# Economic Development as a Team Sport: Dennis Alvord on Building Regional Economies That Endure

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/manufacturing-an-american-century-6604798/economic-development-as-a-team-sport-dennis-alvord-on-building-regional-economies-that-endure
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/manufacturing-an-american-century-6604798/economic-development-as-a-team-sport-dennis-alvord-on-building-regional-economies-that-endure.md
Podcast: [Manufacturing an American Century](https://stenobird.com/podcast/manufacturing-an-american-century-6604798)
Published: 2026-05-01T18:30:00+00:00
Episode link: https://rss.art19.com/episodes/f05eae35-cf29-4bd6-a187-d2b23fae1288.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIg90cmFuc2NyaWJyBjoGRVQ%3D--952c5701c84ad333c69d5faa668f8177091704f0
Audio file: https://rss.art19.com/episodes/f05eae35-cf29-4bd6-a187-d2b23fae1288.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIg90cmFuc2NyaWJyBjoGRVQ%3D--952c5701c84ad333c69d5faa668f8177091704f0
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Duration seconds: 2614

## Resource

It was a real pleasure to sit down with Dennis Alvord, a nearly 30-year veteran of the federal civil service whose career at the Economic Development Administration and the OECD's Regional Development Policy Committee has made him one of the most experienced economic development practitioners in the country. Dennis and I first crossed paths about 15 years ago working to bring forward evidence on manufacturing's role as a cornerstone of regional economic development, and it was great to reconnect and dig into where we are today. We cover a lot of ground in this conversation. Dennis walks us through EDA's history as one of the federal government's more flexible and creative grant-making agencies, and how programs like IMCP and Tech Hubs have demonstrated the power of place-based, collaborative investment. We discuss what the US can learn from OECD member nations on sustained industrial policy, from Sweden and Japan's innovative approaches to offsite manufactured housing to the importance of consistent, structured federal investment in regional economic ecosystems. We also talk about the critical importance of civil servants as stewards of the public good, and Dennis shares his perspective on what it will take to build the structured, long-term regional investment frameworks that can truly move the needle on American prosperity. Thanks to Dennis for a great conversation, give it a listen! 🔗 Links to Learn More: Find Dennis on LinkedIn . Explore OECD’s Regional Development Policy Committee . Follow AMCC on Linkedin . Find Matt on Linkedin . Visit our website . AMCC’s podcast is made possible in part by the expertise of Mike McAllen, founder of Podcasting4Associations . Are you part of an association also looking to produce a podcast? Let us connect you with Mike. Thank you…

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