User:Donholbrook
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Donholbrook 17:29, 11 June 2007 (UTC)# Template:Donholbrook
Don A. Holbrook, Certified Economic Developer, CEcD
Don Holbrook is a private practitioner involved in the major elements of site selection for major private sector investment projects and economic development consulting nationally as one of the fields most influential and recognized subject matter experts. Holbrook is located in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. His site selection consultancy specializes in public backed inducements and incentives that reduce the risk of new business investment in key markets prior to final location decisions, through, the establishment of a public private partnership in such projects. These type investments provide direct and indirect economic benefits to both the private company and the public sector partner. Public inducements level the playing field for new business opportunities and share some of the upfront risks in such investments. He has worked on over 100 projects representing over 1 billion dollars in public capital investment generating more than 50,000 jobs in his 16 years in the profession. Don has specialized in creating customized incentive policies such as equity funding, tax increment funding & tax abatements, workforce tax credits, specialized state legislation to increase equity and reduce operational costs, creative hybrid capital funding leveraged investments by communities and other targeted incentives and inducements that reduce the over-all cost of the project to the clients. Don has worked with economic organizations worldwide in developing strategic plans, core market assessment, target industry analysis, special business attraction incentive policies and the development of public backed strategic business investments in capital formation and permanent subordinated debt financing. He is considered a foremost thought leader on what is referred to as Hybridized Public Capital Investments.
Holbrook is recognized for his prowess in the economic development industry as an early pioneer of site location and community profiling technology based infrastructure. He assisted in establishing the data standards utilized today as the industry standard through his role at the International Economic Development Council, IEDC. He has also conducted training classes and has given presentations to thousands of economic developers on innovative business attraction and deal formation strategies. He is regarded by many as one of the leading subject matter experts in the field on technology based site selection and creative financing for public investments in catalyst private sector projects. He is the developer of the patent pending dynamic site location database model now currently licensed to the industry with the IEDC.
He is one of the most respected speakers on world class economic development projects in America. He has authored a soon to be released book, “Who Moved My Smoke Stack” and is one of the most highly published and quoted subject matter experts in the field today.
Don’s work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Foreign Direct Investment, Financial Times, Business Facilities, Site Selection, Fox Prime Time, among others. Don works extensively with private companies such as automotive, manufacturing, technology oriented, tourism and real estate based development strategies in handling their site selection needs and creating a public incentive and inducement package that creates equity for the private sector and reduced operational and initial up front financial risks. He has been involved in over 100 public/private development projects that have generated over $250 Million in public sector investments into critical projects that have created over 50,000 jobs over $5 billion in economic impact. He also works with local economic development organization in providing target & core industry analysis and community assessment of their capabilities in order to focus their efforts on their highest and best opportunities for leveraged investment into innovative private sector development opportunities and establish world class community business climate attributes.
Don was instrumental in the development of the Verizon Telecommunications merger team strategy of community based investments that led to the approval by all 50 state’s public utility commissions of the largest telecommunications deal in U.S. History. Verizon is a fortune 10 company with revenues of over $350 billion annually. His work on special legislation has created hundreds of millions of operating savings for numerous companies over the past 16 years.
Don’s approach is simple in deals there must be equilibrium that makes both parties feel satisfactory in their support for key business decisions to investment capital into new or existing ventures. He negotiates agreements that establish reasonable parameters for such investments to occur and removes the red-tape of dealing with local and state government agencies to establish very cost-effective business climates for private sector investments into a local economy.
He is a past Chairman of the Mid-American Economic Development Council, MAEDC, (the formal industry association for the 10 mid-western states.)
He is former Board Member of the Tampa Bay Community Development Corporation (SBA backed non-profit lending body for Greater Tampa).
He was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush the Florida High Speed Rail Consortium.
He was appointed by Governor Carlson in Minnesota to co-chair the first workforce development partnership program.
President Bill Clinton requested he make a special presentation to the newly formed Presidents National Information Infrastructure Task Force and provide his subject matter expertise on the development of new innovative infrastructure to support the further development of the internet based electronic commerce particularly from the aspect of site location and business development hurdles.
KEY APPOINTMENTS AND BOARDS
Currently Don is a board member of the International Economic Development Council, IEDC in Washington, D.C. IEDC is the world’s leading and foremost economic development professional industry association.
Holbrook is also a board member of the CA/AZ Small Business Corporation, an SBA 504 authorized lending organization the largest SBA lending organization in the United States. He is a member on the loan review and approval committee for AZ loan transactions.
National Accreditation:
Certified Economic Development Professional, CEcD Certified Economic Development Finance Professional, CEDFP Certified Master Consultant, Business Expansion, Retention & Attraction Certified Municipal Bond Finance
Education:
Bachelor of Arts, Dual Major, Urban Economic Geography & Environmental Science Wright State University, Dayton- Ohio, United States
Master of Business Administration, Specialized in Technology Management, University of Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
