Reid Dulberger joined the Greater Memphis Chamber in 2008, bringing extensive experience in local economic development to the Memphis Area Economic Development Plan, also known as MemphisED. Before coming to Memphis, Dulberger, who grew up in New York City and Miami Beach, served as executive vice president for the Youngstown/Warren (Ohio) Regional Chamber after living in several East Coast cities. Ashley M. Wislock sat down with him to discuss the nuts and bolts of the MemphisED program and the unique vibe that can be found only in Memphis.

How did you get started in this field?

I had been working in Washington D.C. as a Presidential Management Intern for the federal government and was wondering what to do with my life, and I stumbled across this field of local economic development. It seemed fascinating and I looked around and found a job in Syracuse, N.Y. and that launched my career.

I have been working in local economic development for the past 25 years. It’s very fulfilling to know that you’re having an impact on a community’s future and the lives of the people in that community.

Could you help us understand the five goals of the MemphisED program?

MemphisED is a broad-based economic development partnership. It has five goals, 15 strategies
and 16 accountable organizations or partners.

The first goal that we have is innovation and entrepreneurship. Research tells us that, in the long term, the economic vitality of local economies are largely determined by the number of high-growth, small companies that they have. So that’s an important component for us.

We have three strategies under that goal, and we have several partner organizations including Innova, EmergeMemphis, the FedEx Institute at the University of Memphis and the Mid-South Minority Business Council.

The second goal is to market Memphis, and there are two strategies under that. One is internal marketing and one is external marketing. The internal marketing was formed to address the unfortunate issue that Memphians don’t love Memphis as much as they should, and that (has) real and tangible economic impact. The external marketing is very different: It is classic economic development business attraction. It’s trying to convince companies that are looking to expand with new facilities that they should put them here.

The third goal is a focus on target industries. The three largest are logistics, tourism and bioscience. In addition, we focused on two others, music as an industry, and film and television. The objective there is to grow those industries.

The fourth goal is the expansion and retention of existing firms. We know that, statistically, the largest number of new jobs comes from companies that are already in the community. The expansion and retention of existing firms will account for 80 percent or more of the net job growth in most communities, and the number here in Memphis, we believe, is even higher. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, it’s not a very glamorous part of economic development. But it really is the most efficient way to stimulate growth.

The fifth goal is what we refer to as making Memphis a place of choice for knowledge workers. The notion here is that the competition for talent has come to rival the direct competition for companies as an economic development priority. Talent is in short supply and will be in even shorter supply going forward, largely because the Baby Boomer generation is retiring. The people who are left are going to have a lot of choices, and they’re going to look not simply at who they want to work for but what community they want to live in.

How does MemphisED work to achieve the five goals that are in place?

Each of our 16 accountable organizations has a written plan which was approved by the Memphis Fast Forward Steering Committee, the governing body for what we do. The organizations are accountable for a specific piece of the overall plan. We monitor them on a quarterly basis to see how well (they’re) doing, and when situations arise that hinder our progress, we all work to see what changes are needed to improve the outcome.

The Fast Forward Steering Committee has members that are in very prominent roles in the city. How important is support from community leaders?

It’s absolutely critical. The term “public-private partnership” has become way overused in the past few years, but the concept is the right one. You need the people around the table who can make decisions, who can bring resources, who can demand accountability and who can help you achieve results.

How does the Chamber fit into Memphis Fast Forward’s overall plan?

The Chamber is responsible for four primary parts of the MemphisED plan: internal marketing, business attraction, the logistics and aerotroplis initiative and the… Existing Business Team. The Chamber has really stepped up and the Memphis Fast Forward Steering Committee really relies on the Chamber, particularly to create the short-term results that are so critical.

What is your favorite thing to do on a Saturday or on the weekend in the area?

My wife and I love the fact that there is so much to do here. We’ve been here almost three years and there are still things to explore. There are weekends that we go out to brunch someplace and then stop at the latest museum exhibit. Some weekends, we come downtown to walk along the river or go to Mud Island. If there’s a music event, we might do that. We just love knowing that there’s all these things going on. It’s such a lively place.

What is your favorite thing about Memphis?

There is an energy here, and it’s very different than any other place that I’ve lived. I’ve lived in Northeast Ohio, in upstate New York, in the D.C. area, Miami, and they’re all wonderful places. But Memphis is very different. It’s the soul of this city. That seems trite, but there’s definitely an energy here that we love. To me, it’s very real and very noticeable and it distinguishes Memphis from other places.

Related Links:
MemphisED
Memphis Fast Forward
Shelby Farms Park