Experience

The Morgantown Area Partnership

• Vice President - Economic Development Services

  • Nov 2020 - Present

  Economic Development and Land Development Economic Development and Land Development



Erik A. Carlson Consulting

• Sole Proprietor

  • Mar 2020 - Nov 2020

  Economic Development and Workforce Development consulting. Economic Development and Workforce Development consulting.



City of West Lafayette

• United States
• Government Administration
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Director of Development

  • Aug 2016 - Mar 2020

  Department head for Department of Development and acting in Chief-of-Staff capacities for Mayor John Dennis. In this role, I: • Led three of the largest projects in the City’s history via managing design, organizational, and construction processes of: —State Street, first-of-its-kind public-private partnership between a municipality and university to create a $120 million bike and pedestrian-friendly corridor through Purdue University’s campus —Wellness and Aquatics Center, a $34 million project designed through robust collaboration with the Parks and Recreation Department and Board, Redevelopment Commission, and community stakeholders —City Hall, a $16 million restoration of a National Register building to create a modern hub in a historic setting for city offices and community space • Maintained relationships between cities of West Lafayette and Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, Purdue University, the Purdue Research Foundation (PRF), to support development projects, including serving as chair of the Joint Board between the City and University • Established relationships with City Council in order to manage complicated rezoning requests, and ordinances • Manage re-zoning process with goal of sustainable, long-term development that provides community with opportunity to become economic exemplar for the region • Guided development of master plans for suburban and urban areas in order to ensure proper development of rural land, and to create urban density in under-developed segment of city core • Utilized TIF to encourage and secure more than $600 million in private investment including the recruitment of corporations (e.g. Saab) to area through identification of opportunities and incentives • Created and ran weekly meetings for 16 department heads and deputies to address current issues and strategize policies in line with mayor’s vision



Thomas P. Miller & Associates

• Project Consultant

  • Nov 2014 - Jul 2016

  I was a Project Consultant at TPMA’s Indianapolis office. In this time, I: • Managed development projects for range of clients, including telecommunications companies, municipalities, software firms, and community colleges • Evaluated recipients of federal grants from the U.S. Department of Labor and the National Science Foundation geared towards workforce development initiatives • Produced media strategies, press releases, funding proposals, and strategic plans, including a downtown redevelopment plan for advancing economic viability of Hot Springs, Arkansas’ central business core • Conducted qualitative and quantitative research to determine progress in workforce development programs



Business Lexington

• United States
• Newspaper Publishing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Editor-In-Chief

  • May 2013 - Nov 2014

  • Managed the publication’s staff, stable of freelancers and budget. Under my management the publication turned its first profit and saw a 40 percent increase in web traffic year over year from May through New Year’s with less than half of the previous print content due to a shift from bi-weekly to monthly.• Maintained duties described below as well as writing a weekly TV news script for the local CBS affiliate [through March 2014] and appearing weekly during Monday morning and afternoon drive time on the local NPR station, a segment I co-created.

• Reporter

  • Jan 2006 - May 2013

  • Multimedia General Assignment Reporter covering major and in-depth issues inLexington’s business community and the region as a whole for the paper, website and formerly on our KET television show.• Also in charge of the paper’s web presence. From formulating, implementing and running the Weekly Wire, a Constant Contact based email sent weekly to nearly 17,000 subscribers to running the paper’s Twitter feed and co-managing the parent company’s Facebook page with editors from two other publications, as well as making media and speaking appearances representing the publication.May 2005 – January 2006• Frankfort correspondent covering the governor’s office, legislature and cabinets as a freelancer.



Distilled Media and Marketing

• Principal

  • Mar 2010 - May 2013

  • Principal in LLC doing freelance marketing and public relations work for companies ranging from Insight Communications to Lexington music venue Buster’s. • Work included the creation of multiple web advertising campaigns in collaboration with a contract designer and oversight of marketing plan and budget as well as social media aspects and email newsletters. • Principal in LLC doing freelance marketing and public relations work for companies ranging from Insight Communications to Lexington music venue Buster’s. • Work included the creation of multiple web advertising campaigns in collaboration with a contract designer and oversight of marketing plan and budget as well as social media aspects and email newsletters.



The State Journal

• Newspaper Publishing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Capitol Reporter

  • Oct 2004 - Jan 2006

  • Focused on legislative issues and the investigation into then Governor Ernie Fletcher’s administration; also asked to appear on Comment on Kentucky, a weekly statewide PBS public affairs roundtable program • Received multiple KY Press Assoc. awards for my work during this time, • Focused on legislative issues and the investigation into then Governor Ernie Fletcher’s administration; also asked to appear on Comment on Kentucky, a weekly statewide PBS public affairs roundtable program • Received multiple KY Press Assoc. awards for my work during this time,