Meet the Team!

Life moves fast, especially if you’re an economic developer. With project demands, fast-approaching deadlines, and the desire to get some time for rest and resuscitation, it’s no surprise that most people aren’t spending their weekends researching economic development consulting firms. Given the circumstances, we wanted to provide you with an introduction (or reintroduction) to the Hickey Global team. Once you know who we are, maybe you’ll trust us to help with some of that relentless economic development work.

First, we should start with the firm. The history of Hickey Global truly begins with Hickey & Associates. Since 1986, our sister company has provided services to companies engaged in physical location processes. By 1991, that work had advanced from helping companies in the US to establishing an expertise in site selection work that would soon span the globe.

After working on several projects for communities wanting to improve their chances of winning projects, Hickey & Associates recognized a need for a business line dedicated solely to economic development organizations. This would eliminate potential conflicts of interest between corporate clients and communities and allow for expertise dedicated to the public side of the location process to get the attention it deserved.

In 2020, Hickey Global Economic Development Consulting was established to serve the needs of economic development organizations. Since then, we’ve collaborated with local governments, regional EDOs, Chambers of Commerce, and states to carry out projects ranging from broad strategic planning to more specific studies. The firm is supported by and collaborates regularly with the global Hickey & Associates site selection team.

Our team brings a wealth of practical, hands-on experience from various sectors—city, county, regional, state, university, and even a Fortune 500 company—to every innovative and complex assignment. Meet the economic development professionals who are dedicated to creating opportunities for new investment and job growth:

President & CEO: Barry Matherly, CEcD, FM, HLM

Barry Matherly leads Hickey Global, bringing more than 30 years of experience in helping communities thrive through growth strategies tailored to foster vibrant local economies. His diverse background includes top leadership roles in economic development organizations at the city, county, regional, and university levels, complemented by valuable experience gained during three years interning with the United States Department of Commerce and six years in management roles at a Fortune 500 company. An industry leader, Barry has served as Past Chair of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC)—the world’s largest economic development association—and has also held the positions of Past Dean and Instructor at the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute.

Senior Economic Development Consultant: Bethany Joy Miller, CEcD

Bethany Miller is Senior Economic Development Consultant at Hickey Global, focused on business development. With a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) designation and more than 18 years of experience spanning local, regional, and state organizations and the private sector, Bethany brings a wealth of expertise to every assignment. Before joining Hickey Global, she was Amazon’s first economic development hire focused exclusively on its Physical Stores. Bethany has also worked for economic development organizations in Ohio, Virginia, and Texas. She’s worked extensively with defense contractors and companies in the Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace, Digital Tech, Energy, Life Sciences, and Logistics sectors. Bethany has traveled domestically and internationally to recruit companies and secured more than $1.5 billion in capital investments.

Economic Development Consultant: Trent Shaw

Trent Shaw is an economic development consultant who leverages his expertise in data trends and strategic implementation to support community success. With a strong background in incentive and site selection, Trent previously served as an Analyst for the Hickey & Associates site selection team, where he conducted labor studies, real estate assessments, and developed site selection criteria for Fortune 500 clients. He also created unique benchmarking models based on his deep understanding of incentive programs. As Research Director for Enterprise Florida, Trent collaborated with state and local economic developers to identify target industries, introduce new policies, and design measurement processes. He provided strategic intelligence to the business development team, generating leads and securing commitments for key projects.

Economic Development Consultant: Kelsi Alexander, MSED

Kelsi Alexander brings extensive community-level experience and a strategic perspective to every project. In her previous roles with the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce and Barren County, Kentucky, she played a key part in initiatives to retain and expand existing businesses, attract new companies, and create job opportunities. Kelsi also designed and implemented workforce training programs to help businesses find qualified employees, demonstrating her commitment to hands-on recruitment, retention, and workforce solutions.

Principal, Hickey Global: Mark James

Mark James is a Principal at Hickey Global, leading business development and project management with utility companies. He previously served as vice president for American Electric Power, overseeing strategic growth initiatives across an extensive multi-state territory. Before that, he founded ED Solutions, Inc., advising more than 200 communities in economic development across North America and the UK. With a career spanning roles in community development and regional planning, James holds degrees in geography and economic geography, and advanced management credentials from the University of Michigan. He is a certified economic developer and has held leadership positions with the Economic Development Institute and various boards. He is also active in professional councils and enjoys scuba diving and sailing.

Did you know that Hickey Global also has a Canadian practice? Several years ago, we expanded our reach by establishing a Canadian presence supporting economic development organizations. Representatives from that team are introduced below.

Principal, Hickey Global Canada: Lauren Millier

Lauren Millier is a Principal with Hickey Global Canada, where she supports business development and project management for the Canadian public sector. Before joining Hickey Global, Lauren co-founded MDB Insight, which was acquired by Deloitte’s Economic Advisory practice in 2022 after 15 years of distinguished consulting work. She has extensive experience in municipal land use policy planning and economic development advisory services within both public and private sectors. Lauren has successfully led a wide range of economic development projects for counties and communities of all sizes across Canada, including major cities such as Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, London, Mississauga, and Ottawa, earning her a strong reputation and a broad professional network. Her expertise spans sector analyses, economic and creative economy strategies, service delivery reviews, cultural plans, nightlife economy strategies, and downtown revitalization initiatives.

Economic Development Consultant: Camila Concha

Camila Concha is the team's newest member and helps lead Hickey Global Canada. She brings a robust background in workforce development research and community economic development. Previously serving as an Economic Development Officer for the Town of Shaunavon, Camila played a key role in reviewing and recommending enhancements to municipal incentives and business support strategies. She was instrumental in developing the town’s first investment plan, which emphasized attracting helium exploration projects. Camila prepared policy briefs and reports during her tenure at Workforce Collective, “a think and do tank” that explores solutions to workforce challenges. She also conducted comprehensive data analyses focused on workforce development in the Niagara region.

Our broad and diverse experience underpins our confidence in providing advisory services. We hope it instills some peace of mind. We are privileged to serve communities of all shapes and sizes and look forward to future collaboration. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us if we can assist.