Regional networking key to future economy, ECIDC speaker says

Here's a press release on Ed Morrison's recent presentation in Illinois:

..." Sunday, May 18, 2008 10:59 PM CDT
Regional networking key to future economy, ECIDC speaker says

By BILL LAIR, Managing Editor
blair [at] jg-tc [dot] com

The challenge for civic leaders today is figuring out how to forecast the future workplace needs of the country.

Ed Morrison, an economic policy adviser for the Purdue center for Regional Development, said people spend too much energy placing blame on economic problems instead of planning for improvements.

Morrison was the featured speaker at the nine-county East Central Illinois Development Corporation’s Annual Dinner and BESI Awards on Thursday in Effingham.

The BESI awards went to Jim Ryan of Marshall, John Inyart of Charleston and to the Journal Gazette/Times-Courier for their achievements in business ethics and social involvement.

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“Civic leadership must find ways to move from our grandfather’s economy to our grandchildren’s economy,” Morrison said.

Morrison said dictating to people no longer works.

“Today, no one can tell anyone else what to do,” Morrison said. “When folks don’t collaborate, people get confused.”

Groups need to create neutral civic space where various entities can come together to address the challenges in a civil discussion.

He said people need to establish new habits of “thinking together” to deal with difficult issues."

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