President of DADCO Consulting David A. Dodd, CED, has 25 years of experience in economic development as a volunteer, practitioner and consultant.
A Louisiana native, David holds degrees from Louisiana Tech University and the Graduate School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University. He is a Certified Economic Developer and completed the Economic Development Institute (EDI) at The University of Oklahoma. David served as Dean of the institute from 2001 to 2003, and is one of the highest rated faculty members in its history.
After a seven-year career in commercial banking, David joined the Shreveport, Louisiana Chamber of Commerce as Manager of Business Development and Financial Assistance in 1989. During his time he increased jobs by 130% and was named Outstanding Young Leader by Site Selection magazine. In 1994, he joined consultant Ed Morrison to form Morrison/Dodd Group, and in 1999, he founded DADCO Consulting. He has created economic development strategies and action plans for over 100 communities in the U.S., Mexico, Australia, and Japan. He has advised the Australian Parliament; the Development Bank of Japan and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) based in Paris. In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, David served as lead consultant for the Gulf Coast Reinvestment Forum, sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the International Economic Development Council, and the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. The forum provided input in the Gulf Opportunity Zone Legislation in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
David has been recognized as a leader in collaborative-based economic development. He helped to found Alaska Growth Capital BIDCO and Red River Valley BIDCO, and serves on the board of the National New Markets Fund based in Los Angeles. He co-founded the development finance consultancy Confluence Advisors, Inc. and is a Senior Associate at Regional Techonology Strategies Inc. From 2004-2007, he was the chief architect of the Mexico Economic Development Professional Education Initiative, which aims to build capacity for economic development throughout Mexico. The International Economic Development Council awarded him a Fellow Member Designation for his significant contributions to the profession.
David has also been active in the field of digital media and worked with digital media authority Bruce May to lead the NWLA Digital Media Initiative sponsored by the Consortium for Education, Research, and Technology of North Louisiana, designed to create a robust digital media cluster in the region. He has also worked extensively with the film industry in the region and was a founding member of the Northwest Louisiana Film Alliance. He now hosts the RED-Resilience and Economic Development Show with David Dodd.
Beginning after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, David developed an international reputation in disaster recovery. He has worked in Japan and Mexico, and advised the Australian State of Queensland and the government of the Philippines on economic recovery issues. His most recent work involved comprehensive economic recovery programs for New Jersey after Superstorm Sandy and Oklahoma after the 2013 tornadoes/storms under a contract with the U.S. Economic Development Administration. David’s latest assignment brings him back to his home state, where he is providing expertise in recovery from two massive flooding events in 2016.