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Letter from the President

Letter from the Administrator

APDU Brochure

July 1, 2008

Dear APDU Members:

APDU is entering a new chapter in its 33 year history as the national network of public data producers, disseminators, and users. Beginning today, the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) has taken on the role as association manager, working closely with the APDU Board of Directors to ensure the organization’s on-going success.

CREC is a nonprofit research organization based in Arlington, VA. Our staff is committed to promoting competitiveness in US communities through a variety of initiatives. We include economists, geographers, and public policy specialists engaged in producing, using, and disseminating data. Because of our unique capabilities, we hope to be more than an administrator for APDU; we also hope to be a resource for the APDU membership network.

CREC staff has not just association management expertise – garnered from decades of working for national associations and managing the Council for Community and Economic Research. We also conduct our own demographic, economic, and public policy research. From developing new data products to conducting community-based research for local public policy initiatives, we are engaged with local economic and community researchers in all 50 states.

In addition to our work with APDU, we also provide administrative support to C2ER (formerly ACCRA) as well as the Labor Market Information Training Institute. Through our work with APDU, C2ER, and the LMI Training Institute, we seek to have a direct and real impact on how federal statistics are produced, delivered and used.

In the coming months, we are planning a smooth transition as we help the Board in its preparations for the annual conference and continue the organization’s important monitoring and advocacy for federal data.

Some key staff here at CREC will be working with you over the coming years, they include:

Sean McNamara. As Director of Administration, Sean’s job is to handle the day-to-day organizational operations. He helped to co-found CREC in 2000 and manages the membership relations activities.
Dean Frutiger. As the editor of the newsletter, Dean’s job will be to ensure that APDU’s standard-bearing publication is produced at least 6 times per year. Dean is a labor economist by training, and he also manages the C2ER-published ACCRA Cost of Living Index in his spare time.
Erol Yildirim. Erol is the chief economist for CREC, but he also wears a second hat as our chief information systems manager. In addition to his research focused on developing new data and research products for CREC and C2ER, he will also be working with APDU in improving its website and its product mix.

In addition to these folks, the CREC team also includes several others that you will want to get to know. Mark White, Ph.D., our director of training and technical assistance projects, helped to lead a recent effort to reorganize the demographic and labor market information programs in Arizona. Pofen Salem, Ph.D., our senior fellow, conducts policy research on community and economic development and recently helped to lead a major demographic and economic impact study of a major BRAC project. Wen Sun, our research assistant, helps with the website, the newsletter, and spends much of her time in helping to produce the ACCRA Cost of Living Index. We do really have an outstanding team – and every single one of them is committed to APDU’s success. This entire team is available to help with training, technical assistance, newsletter writing, data advocacy, and as a resource for the APDU membership.

My role as CEO of CREC and as APDU’s chief administrator is to provide leadership for our staff as they do their outstanding jobs as well as to work closely with the APDU board in helping to identify and meet the needs of a diverse and growing organization. My training in public policy and public administration and interest in regional economic research led to the formation of CREC with Sean in 2000 and has kept me involved in working with data producers, disseminators, and users as well as policy leaders across the country. I am committed to advocating for and improving the federal statistical system. That is why we at CREC viewed the request to serve the APDU Board in the capacity of administrator represents such an honor and privilege.

Our goals in the coming year are to help the APDU Board:

Develop a strategic plan for growth,
Implement a successful annual conference,
Produce a high quality newsletter, and
Identify other products and services that will attract and retain the organization’s membership.

We hope to engage you during this transition and get to know you personally. We want you to become involved in APDU and tap your insights to help us focus our efforts.

We look forward to working with you and welcome your suggestions, feedback, and participation. We are extremely excited about helping to build a strong and more vital APDU network.

We at CREC wish you the very best for a successful 2008-09!

Kenneth E. Poole, Ph.D., Chief Administrator, APDU

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Board of Directors Bylaws Policies/Procedures Member Organizations Letter from the President Letter from the Administrator APDU Brochure	July 1, 2008 Dear APDU Members: APDU is entering a new chapter in its 33 year history as the national network of public data producers, disseminators, and users. Beginning today, the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) has taken on the role as association manager, working closely with the APDU Board of Directors to ensure the organization’s on-going success. CREC is a nonprofit research organization based in Arlington, VA. Our staff is committed to promoting competitiveness in US communities through a variety of initiatives. We include economists, geographers, and public policy specialists engaged in producing, using, and disseminating data. Because of our unique capabilities, we hope to be more than an administrator for APDU; we also hope to be a resource for the APDU membership network. CREC staff has not just association management expertise – garnered from decades of working for national associations and managing the Council for Community and Economic Research. We also conduct our own demographic, economic, and public policy research. From developing new data products to conducting community-based research for local public policy initiatives, we are engaged with local economic and community researchers in all 50 states. In addition to our work with APDU, we also provide administrative support to C2ER (formerly ACCRA) as well as the Labor Market Information Training Institute. Through our work with APDU, C2ER, and the LMI Training Institute, we seek to have a direct and real impact on how federal statistics are produced, delivered and used. In the coming months, we are planning a smooth transition as we help the Board in its preparations for the annual conference and continue the organization’s important monitoring and advocacy for federal data. Some key staff here at CREC will be working with you over the coming years, they include: Sean McNamara. As Director of Administration, Sean’s job is to handle the day-to-day organizational operations. He helped to co-found CREC in 2000 and manages the membership relations activities. Dean Frutiger. As the editor of the newsletter, Dean’s job will be to ensure that APDU’s standard-bearing publication is produced at least 6 times per year. Dean is a labor economist by training, and he also manages the C2ER-published ACCRA Cost of Living Index in his spare time. Erol Yildirim. Erol is the chief economist for CREC, but he also wears a second hat as our chief information systems manager. In addition to his research focused on developing new data and research products for CREC and C2ER, he will also be working with APDU in improving its website and its product mix. In addition to these folks, the CREC team also includes several others that you will want to get to know. Mark White, Ph.D., our director of training and technical assistance projects, helped to lead a recent effort to reorganize the demographic and labor market information programs in Arizona. Pofen Salem, Ph.D., our senior fellow, conducts policy research on community and economic development and recently helped to lead a major demographic and economic impact study of a major BRAC project. Wen Sun, our research assistant, helps with the website, the newsletter, and spends much of her time in helping to produce the ACCRA Cost of Living Index. We do really have an outstanding team – and every single one of them is committed to APDU’s success. This entire team is available to help with training, technical assistance, newsletter writing, data advocacy, and as a resource for the APDU membership. My role as CEO of CREC and as APDU’s chief administrator is to provide leadership for our staff as they do their outstanding jobs as well as to work closely with the APDU board in helping to identify and meet the needs of a diverse and growing organization. My training in public policy and public administration and interest in regional economic research led to the formation of CREC with Sean in 2000 and has kept me involved in working with data producers, disseminators, and users as well as policy leaders across the country. I am committed to advocating for and improving the federal statistical system. That is why we at CREC viewed the request to serve the APDU Board in the capacity of administrator represents such an honor and privilege. Our goals in the coming year are to help the APDU Board: Develop a strategic plan for growth, Implement a successful annual conference, Produce a high quality newsletter, and Identify other products and services that will attract and retain the organization’s membership. We hope to engage you during this transition and get to know you personally. We want you to become involved in APDU and tap your insights to help us focus our efforts. We look forward to working with you and welcome your suggestions, feedback, and participation. We are extremely excited about helping to build a strong and more vital APDU network. We at CREC wish you the very best for a successful 2008-09!