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140: Transforming Southern Illinois' Economic Development with Deb Barnett
Episode 140

140: Transforming Southern Illinois' Economic Development with Deb Barnett

Deb Barnett, executive director of SI Now, discusses the organization's regional approach to economic development in Southern Illinois on the Econ Dev Show with host Dane Carlson.

Econ Dev Show Podcast - Economic Development

September 16, 202429m 42s

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Show Notes

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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Special Guest: Deb Barnett.

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Topics

Economic developmentSouthern Illinoisregional collaborationSI NowDeb Barnettrural economysmall businessstorytellinginnovationcommunity partnershipsworkforce developmentbusiness incubationstrategic growthlocal assetsregional marketingField Trip Fridayspodcastingrural revitalizationentrepreneurshipcross-county cooperation