CREC staff
 |
Kenneth E. Poole CEO/President kpoole@crec.net 703-504-2866 |
Dr. Kenneth (Ken) E. Poole is the Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness. Dr. Poole has managed economic development research, analysis, and technical assistance efforts for 35 years. Dr. Poole co-founded CREC in January 2000 as an independent non-profit focused on assisting policy-makers use data to develop a stronger understanding of how state and regional economies can compete effectively in the evolving, knowledge-based economy.
Dr. Poole manages the organization’s strategic planning, information sharing, research, and professional training activities, including the development of customized training in regional economic research techniques. At CREC, he has assisted in dozens of research, planning, and technical assistance consulting projects for clients across the U.S. including:
- national foundations (e.g., Pew Charitable Trusts, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Lumina Foundation, Laura and John Arnold Foundation, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation),
- federal economic and workforce development agencies (e.g., U.S. NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership, U.S. DoD Office of Economic Adjustment, U.S. Economic Development Administration, Appalachian Regional Commission, U.S. Treasury Department, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis),
- state economic and workforce development agencies (e.g., Arizona Commerce Authority, North Carolina Department of Commerce, Georgia Governor’s Office of Workforce Development, Louisiana Economic Development, Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation),
- regional economic and workforce development organizations (e.g., 7 Rivers Regional Alliance WI, Centralina Council of Governments, Momentum West Wisconsin EDC, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, Western Piedmont (NC) Council of Governments, Texoma Regional Consortium, Roanoke Valley-Allegheny (VA) Regional Council),
- educational institutions (e.g., Henry Ford Community College, Catawba Valley Community College, Western Iowa Technical and Community College, University of North Carolina), and
- local government agencies (e.g., Erie County PA Planning, City of El Paso Planning and Economic Development, Knox County Metropolitan Planning Organization).
In those projects, Dr. Poole has conducted quantitative and qualitative analyses of economies and program impacts, facilitated strategic leadership planning sessions, as well as provided technical assistance on economic and workforce development program design and strategy.
As Executive Director of the national nonprofit membership organizations, the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER), the Labor Market Information Institute, the Association of Public Data Users, and the Projections Managing Partnership, Dr. Poole oversees all program development activities, including information dissemination about news related to the Federal statistical agencies, the development of research and professional training activities, as well as organizing national conferences for the different professional networks. Building on his vision and leadership, C2ER and the LMI Institute have become national leaders in providing regional economic analysis training to economic and workforce development analysts serving Federal, state, and local agencies. At the same time, APDU has become a national resource for the Federal statistical system.
Before establishing CREC, Dr. Poole served six years as the Director of Domestic Economic Development for the National Association of State Development Agencies and eight years as the Director of Technical Assistance and Research for the National Council for Urban Economic Development (now the International Economic Development Council).
He serves on the editorial board of Economic Development Quarterly (EDQ) and on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Data Users Advisory Council. In 2017-18, Dr. Poole edited a special issue of the EDQ focused on manufacturing policy issues. Dr. Poole also speaks frequently to national and state-level audiences of policy-leaders and economic development professions on the challenges of data-driven regional economic planning and development.
Ken obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Public Policy with a concentration in Regional Development Policy from George Mason University, a Master in Public Administration degree from American University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from UNC at Chapel Hill. In 2016, he received the Innovation in Local Employment Dynamics Award from the U.S. Census Bureau.