Brian Kelsey

Brian Kelsey is Vice President of Programs and Strategy at Heartland Forward, where he leads work on regional competitiveness and talent pipelines. He has more than 25 years of experience in economic development, including roles in consulting, federal and local government, and regional organizations. ([heartlandforward.org](https://heartlandforward.org/team/brian-kelsey/?utm_source=openai))

Smaller Cities Draw Investment When Business Cases Meet Local Readiness

Attracting investment requires more than a promising business case: communities also need the services, infrastructure and financing to support businesses and workers. Heartland Forward’s Brian Kelsey and McKinsey’s Dominic Williams emphasized local priorities and the conditions that allow projects and people to take hold; CoBank CEO Tom Halverson said investments must be commercially viable. Enid Mayor David Mason described the difficulty of building amenities that may help recruitment succeed while facing rising costs and constrained municipal revenue.

The Aspen InstituteOct 27, 202612 min read