Economic Recovery Corps (ERC)
Counties are at the forefront of driving local economic growth and building vibrant communities. As innovators, counties continuously explore new strategies to create opportunities, strengthen local systems and advance inclusive economic development.
About the Economic Recovery Corps
Beginning in 2023 through a cooperative agreement, the U.S. Economic Development Administration and the International Economic Development Council partnered with NACo and other national organizations to create the Economic Recovery Corps (ERC).
ERC is a national 30-month fellowship that addresses capacity challenges for inclusive economic growth by funding placements of experienced economic and community development professionals with county governments and other local and regional organizations throughout the U.S. These professionals collaborate closely with host organizations to identify opportunities, secure resources, implement local priorities and establish systems that endure beyond individual projects or grants.
The ERC placed 65 fellows with host sites across 42 states and two U.S. territories. Fellows help counties to:
- Design and implement economic development strategies shaped by local needs
- Build internal expertise and strengthen county institutions
- Access state and federal resources that might otherwise be out of reach
- Increase staff capacity without adding long-term payroll costs
Economic Recovery Corps Insights
Economic Recovery Corps Insights from Matthew Chase, CEO of the National Association of Counties
County Impacts and Outcomes
ERC fellows and hosts pursued a wide range of strategies related to economic development, all of which are tailored to best serve the unique needs of each county. You can learn about all ERC projects here and read highlighted county outcomes from ERC projects below:
The ERC fellow worked with the City of El Paso and El Paso County to launch a new international economic development program to promote cross-border trade, foreign direct investment and regional collaboration in the El Paso–Juárez region.
The ERC fellow worked with Highland County to secure more than $800,000 in federal funding to revitalize a historic inn, which supported tourism, small businesses and long-term economic recovery in the rural community.
The ERC fellow helped secure $25 million in affordable housing investment for West Birmingham and led planning for an additional $10 million in redevelopment, aligning housing, workforce and transportation efforts to attract sustained investment.
The ERC fellow worked with local government and nonprofit partners to launch the AgriWest Council, convening more than 100 agriculture stakeholders and strengthening local food systems through farm-to-school partnerships serving more than 10,000 students.
The ERC fellow worked with Routt County to advance a small business disaster preparedness and resilience initiative, helping local businesses plan for economic shocks and recover more quickly from natural disasters.
Related Resources
ERC fellows demonstrate value of relationships in economic development
Traditional economic development schools of thought do not typically recognize relationships as assets that a community can use to further their economic development agenda, but Economic Recovery Corps fellows feel otherwise.
Economic Mobility Resource Hub
Explore these resources to promote inclusive economic prosperity for county residents.
BRECC Economic Diversification Toolkit: Guide to Diversify Rural and Transitioning Economies
The toolkit supports all counties across the country to prepare for and recover from economic shocks, such as industry downturn, supply chain disruption, consumer demand change or natural disaster.
Innovating Solutions Together: Turning Ideas into Results
NACo CEO Matt Chase: "Every one of these counties started in the same place: a local vision, followed by a search for ideas. NACo builds the networks that connect county officials and other experts."
Salute to county leaders: Jim Schmidt
After a mid-term appointment to succeed a late commissioner, Jim Schmidt stayed on the Lincoln County, S.D. Board of Commissioners for 28 years, during which time his county's population grew dramatically, both physically and managerially.
Loan fund helps counties support entrepreneurs
The City and County of Honolulu’s Office of Economic Revitalization envisioned a microloan program for some time, but adding an Economic Recovery Corps fellow finally made it happen.
Are we building tomorrow’s infrastructure or yesterday’s data centers?
Counties can still welcome data center development, but they need to understand what the landscape is becoming. The machinery, the efficiency, the location, the cooling technology, the entire computing model will all be different.
The "Backslash Backlash:" Counties pivot in the data center buildout
Data center development across the country has put a new focus on county policies, how they regulate land use and more for local residents and how they could shape the path for economic growth built around artificial intelligence and information technology.
County benefits from teens and retirees working together
When Cumberland County, Ky.'s staff was spread thin, a program aimed at retiree and teen volunteers helped fill the gap and became its own reward.
Support
This activity is prepared by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) using Federal funds under award ED22HDQ3070188 from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.