This episode of Nonprofit Report features Nathan Ohle, President and CEO of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), who shares how the world’s largest economic development association is reimagining strategies to empower communities, train professionals, and drive sustainable, inclusive growth globally.
Guest:
Nathan Ohle, President & CEO, International Economic Development Council
Interview by: Mark Oppenheim
Key Points:
- IEDC supports nearly 5,000 economic developers worldwide through training, certification, and resources.
- The organization is actively evolving to meet the needs of the next 10–25 years, not just the past decade.
- Equity in economic development includes addressing race, gender, geography, and resource disparities.
- Capacity building is critical—many communities lack the tools and staff to access funding and grow.
- Certifications emphasize real-world application and continuous learning, not just credentials.
- Local assets, from cultural institutions to nonprofits, are key to tailoring successful strategies.
- Global collaboration and exchange programs connect economic developers across 25+ countries.
- IEDC’s Economic Recovery Corps will embed fellows in 65+ underserved U.S. communities for capacity-building.
Other Points on International Economic Development Council:
IEDC’s mission is to help communities thrive by connecting them to knowledge, partnerships, and funding. It serves as a convener of public, private, and nonprofit sectors, from small rural towns to international NGOs, ensuring that local solutions are informed by both global insight and lived experience.
The organization recognizes that traditional models of economic development must evolve. That means centering equity, addressing water and infrastructure crises, and elevating the voices of historically overlooked regions and populations.
Through conferences, technical assistance, and collaborative networks, IEDC supports economic developers in navigating complexity—from climate change to workforce shifts—while sharing lessons across borders.
At its core, IEDC is about building people power. With programs like the Economic Recovery Corps, it places skilled professionals directly into communities, giving them the tools, training, and peer network to create long-lasting impact from the ground up.