The Pathway to Professional Development

Professional development looks different for every economic developer, but for many practitioners, earning the Certified Economic Developer designation is one of the most meaningful and challenging milestones in the field.

I earned my CEcD in 2017, and the experience is still vivid. The night before I was scheduled to leave Richmond for Buffalo, New York, to attend the Future Forum Conference and sit for my exams, a torrential downpour grounded air traffic and closed the road leading to the airport parking garage and terminals.

I parked in a power company lot up the road from the entrance and dragged my suitcase toward the terminal. Eventually, I accepted a ride from a stranger who let me throw my suitcase in the bed of his truck and drove me over several large puddles. After rescheduling multiple flights, I made it to Buffalo before dinner, studied a little more, and finally got some rest.

The next morning, as soon as I sat down for the computer portion of the exam, I made myself a promise: I was not going through that process twice. If I did not pass on the first try, I was not going to relive the stress and anxiety of getting to that moment. Fortunately, it was one and done.

There was nothing special about me that made passing on the first try more likely than it would have been for anyone else. What helped was preparation. I worked backward from the exam date, created a study plan, followed the recommendations from my prep course instructors, Mary Ann Moon and Derieth Sutton, and listened to practitioners who had already completed the process. Just as important, I did not rely solely on my own economic development experience to decide what information mattered most.

Whether professional certification matters to you is often a personal decision. Some employers place significant value on hiring practitioners with the CEcD designation, while others may not view the time and financial investment as a priority. Either way, the certification process requires a meaningful commitment from everyone involved. Before sitting for the exam, candidates must meet several requirements:

• Have four consecutive years of full-time, paid experience

• Complete four core courses:

• Basic Economic Development Course (BEDC)

  • Business Retention & Expansion

  • Economic Development Credit Analysis

  • Real Estate Development & Reuse

    
    

• Complete at least two electives, such as:

  • Economic Development Marketing & Attraction

  • Economic Development Strategic Planning

  • Entrepreneurial & Small Business Development Strategies*

  • Foreign Direct Investment & Exporting

  • Managing Economic Development Organizations

  • Neighborhood Development Strategies

  • Technology-Led Economic Development

  • Workforce Development Strategies

  • Entrepreneurship-Led Economic Development*

*Only one entrepreneurship-focused course can count toward elective requirements.

In addition to coursework, travel and lodging costs can add up quickly, and it may take years to become eligible. Hickey Global cannot shorten the certification timeline, but we can help more practitioners access the professional development opportunities that support their growth.

That is why we want to make sure economic developers know about the professional development scholarship offered through the Michael P. Hickey Foundation. These funds can help offset training costs and are currently available for Oklahoma University Economic Development Institute (OUEDI) course offerings. Stay alert this summer as the Foundation prepares for another major announcement.