WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:45.402 --> 00:00:46.422 Linda Ostovitz: Hello everyone. 00:00:46.782 --> 00:00:51.072 I'm Linda Ostovitz and welcome to Real Talk, Real Growth, where we 00:00:51.072 --> 00:00:54.402 have real conversations with people who are on the cutting edge of what 00:00:54.402 --> 00:00:59.352 they do, and we always take away a nugget or many nuggets from these 00:00:59.352 --> 00:01:04.572 conversations that we can put into action and apply to our own situations 00:01:04.572 --> 00:01:07.062 so that we experience real growth. 00:01:08.502 --> 00:01:12.282 Today I am thrilled to have Jennifer Jones with me. 00:01:12.927 --> 00:01:18.477 Jennifer is the CEO of the Howard County Economic Development Authority. 00:01:19.347 --> 00:01:23.067 And I've known Jennifer for quite a while, but I've gotten 00:01:23.067 --> 00:01:25.017 to know her better more recently. 00:01:25.197 --> 00:01:30.707 And Jennifer, is of interest to me for this conversation because of where 00:01:30.707 --> 00:01:35.607 she came from, where she went, what she came back to that brought her 00:01:35.607 --> 00:01:40.767 to the position that she's in right now, that benefits dramatically, 00:01:40.767 --> 00:01:42.837 Howard County and its business growth. 00:01:43.647 --> 00:01:49.437 But also Jennifer has had the occasion to deal with the situation 00:01:49.437 --> 00:01:55.017 where she has taken the lead from somebody who preceded her, who had 00:01:55.017 --> 00:01:56.877 been in the position for a long time. 00:01:57.732 --> 00:02:02.482 And as we know taking over in a role like that has its own challenges. 00:02:02.482 --> 00:02:07.192 And she's worked through how to make the Economic Development Authority 00:02:07.252 --> 00:02:12.102 her own and put her own mark on it with her own goals and so forth. 00:02:12.102 --> 00:02:15.732 So, Jennifer, thrilled to have you join us today. 00:02:15.737 --> 00:02:17.832 Thank you so much for saying yes. 00:02:19.032 --> 00:02:20.217 Jennifer Jones: Thank you for having me. 00:02:20.517 --> 00:02:21.267 It's great to be here, Linda. 00:02:21.702 --> 00:02:22.602 Linda Ostovitz: My pleasure. 00:02:23.737 --> 00:02:26.017 Jennifer, let's start from the beginning. 00:02:26.087 --> 00:02:28.877 You originally are from Howard County. 00:02:28.877 --> 00:02:29.507 Is that right? 00:02:29.912 --> 00:02:30.482 Jennifer Jones: That's right. 00:02:30.542 --> 00:02:31.742 I grew up in Howard County. 00:02:31.742 --> 00:02:36.232 My parents moved down here when I was about three and K through 12 went 00:02:36.232 --> 00:02:37.762 to all my school in Howard County. 00:02:37.762 --> 00:02:39.217 And lived in Columbia all the way growing up. 00:02:40.587 --> 00:02:42.432 Linda Ostovitz: I think in that regard, you and I are some 00:02:42.432 --> 00:02:45.017 of the few originals around. 00:02:45.247 --> 00:02:48.277 I think I was a little older than three when my family moved to Howard 00:02:48.277 --> 00:02:53.337 County but I was young as well, so I consider myself a home growing one here. 00:02:54.447 --> 00:02:59.327 Jennifer, there came a time though when you in furtherance of your career 00:02:59.327 --> 00:03:01.307 goals and education left Maryland. 00:03:02.107 --> 00:03:02.837 Jennifer Jones: Yeah, I did. 00:03:02.887 --> 00:03:05.197 I graduated from Wild Lake High School, go Wildcats. 00:03:05.317 --> 00:03:06.627 Really proud of Wild Lake. 00:03:06.677 --> 00:03:12.067 So I majored in engineering and undergrad and I did apply to the University of 00:03:12.067 --> 00:03:15.007 Maryland, which has a great engineering school, but sometimes when you come outta 00:03:15.007 --> 00:03:16.597 high school, you wanna get away from home. 00:03:17.047 --> 00:03:19.177 You want to just kind of make your own mark. 00:03:19.177 --> 00:03:22.237 And so I decided to go to Purdue, which is in Indiana, 00:03:22.567 --> 00:03:23.527 that's right outside of Chicago. 00:03:24.062 --> 00:03:25.682 And go there for my engineering degree. 00:03:25.712 --> 00:03:27.482 When I came outta high school, I just really wanted to get 00:03:27.482 --> 00:03:29.912 away and see more things. 00:03:30.032 --> 00:03:31.832 And I think it was a great move for me. 00:03:31.912 --> 00:03:35.662 I have family in other parts of the state, so that was good if I wanted to 00:03:35.662 --> 00:03:37.072 see my aunts and uncles or whatever. 00:03:37.072 --> 00:03:40.722 But it was important for me to get away and meet new people and learn new things. 