Rural Transportation Logo

NADO’s National Regional Transportation Conference and National CEDS Forum

In This Article:

Last month, NADO’s National Regional Transportation Conference and National CEDS Forum were held jointly in Columbus, Ohio. The events brought together nearly 200 planners, rural and small metro transportation professionals, regional economic development practitioners, and federal staff for plenary sessions, networking, breakout sessions, mobile workshops, and more.

During the National Regional Transportation Conference, participants had opportunities to learn about RTPO models around the country, Intelligent Transportation Systems, innovations and advanced technology shaping regional mobility, the role of development finance in transportation and economic development, and more. Featured speakers included Andrew Bremer from DriveOhio, Michael Betz from Ohio State University, Jeff Moore and Patti Clare from Neel-Shaffer, Tim Fisher from the Council of Development Finance Agencies, and many others. With its tradition of peer learning, the conference also included many speakers from regional organizations and their state and local government partners.  RPO America and the National RPO Council of Peers also held a business meeting during the conference.

During NADO’s first-ever National CEDS Forum attendees shared best practices and resources to support the development and implementation of their CEDS. Session topics included community and regional resilience, economic diversification, Opportunity Zones, regional plan alignment, supporting startups and entrepreneurship, and more. Featured speakers included Erik Pages from Entreworks Consulting, Josh Human from Stantec, David Ives from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, Rob Scott from the Small Business Administration, John Rees from Avalanche Consulting, and many others. Attendees also took part in a mobile workshop to Wilmington, OH to learn about economic diversification strategies and participated in small group discussions. This event was organized as part of the NADO Research Foundation’s Stronger CEDS, Stronger Regions program, funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration.

Speaker presentations and other materials from the National Regional Transportation Conference can be found in the “agenda and presentations” tab on the conference website, and materials from the CEDS Forum can be found here and at www.CEDSCentral.com. Thanks to all those who joined us in Columbus!

Additional Resources

Newsletter

Click the button below to receive NADO and Rural Transportation news and information directly to your inbox.