2020 EDC Staff Reflection
On the final Building BN episode of 2020, the EDC staff reflects on the past year, including both accomplishments and challenges, professional and as members of the community. Participating in this episode are BNEDC President and CEO, Patrick Hoban, Executive assistant, Becky Kirkpatrick, Project Manager, Nik Duffle, and BRE Manager, Amber Wilfley. In a surprise to absolutely no one, COVID-19 took center stage in 2020.
Speaking about challenges the EDC has faced related to the pandemic, Patrick said, “For our industry, it's all about information and relationships and it's been challenging to build relationships… One of the things that make us one of the happiest places in America is the quality of life that we have here. And we're only getting part of it. You can't experience at all from the laptop.”
While 2020 did bring about a lot of challenges, the EDC staff also had many accomplishments and experiences to celebrate. For Wilfley, the One Voice trip — which occurred within just days of her start date at the BNEDC — was a highlight of 2020.
Said Wilfley, “The One Voice trip absolutely, completely blew my mind. With what goes on behind the scenes and everything that it takes to make things happen, it was just amazing to see all of the community leaders pulled together, having one voice. Just being able to represent our community in such a positive light, was huge. It was a great experience.”
For Duffle, more than just one moment deserved the top spot. Said Duffle, “Mine is a combination of moments, I think that really impacted not just me, but the entire community. I think for me, it's the continued investment that Bloomington Normal is seeing throughout the entire year of 2020, when a lot of communities weren't as fortunate to see some of that investment. Bloomington Normal saw a lot of investment, whether it be from Rivian or Ferrero or from Connect Transit.”
For Kirkpatrick, being able to pivot quickly to work from home at the beginning of the pandemic was a top moment, with positive side effects for both the staff and the community. She said, “We can work from anywhere now. If I had to go to a conference, I could still do my certificates for the enterprise zone, for Rivian or whoever needed one. And it just makes it so much easier that nobody has to wait on what they need right away.”
The EDC staff also talks about other notable events in 2020, their favorite EDC projects, what they are looking forward to in 2021, and what they are most proud of. You can listen to Episode #21 of Building BN in its entirety here.