00:03:41.687 --> 00:03:43.697 Linda Ostovitz: I'm gonna jump ahead and be a spoiler. 00:03:43.697 --> 00:03:46.757 It's interesting, wanted to get away and what brought you back was the 00:03:46.757 --> 00:03:51.257 desire to be back home and in a position to be near and to help your parents. 00:03:51.257 --> 00:03:57.337 So giving that piece of your story away, but once you graduated and you have 00:03:57.337 --> 00:04:01.612 a degree, an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering, is that right? 00:04:02.202 --> 00:04:02.622 Jennifer Jones: That's right. 00:04:02.982 --> 00:04:03.462 Linda Ostovitz: Wow. 00:04:03.882 --> 00:04:05.857 So what did you do with that after you got that degree? 00:04:07.392 --> 00:04:10.042 Jennifer Jones: So while I was at Purdue, I did summer internships and engineering 00:04:10.042 --> 00:04:11.462 summer internships which was great. 00:04:11.812 --> 00:04:15.682 And then I decided to go to law school after that, I did the JD MBA program. 00:04:15.682 --> 00:04:18.642 But, I didn't, I never worked professionally as an engineer, but I 00:04:18.697 --> 00:04:22.177 use the kind of thought process and critical thinking every single day. 00:04:22.597 --> 00:04:26.427 'Cause what it trains you is to train you to problem solve and break down 00:04:26.457 --> 00:04:28.047 big problems into little pieces. 00:04:28.497 --> 00:04:31.017 And that is a lot of the job I have now. 00:04:31.067 --> 00:04:32.887 And like a lot of the executive jobs I've had. 00:04:32.887 --> 00:04:35.557 It's like they give you, the boss or somebody gives you a problem, 00:04:35.797 --> 00:04:37.207 it's usually very expansive. 00:04:37.447 --> 00:04:40.097 It could be overwhelming, but that engineering training, it's just 00:04:40.097 --> 00:04:42.437 natural for me to break things down into its little pieces and 00:04:42.437 --> 00:04:44.217 solve and implement and execute. 00:04:44.217 --> 00:04:45.222 Which is what engineers do. 00:04:45.222 --> 00:04:48.612 I think I use it every day in a different kind of way, but I did wanna go to law 00:04:48.612 --> 00:04:52.402 school to kinda round out my education because engineering is focused on, 00:04:52.432 --> 00:04:54.112 problem solving, math and science. 00:04:54.532 --> 00:04:58.282 There isn't a lot of communication, writing communication in a, verbal 00:04:58.282 --> 00:04:59.782 communication and written communication. 00:04:59.782 --> 00:05:02.047 Not a lot of that unless it's a technical paper. 00:05:02.272 --> 00:05:05.062 So I felt like I needed more experience than that. 00:05:05.062 --> 00:05:06.322 So I went to law school. 00:05:06.367 --> 00:05:10.507 I did the J-D-M-B-A program and all you do is read and write there and 00:05:10.507 --> 00:05:13.417 write legal research and writing and you know what I'm talking about. 00:05:13.417 --> 00:05:13.837 You're a lawyer. 00:05:13.837 --> 00:05:17.957 I felt like that filled gaps for me in my education. 00:05:18.037 --> 00:05:23.257 So I, I think now though, like with all of it it's very helpful for me in 00:05:23.257 --> 00:05:27.157 this position to have that law kind of experience also because of that. 00:05:28.102 --> 00:05:29.722 Linda Ostovitz: Using both sides of your brain. 00:05:29.722 --> 00:05:30.082 Right. 00:05:30.457 --> 00:05:30.847 Jennifer Jones: Yep. 00:05:31.792 --> 00:05:35.002 Linda Ostovitz: It's interesting though that you talk about thinking as an 00:05:35.002 --> 00:05:40.582 engineer, and I will say I've had many clients who are engineers over the years. 00:05:41.077 --> 00:05:46.747 It really is interesting how an engineer thinks you are different from the rest of 00:05:46.747 --> 00:05:52.727 us in terms of how you approach an issue, how you break it down into its, tiniest 00:05:52.757 --> 00:05:58.072 smallest pieces to deal with it, as you say, and I can understand why you view 00:05:58.517 --> 00:06:02.987 it as such a benefit to have had that education for the rest of what I know 00:06:02.987 --> 00:06:04.817 you've done and are doing in your career. 00:06:06.122 --> 00:06:10.762 So after, we've now got Jennifer Jones who's an electrical engineer, who has a 00:06:10.762 --> 00:06:13.462 law degree, who has a master's in law. 00:06:14.152 --> 00:06:16.117 Did you then go to work and use those skills? 00:06:17.122 --> 00:06:20.422 Jennifer Jones: I did so when I was at law school, I did the joint program. 