About this episode

Dane Carlson interviews Damian Denmark about building an economic development department in Yukon, Oklahoma, emphasizing the importance of relationships and community involvement in economic growth.

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show Dane Carlson talks with Damian Denmark, economic development director for the City of Yukon, Oklahoma, about what it looks like to build an economic development department in a fast-growing suburban community northwest of Oklahoma City. Damian shares how his move to Liberal, Kansas changed the way he thinks about community, belonging, and the people-first side of economic development. The conversation moves from rural marketing and relationship-building to Yukon’s new incentive policy, the Miller Crossing project, TIFs, sports tourism, and the increasingly complicated question of data centers. For economic developers, this episode is a reminder that projects matter, but trust, policy, infrastructure, and community buy-in are what make growth work. 10 Actionable Takeaways for Economic Developers Build the relationship before you need the deal. Damian’s approach is clear: trust opens doors with property owners, developers, tenant reps, brokers, city departments, and regional partners. Create policy before the pressure hits. Yukon’s work on incentive and economic development policies gave the city a framework for handling projects, negotiations…

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