Your Collective Team Partners

Dr. Forbes Gaughan is experienced in all of the service areas, economic development, community engagement, destination development, tourism, placemaking, and townscaping that Community Economic Partners delivers. Work at The World Bank, the Development Bank in Washington, DC right out of graduate school provided a grounding in economic development. A decade prior to that spent working in architecture and placemaking, brings those skills and experience. More than 25 years in tourism provides a command of tourism development as well. A PhD in Planning serves as the foundation for the work.

As a former Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Director, Deb has decades of first hand experience bringing economic prosperity back to a community. She was called in when the largest employer in the community of 7,500 left abruptly and half of all employed adults lost their jobs. Deb is also one of the best “on the ground” community engagers ever, able to communicate effectively across the spectrum with officials, residents, students, small businesses, farmers, and more.

Erik has spent his career helping communities rediscover what makes them special. His expertise flows from his comprehensive experience as the Executive Director of the Downtown Rock Island Partnership, work in a Local Initiatives Support Corporation, President of the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, President of the Illinois Bureau of Financial Services, and finally the Executive Director of the Illinois Main Street Program.

Diann has over 30 years’ experience creating economic growth through tourism as President of Visit Tyler, Texas (pop. 112,000) and Vice President of Discover San Angelo, Texas (pop. 100,150). She managed staff and significant budgets, directed public

A Certified Economic Development Professional, Jim has held a series of positions that give him a broad perspective of the vast field of economic development including city management and administration, work with Councils of Government and economic development director of a small city that has been transformed through work with a Municipal Development District, within which he also implemented a tourism effort.

Jamie is a hands-on community-focused economic development professional with experience working with a Main Street organization, a Route 66 tourism organization, a Chamber of Commerce Director and Economic Development District Director. Having lived in and worked with several smaller communities, she is keenly aware of the issues and challenges these people face every day and how supporting local businesses and tourism can deliver critical economic impact to these areas.

Rik Adamski is President of ASH+LIME, a planning and placemaking advisory firm focused on downtown revitalization, public space strategy, and community-rooted economic development. He has led planning, activation, and implementation strategy work for dozens of downtowns and commercial districts in communities of all sizes, with an emphasis on practical, near-term actions that strengthen walkability, public life, and local business ecosystems.

After many years of traveling the world for CNN, producing stories for a diverse portfolio of clients including the Food Network, Discovery, T-Mobile and several publications, Greg has come home to America. He has refocused his work on communities in the United States and what makes them livable.

As a Certified Economic Development professional, Kaycee has worked in a variety of community situations including as a community agribusiness coordinator, economic development coordinator for a Chamber of Commerce, a resiliency planner, and a senior economic development consultant in workforce development planning, strategic planning, small business ecosystem development, and rural development.

With degrees in both hospitality/tourism and historic Preservation, Ethan has a clear understanding of how heritage tourism works to generates the economic development. He is also a great storyteller, celebrating the unique heritage and identification of any community he is involved with.

lso a former Chamber of Commerce President and Tourism Director, working in a town of less than 15,000 residents provided Mary with a comprehensive perspective of the vast landscape of the economic development needed to make a town attractive to new residents and businesses alike, including development of childcare, workforce development and placemaking. Having learned how to express a dynamic message, she serves as Community Economic Partner’s communication guru.

Jessica served as the Communications Manager for the Iowa Tourism Office of the Iowa Economic Development Authority for 15 years and another 12 as the Manager of the Iowa State Fair. Especially important was her work as the Vision Iowa Program Manager during which she administrated funding for community infrastructure projects. Having served as the primary media contact for Iowa tourism, she is well skilled in media relations, content development, and cooperative advertising.

When needed, Debra creates websites for our clients that are attractive and very visitor and user friendly. A Master’s in Mechanical Engineering enables her to pay attention to detail, rare in the technology world.

CEP’s Chief Financial Officer has a degree in Hospitality Management, adding to the mix.