast called "Small Town Big Business," which features interviews with small business owners in Southern Illinois. Barnett emphasizes the importance of storytelling in economic development and expresses optimism about the increasing number of opportunities and projects in the pipeline for the region.

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