TN Economic Resiliency Course

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Expected 2027

TN Certified Economic Developer Program

Course Details

Date:
Expected 2027

Course Times:
Onsite check-in: 9:30 AM
Day 1: 10:00 AM - 5:15 PM
Day 2: 8:15 AM - 1:15 PM

Agenda:
Coming Soon!

Course Fee:
Registration $445 | Early Registration $395 (by: TBA)



Please Note:
This link and rate code is only available for class attendees. If this link and special rate is used by someone outside of the class, the reservation will be cancelled and a fee will be applied to the credit card used to book the reservation.

Scholarships:

Applications must be received by [TBA] to be considered. Applications for scholarships can be downloaded on our TCED Scholarships page.



The registration fee covers course instruction. Course materials, selected meals and refreshment breaks are complimentary. Registration does not cover hotel and other travel expenses. Registration is limited and is filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please make payment for the course no later than 10 business days before the course start date. If payment is not received, you risk having your registration cancelled to make room for those on the wait list.

Cancellations made 10 business days or more before the course start date will be eligible for a full refund or credit toward a future TCED course. Cancellations made less than 10 business days will be eligible for credit only, minus a $100 cancellation fee.

The hotel group rate provided on this page is available exclusively to registered course attendees. Reservations will be verified against the official course roster. Reserve your room and select the dates you need to stay for the group rate. Please book early as the reserved block of rooms could fill up.

A limited number of scholarships are available to course participants from Tennessee. Scholarships do not include hotel, travel or meals.

If applying for a scholarship, please register for the class to save a seat and choose the "Invoice" option. If a scholarship is not awarded, the participant may decide to keep the seat or withdraw at the time of notification with no penalty. Scholarships are non-transferable.

Download the Scholarship Application, or get more information about scholarships on our Scholarships webpage.

If you need assistance accessing your account, please contact us at 615-253-6371 or email us. You may also register by submitting a Course Registration Form by email. 

The attire for the course is business casual.


Meet Your

TCED Course Instructor

Laith Wardi

Laith Wardi

Laith Wardi, CEcD, has worked in the economic development profession for over 30 years.
He started his career in Erie County, Pennsylvania—focusing on entrepreneurial development and business
retention & expansion (BRE) outreach initiatives. He later transitioned into regional management of an eight county BRE program across Northwest Pennsylvania.

In 2000, Laith founded ExecutivePulse, Inc.—a CRM provider to thousands of economic development,
government, and allied professionals across North America and beyond. He sold that firm in 2025 and
started Gem City Growth Strategies--an economic development consulting and strategy services company.

In 2002, Laith received his economic development certification (CEcD) through The International Economic
Development Council (IEDC) in Washington, DC. He provided certification training for that organization from 1996 to 2025. During his tenure with them, Laith trained roughly 10,000 economic development
professionals on best practices business retention & expansion strategies, tools, and tactics. In 2024, he
cowrote the current BRE certification manual for IEDC.

Laith is a longtime instructor for the industry’s other main education and governing body, Oklahoma
University’s Economic Development Institute (OUEDI). Each year, he conducts two eight-week online business retention & expansion courses for that organization. He also created the certification curriculum for this course of study.

Laith is a frequent speaker and presenter to economic development and allied audiences throughout the US and Canada on globalization, talent/workforce, resiliency, and AI/technology assimilation topics. He
conducts certification training for a number of states and has done limited speaking and training
engagements in Europe and Mexico as well.

Laith has sat on many community and economic development boards in Northwest Pennsylvania. Currently, he serves on both The Tom Ridge Environmental Center and Millcreek Township General Authority.

 

 

Erik Collins

Erik Collins serves as part of the Senior Leadership Team for the City of Centerville, located in the Dayton, Ohio region, where he leads the City’s Building Regulations, Planning, and Economic Development functions. He oversees business attraction and retention efforts and guides implementation of the City of Centerville’s Strategic Plan, including the Uptown redevelopment initiative.



Before joining Centerville, Erik served as an executive with Montgomery County’s Community & Economic Development Department. He helped establish the internationally recognized BusinessFirst! For A Greater Dayton Region Program, which connects thousands of local businesses with nearly 100 Resource Partners to support business growth. His expertise in business retention and expansion has led to training roles with the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute (OUEDI), and the Ohio Economic Development Association (OEDA), where he helped develop Ohio’s BR&E certification curriculum.



Erik has contributed to major economic development projects, including Energizer Global Auto Care Division; U.S. headquarters locations for Hematite and MSW Plastics; Israelibased Strix Drones; CAT Logistics; the P&G Mixing Center; and WilmerHale. He also led the Dayton Region Israel Trade Alliance, strengthening business connections between Israeli technology companies and the Dayton region.



Erik has served in numerous leadership and board roles, including with OUEDI, the Greater Dayton Foreign Trade Zone, The Entrepreneurs’ Center, the Montgomery County Community Improvement Corporation, and the Dayton Montgomery County Port Authority. Additional past service includes Honorary Commander with Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Rotary International District 6670 leadership, the Ohio Economic Development Association Board, and Past President of the I70/75 Development Association.