April 1 – June 30, 2025
From Expansion to Execution: OEDA’s Q2 2025 in Review
OEDA’s second quarter was marked by continued momentum across our strategic pillars—membership, programming, partnerships, and advocacy. With a growing and increasingly engaged network, a packed lineup of educational offerings, and a sharpened focus on inclusion and alignment, Q2 reinforced our statewide presence and impact. Thank you to all our members, partners, and leaders who helped advance economic development across Ohio.
EDUCATON
OEDA delivered a strong mix of in-person and virtual programs in Q2, finalized the JobsOhio grant closeout, and formed a new AI Collaborative. Programming continued to serve both new and experienced professionals statewide.
- JobsOhio Contract Close-Out: The Ohio Economic Development Association (OEDA) exceeded its goals under the two-year JobsOhio grant (7/1/2023 through 6/30/2025), delivering 26 educational events to 2,437 registrants—surpassing the 20-event commitment. The funding supported major enhancements including new Intermediate Courses, stronger Capstone mentorship, and a rigorous certification pathway. Key results:
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- Programs Delivered: 26 total events (Basic, Core, Capstone, Intermediate, Webinars)
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- Participant Reach: 2,437 registrants; high satisfaction scores (avg. 4.5/5.0)
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- Instructional Expansion: 3 new lead instructors recruited
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- Capstone Growth: Participation nearly doubled from 2024 to 2025
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- Financial Impact: Grant covered ~23% of ~$788K in education-related expenses
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- Future Ready: Full certification cycle (5 Core + Capstone) launches 2026
- Standard & Expanded Offerings: Q2 featured a variety of educational programs tailored to both new and seasoned professionals, including:
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- Basic Economic Development Course: 89 registered
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- Business Retention & Expansion (Core Course): 47 registered
- Webinars: OEDA hosted 3 webinars this quarter, offering timely insights on key development topics. These sessions are part of our continued effort to deliver accessible, practical education throughout the year.
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- APA Fireside Chat: 198 registered
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- Targeted Industry Strategies webinar: 40 registered
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- Demystifying Entitlements webinar
- AI Collaborative: The initial AI Collaborative group, to work on how best to deliver applied AI education to Ohio’s economic developers was formed and will start meeting in Q3.
EVENTS
The 2025 Annual Summit is shaping up to be OEDA’s largest and most dynamic event yet, with record-setting engagement across programming, sponsorship, and exhibitor participation. More than 75 session proposals were submitted for just 40 available breakout and IGNITE presentation slots—highlighting the depth of expertise and interest within Ohio’s economic development community. Selections have been finalized, and early bird registration is now open. Additional highlights include:
- $152,700 in sponsorship from 42 organizations — both all-time records
- 27 exhibitors — the highest number in Summit history
- 75+ session proposals received for 30 breakout and 10 IGNITE slots
INFORMATION & ENGAGEMENT
OEDA broadened its statewide visibility through regional tours, high-performing social media content, and consistent newsletter communications. These efforts helped strengthen connections across the network.
- Regional Tours: David was on the road 45% of the time in the second quarter, spending 11 days on regional tours (Central, East, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and West) engaging in 25 meetings, giving 8 speeches, and participating in 4 regional events.
- Social Media Growth: OEDA’s LinkedIn following grew to 4,380 followers in Q2 – a 22.7% increase over Q1. Key metrics include 137,515 impressions, 4,550 reactions, 260 comments, and 79 reposts. The OEDA Connections campaign, which highlights regional tour visits with local economic developers, emerged as a follower favorite and continues to deepen engagement statewide.
- Newsletters: OEDA issued 13 OEDA Express newsletters and 5 editions of the OEDA Advocate in Q2. Engagement metrics remained strong with a 53.5% open rate for the Express and a 51.2% open rate for the Advocate. These rates continue to outperform industry benchmarks, reinforcing the value of our communications.
POLICY & ADVOCACY
OEDA made strong progress on its advocacy agenda in the second quarter. The Government Affairs Committee continued to meet regularly and is actively drafting new policy statements to guide the organization’s positions on key statewide economic issues. A full draft of OEDA’s comprehensive policy platform was completed by the end of Q2 and will be reviewed by the Committee in Q3, with feedback solicited from key stakeholders to ensure broad alignment and impact.
MEMBERSHIP & ORGANIZATON
Q2 saw strong membership growth, key staff and board updates, and renewed efforts to align inclusion initiatives with OEDA’s statewide mission.
- Membership Growth: OEDA reached 874 members at the end of Q2 – reflecting a 23% increase since March. Notably, we saw significant growth in the government sector, further expanding our network’s reach across public, private, and nonprofit organizations statewide.
- Team Update: Amanda Miller joined OEDA as Marketing & Engagement Manager on April 21. She brings over a decade of experience in strategic marketing and rural economic development. Her addition enhances OEDA’s ability to connect with members, tell our story, and expand statewide visibility.
- Board Updates: We welcomed Matt McCollister to the Board of Directors and extend our appreciation to Sarah Custer and Sarah Daligga for their service as they stepped down in Q2.
- Commitment to Inclusion: The Inclusive Economic Development Committee began a strategic reorganization process to better align with OEDA’s statewide mission. This work is focused on serving all economic development practitioners—rural, suburban, and urban—through more intentional structure and representation.