Ec. Dev. for Elected Officials (EO)
Economic Development for Elected Officials (EO)
Leading Community Prosperity
Economic development is one of the most important responsibilities of local government. The decisions elected officials make today influence a community’s ability to attract investment, support businesses, create opportunities, and build long-term resilience.
Economic Development for Elected Officials (EO) is designed specifically for mayors, councillors, reeves, and other elected leaders who play a governance role in shaping their community’s economic future. This core course provides the knowledge and confidence needed to set strategic direction, make informed decisions, ask the right questions, and support effective economic development practice without crossing into operational responsibilities.
Participants will explore the fundamentals of economic development, understand the distinct roles of Council, administration, and practitioners, learn how to interpret community and economic data, evaluate strategies and investments, and strengthen their ability to govern for long-term prosperity and resilience. The course also introduces EDA’s six-factor Community Economic Resilience framework and the critical role elected officials play in creating the conditions for community success.
Whether you are newly elected or an experienced municipal leader, EO provides practical tools and insights to help you make informed decisions that support stronger, more resilient communities.
This is a core course within the Community Economic Development Certificate Program and serves as the governance foundation for the EDA Institute curriculum.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Explain what economic development is and how it has evolved.
- Distinguish Council’s governance role from administration and practitioner delivery roles.
- Ask better questions about economic and community data.
- Evaluate whether community analysis is credible enough to guide Council priorities.
- Assess whether proposed strategies fit local context, capacity, and readiness.
- Understand Council’s role in approving, resourcing, and monitoring an SEDP.
- Use the Logic Model and SOME Framework to ask for outcome-based reporting.
- Apply governance questions at each stage of economic development decision-making.
Download the Economic Development for Elected Officials flyer and share it with your colleagues.
Delivery Option & Cost
Individual
Online, self-directed learning. Available 24-7.
$195 Members $295 Non-Members
Group
Hybrid-Online:
Self-directed, augmented with live instructor sessions
$325 Members $435 Non-Members
In person
Two options:
Group session in your community. One day instructor-led virtual workshop.
$2950 Members $3450 Non-Members