The It’s a Wonderful Life EDO

From 642 Tiny Things to Write About**:

Write an alternate ending for It’s a Wonderful Life.

I would like to think that George Bailey takes the excess donations from his friends and funds a formal economic development organization for Bedford Falls.  A few years ago at an IEDC Annual Conference in an Ignite presentation I made on how I use It’s a Wonderful Life to explain economic and community development, I even fantasized that Mr. Gower eventually sold his drugstore to Walgreen’s and used some of the proceeds to create a foundation to support economic development in Bedford Falls.

Almost every Christmas season, we watch the holiday movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, many times on the big screen at our renovated Belcourt Theatre.  I am always reminded (and I’m sure that my wife is tired of my talking about it) that this movie is a story of economic and community development.  George Bailey and the Bailey Bros. Building & Loan Association were integrally engaged in economic and community development. From recruiting Sam Wainwright’s plastic manufacturing facility, to helping Martini create and sustain his small business, to developing affordable housing to retain Bedford Falls’ labor force, to designing and developing neighborhoods that sustain a thriving community — George Bailey and the economic development efforts of the old Building & Loan made a more wonderful life for the citizens of Bedford Falls.

**As a crutch to help write a blog post that meets my low standards ([1] I enjoy writing the blog post and [2] there is a reasonable chance someone will find it helpful and/or entertaining), I am occasionally using 642 Tiny Things to Write About, a writing prompt book (it gives 642 topics/scenarios and you write a little about it.)  On first thought, what could these 642 topics/scenarios have to do with economic and community development?  But on looking at it a little closer, like everything else, it doesn’t fall far from the the tree we call economic and community development.  On the dedication page, the book promised “(t)his tiny book contains all the ingredients to expand your mind, make time disappear, and supercharge your creativity.”  If it does this for me in writing for this economic development blog, well, then, it was well worth the purchase price.

About Daryl Phillips, CEcD

I am a professional economic developer. I presently work for communities and companies in developing and implementing workforce and economic development solutions as CEO of Phillips Economic Development Solutions (Phi EDS). Prior to September 2017, I was the economic development professional who served a community team of elected officials, business people, community leaders and dedicated stakeholders for economic development in Cheatham County, Tennessee (pop. 39,880) and its four towns. During my five-year tenure, I served the team as Cheatham County grew over 1,700 jobs, turned around population declines at the start of this decade into healthy population growth, increased tourism expenditures 20.3% and local tax revenue from tourism 25.4%, grew sales tax revenue 36%, focused on developing the local workforce and was recognized by SmartAsset as having the 9th highest Incoming Investment Index of all the 95 counties in Tennessee. I am a member of International Economic Development Council, Southern Economic Development Council, Tennessee Economic Development Council and International Council of Shopping Centers. I have earned the designation of Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) from International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) certification from National Development Council and hold a Master of Business Administration from Tennessee Technological University.
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