web02.fireside.fm Fri, 01 May 2026 20:14:16 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) The Leading Ladies of Economic Development - Episodes Tagged with “Data Driven Economic Development” https://www.llofed.com/tags/data-driven%20economic%20development Fri, 06 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0500 This podcast is a safe place for female economic development professionals to share stories, insights, and challenges of the economic development industry. We hear from women leaders across the country about their careers in ED and how you can apply their experiences to your own economic development career goals. en-us episodic These are the women leading economic development across the US. Kaycee Bunch This podcast is a safe place for female economic development professionals to share stories, insights, and challenges of the economic development industry. We hear from women leaders across the country about their careers in ED and how you can apply their experiences to your own economic development career goals. no economic development, econ dev, development, community development, women, leadership Kaycee Bunch kayceegbunch@gmail.com Building a “Smart Place”: Systems Thinking, Workforce Insights, and Quality of Life in Huntsville │ Lucia Cape http://www.llofed.com/season3-episode3-lucia-cape 85c595ae-076c-470c-8dd7-1133213883ac Fri, 06 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0500 Kaycee Bunch full 3 Kaycee Bunch 27:02 no Lucia Cape, Senior Vice President of Economic Development and Workforce for the Huntsville Madison County Chamber, joins host Kaycee Bunch to discuss her nearly 20-year journey from workforce leadership into overseeing business recruitment and retention across Huntsville and Madison County. In this episode, Lucia shares how Huntsville’s “Smart Place” talent campaign, data-driven third-party analysis, and systems mapping approach have supported rapid growth and diversification across industries such as manufacturing, aerospace, and pharmaceutical manufacturing—including the recent announcement of an Eli Lilly facility. She explains how Huntsville connects workforce development from early childhood through retiree engagement, why emotional intelligence and adaptability are increasingly critical alongside STEM skills, and how quality-of-life investments—like outdoor recreation, arts, downtown livability, dog parks, and food trucks—help attract and retain talent. Lucia also emphasizes community partnership, continuous improvement, measuring the broader impact of economic development wins, and leadership lessons focused on building a community that future generations want to return to. In this episode, we explore: * The “Smart Place” strategy and how Huntsville uses data and third-party analysis to support growth and talent attraction. * Why systems thinking and workforce mapping help prioritize long-term education and talent pipeline investments. * How quality-of-life and cultural vibrancy have become essential tools for recruiting and retaining talent. Quotable: “   If everyone in the community approaches it as, ‘we're all in this together’, economic development is not an individual sport.”> Resources and Links Connect with Lucia Cape (https://www.linkedin.com/in/luciacape/) Home Page - ASmartPlace (https://asmartplace.com/) Welcome - Huntsville/Madison County Chamber (https://hsvchamber.org/) ACCE | Home (https://www.acce.org/) Special Guest: Lucia Cape. Huntsville Alabama, Huntsville economic development, Madison County Alabama, Smart Place campaign, workforce development strategy, talent attraction and retention, systems thinking, workforce systems mapping, data-driven economic development, business recruitment and retention, Huntsville Madison County Chamber, regional economic growth, aerospace industry Huntsville, advanced manufacturing workforce, pharmaceutical manufacturing expansion, Eli Lilly Huntsville, STEM workforce, emotional intelligence in the workplace, talent pipeline development, public-private partnerships, community collaboration, quality of life and economic development, downtown revitalization, outdoor recreation economy, arts and culture economy, leadership in economic development, future of work, economic diversification, building thriving communities Lucia Cape, Senior Vice President of Economic Development and Workforce for the Huntsville Madison County Chamber, joins host Kaycee Bunch to discuss her nearly 20-year journey from workforce leadership into overseeing business recruitment and retention across Huntsville and Madison County. In this episode, Lucia shares how Huntsville’s “Smart Place” talent campaign, data-driven third-party analysis, and systems mapping approach have supported rapid growth and diversification across industries such as manufacturing, aerospace, and pharmaceutical manufacturing—including the recent announcement of an Eli Lilly facility. She explains how Huntsville connects workforce development from early childhood through retiree engagement, why emotional intelligence and adaptability are increasingly critical alongside STEM skills, and how quality-of-life investments—like outdoor recreation, arts, downtown livability, dog parks, and food trucks—help attract and retain talent. Lucia also emphasizes community partnership, continuous improvement, measuring the broader impact of economic development wins, and leadership lessons focused on building a community that future generations want to return to.

In this episode, we explore:

  • The “Smart Place” strategy and how Huntsville uses data and third-party analysis to support growth and talent attraction.
  • Why systems thinking and workforce mapping help prioritize long-term education and talent pipeline investments.
  • How quality-of-life and cultural vibrancy have become essential tools for recruiting and retaining talent.

Quotable:

“   If everyone in the community approaches it as, ‘we're all in this together’, economic development is not an individual sport.”>

Resources and Links
Connect with Lucia Cape
Home Page - ASmartPlace
Welcome - Huntsville/Madison County Chamber
ACCE | Home

Special Guest: Lucia Cape.

]]> Lucia Cape, Senior Vice President of Economic Development and Workforce for the Huntsville Madison County Chamber, joins host Kaycee Bunch to discuss her nearly 20-year journey from workforce leadership into overseeing business recruitment and retention across Huntsville and Madison County. In this episode, Lucia shares how Huntsville’s “Smart Place” talent campaign, data-driven third-party analysis, and systems mapping approach have supported rapid growth and diversification across industries such as manufacturing, aerospace, and pharmaceutical manufacturing—including the recent announcement of an Eli Lilly facility. She explains how Huntsville connects workforce development from early childhood through retiree engagement, why emotional intelligence and adaptability are increasingly critical alongside STEM skills, and how quality-of-life investments—like outdoor recreation, arts, downtown livability, dog parks, and food trucks—help attract and retain talent. Lucia also emphasizes community partnership, continuous improvement, measuring the broader impact of economic development wins, and leadership lessons focused on building a community that future generations want to return to.

In this episode, we explore:

  • The “Smart Place” strategy and how Huntsville uses data and third-party analysis to support growth and talent attraction.
  • Why systems thinking and workforce mapping help prioritize long-term education and talent pipeline investments.
  • How quality-of-life and cultural vibrancy have become essential tools for recruiting and retaining talent.

Quotable:

“   If everyone in the community approaches it as, ‘we're all in this together’, economic development is not an individual sport.”>

Resources and Links
Connect with Lucia Cape
Home Page - ASmartPlace
Welcome - Huntsville/Madison County Chamber
ACCE | Home

Special Guest: Lucia Cape.

]]>