209: Building a Cross-Border Economic Engine with Heath Vescovi-Chiordi

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, Dane Carlson sits down with Heath Vescovi-Chiordi, Director of Economic Development for Pima County, Arizona, to explore how one of the largest counties in the country balances rural biodiversity, cross-border trade with Mexico, aerospace and optics clusters, semiconductor workforce development, and even controversial data center projects. Heath shares how a four-and-a-half-person team coordinates across municipalities, tribal nations, academia, and public health to execute a regional strategy that blends quantitative results with qualitative community engagement. From a $1.2 billion battery manufacturing project to evolving policies on nondisclosure agreements and enhanced due diligence, this conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at modern county-level economic development in action Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Special Guest: Heath Vescovi-Chiordi.