In this episode of the Leading Ladies of Economic Development podcast, Kaycee Bunch welcomes Jeanine Jerkovic, CEcD, Economic Development Director for Surprise, Arizona. Jeanine discusses her career journey into economic development, including her international experiences and her recent last-minute trip to Taiwan tied to the semiconductor supply chain. She shares how humor, creativity, and community connection have shaped Surprise’s award-winning marketing campaigns and helped attract retailers and restaurants like Whole Foods and Cheesecake Factory. Jeanine also explores how resident feedback and retail surveys informed the city’s strategy, as well as Surprise’s next chapter focused on placemaking, mixed-use development, and job growth. She reflects on navigating the challenges surrounding a proposed DHS detention facility and the lessons she’s learned about leadership and public service.

In this episode, we explore:

• Creative city marketing strategies and how humor can help attract retailers and build community pride.
• The power of listening to residents through social media and retail surveys to shape economic development efforts.
• Lessons in leadership, placemaking, and navigating complex public-sector projects

Quotable: “  So maybe this is encouraging for any economic developer going through a tough moment; there's a Maya Angelou quote that every storm runs out of rain, and it's so true, your passion for your community just has to keep going.”

Resources and Links

Connect with Jeanine Jerkovic on LinkedIn

Mission: Cheesecake Video

City Declares KALE EMERGENCY Video

Surprise Arizona Economic Development YouTube

Special Guest: Jeanine Jerkovic, CEcD.

McDaniel shares how global exposure informs local strategy, advising rural communities to start with regional collaboration, and highlights the Rio Grande Valley’s transformation through anchor investments like SpaceX and the Port of Brownsville. She explains leadership as clarity, curiosity, and engagement, and distinguishes influence as trust-based relationships beyond titles, emphasizing proactive inclusion of missing voices.

The conversation covers long-term “legacy” planning, community concerns around data centers, and her contribution to The Cost of Cool on who benefits from growth, with workforce development framed as an underutilized asset and “secret weapon” for inclusive economic impact.

In this episode, we explore:

• how global perspective, regional collaboration, and anchor investments can transform communities and create long-term economic opportunity.

• Tracye’s approach to leadership, building trust, engaging missing voices, and creating alignment beyond titles or traditional power structures.

• “The Cost of Cool” to workforce development, Tracye discusses how communities can ensure growth is inclusive, equitable, and benefits the people who call them home.

Quotable: “ When you're in this trajectory of growth, we don't ask the question of who is this growth for and who is it going to displace?”

Resources and Links

Connect with Tracye McDaniel on LinkedIn

Bridge Bedford (TN) - Shelbyville 2075: Legacy in Motion—An Investment Blueprint • TIP Strategies

The Cost of Cool: Austin's Tech Growth and the People Left Behind (Kenneth E. Montague Series in Oil and Business History): Roberts, Jon, McDaniel, Tracye, Echeverri-Carroll, Elsie L., Johnston, Evan, Todd-Goynes, Jennifer: 9781648433832: Amazon.com: Books

Special Guest: Tracye McDaniel.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why successful projects depend on collaboration among attorneys, government leaders, economic developers, utility providers, consultants, and community stakeholders working toward a shared vision.
• Bringing legal counsel into projects early can help identify risks, structure incentives, navigate approvals, and save both time and money throughout the development process.
• Anne-Tyler emphasizes the importance of listening before speaking, respecting institutional knowledge, and trusting intuition when leading teams and making decisions.
• Housing availability, workforce development, tax policy, and regional cooperation are increasingly important factors in creating thriving communities and sustaining long-term growth.

Quotable: “ I hope that a few generations from now, someone can point to a company and say, ‘My granddaddy worked there,’ and know that I had a small part in making that possible.”

Resources and Links
Connect with Anne-Tyler Morgan on LinkedIn
Lexington Lawyers, Louisville Kentucky Attorneys | McBrayer PLLC
Anne-Tyler Morgan | Lexington, KY Healthcare and Campaign Finance Lawyer: McBrayer PLLC

Special Guest: Anne-Tyler Morgan.