Tri-State Practitioners Advance Shared Economic Development Priorities

Data-center readiness and coordinated regional promotion were the focus of the latest Tri-State Economic Development Practitioners meeting, held at Greater Dubuque Development on Thursday, July 16, 2026. The group connects economic development professionals serving communities across northeast Iowa, southwest Wisconsin, and northwest Illinois—communities that share a labor market as well as many of the same opportunities and challenges.

Greater Dubuque Development President & CEO Jason White led a discussion about what data-center development considerations for communities, including the potential capital investment and tax revenue alongside considerations involving power capacity, water, land, and workforce. Practitioners shared what they are seeing in their respective states, helping build a clearer regional understanding of an industry that is rapidly influencing site-selection decisions nationwide.

The group also explored opportunities to promote the Tri-state region collectively. Practitioners reviewed the City of Dubuque’s annual Congressional Staff Visit as a model for hosting and informing federal decision-makers and identified a Tri-state familiarization tour for site selectors as a shared priority for the coming year. Such a tour would bring consultants who help guide business expansion and relocation decisions to the region to experience its communities, sites, assets, and partnerships firsthand.

To learn more about the Tri-State Economic Development Practitioners network, contact Nic Hockenberry, Director of Regional Development, at nicolash@greaterdubuque.org or 563-557-9049.