00:06:20.422 --> 00:06:23.422 So it's the, you get a law degree in MBA and you go for an extra year and you 00:06:23.422 --> 00:06:25.102 just go back and forth, like nonstop. 00:06:25.582 --> 00:06:30.262 So I did that in four years, and when I came out I definitely used 00:06:30.332 --> 00:06:31.827 more of the MBA side of things. 00:06:31.827 --> 00:06:34.997 So like I went into corporate not corporate law, but I worked for 00:06:34.997 --> 00:06:37.457 Ernst and Young and did mergers and acquisitions consulting. 00:06:37.457 --> 00:06:38.897 So that was more of the MBA side. 00:06:38.897 --> 00:06:43.997 But like I said, having the law degree definitely helped me in verbal, written 00:06:43.997 --> 00:06:46.097 communication, and it helped me get jobs. 00:06:46.097 --> 00:06:48.707 So when I first came out, I don't know, it was like, it's very 00:06:48.707 --> 00:06:51.167 competitive when you first come out, that first, first couple jobs. 00:06:51.197 --> 00:06:53.597 And I don't think there were too many people that had 00:06:53.597 --> 00:06:55.127 that combination of degrees. 00:06:55.127 --> 00:06:58.377 And so at least, at the very least employers were intrigued. 00:06:58.807 --> 00:07:00.577 They would ask me, why did I decide to do this? 00:07:00.577 --> 00:07:00.967 You know what I mean? 00:07:00.967 --> 00:07:03.877 They, 'cause like they looked at my education and was like, okay, there's not 00:07:03.877 --> 00:07:05.317 a lot of people with that combination. 00:07:05.527 --> 00:07:08.347 So it did get me, it did open doors for me, which is what I wanted. 00:07:08.357 --> 00:07:10.607 But yeah, I worked more in the business side, the corporate side. 00:07:10.607 --> 00:07:14.567 And then after consulting I did a lot of international business development 00:07:14.567 --> 00:07:16.157 and business and economic development. 00:07:16.157 --> 00:07:20.567 So I would say I used more of the MBA in my career as an adult more than anything. 00:07:20.617 --> 00:07:23.747 Linda Ostovitz: All of that education and skillset caused you 00:07:23.747 --> 00:07:25.367 to move to London, is that right? 00:07:26.662 --> 00:07:26.872 Jennifer Jones: Yeah. 00:07:26.872 --> 00:07:29.602 So I worked for, I was in LA I went to law school in LA. 00:07:29.632 --> 00:07:33.512 So I was working out there right after law school and took the California bar. 00:07:33.512 --> 00:07:37.892 So I was out there and then I worked for Live Nation and I was in entertainment. 00:07:37.892 --> 00:07:39.332 'Cause that's a big sector out there, as you know. 00:07:39.332 --> 00:07:44.222 So I worked for Live Nation in Los Angeles and the UK Office of Live 00:07:44.222 --> 00:07:47.762 Nation needed somebody in London for a project, a short-term project. 00:07:47.762 --> 00:07:50.822 So I went out there for a couple of months and finished the project and 00:07:50.822 --> 00:07:53.672 then they offered me a job and they said, Hey, we would like to offer 00:07:53.672 --> 00:07:54.722 you a full-time position out here. 00:07:54.722 --> 00:07:59.942 So I think they told me that on Thursday, and I wanna say Tuesday I was out there. 00:08:00.002 --> 00:08:01.982 Linda Ostovitz: Too bad you can't make a decision, right? 00:08:01.982 --> 00:08:03.662 And you can't act on things. 00:08:03.662 --> 00:08:07.712 Then you quickly dazzled them on your short term project to have them 00:08:07.712 --> 00:08:09.932 say, okay, we want all of you now. 00:08:09.932 --> 00:08:10.292 Right? 00:08:10.352 --> 00:08:10.622 Full time. 00:08:12.152 --> 00:08:12.842 Good for you. 00:08:13.592 --> 00:08:14.222 Good for you. 00:08:15.572 --> 00:08:19.522 Well, that's interesting because ultimately where you have ended 00:08:19.522 --> 00:08:23.362 up is in a place where economic development is all about business. 00:08:23.362 --> 00:08:27.892 That will a little bit more, but you had an interesting path to get to 00:08:27.892 --> 00:08:34.207 where you are right now which started with you coming back to Howard County 00:08:34.207 --> 00:08:38.287 and getting introduced to the, let's call it the political community, the 00:08:38.287 --> 00:08:40.417 governmental community in Howard County. 00:08:40.417 --> 00:08:40.777 Right. 00:08:41.257 --> 00:08:41.617 Jennifer Jones: Mm-hmm. 00:08:41.917 --> 00:08:42.847 Linda Ostovitz: Why did you come back? 00:08:42.967 --> 00:08:43.712 Let's start with that. 00:08:44.237 --> 00:08:46.607 Jennifer Jones: I came back because as you alluded to earlier 00:08:46.637 --> 00:08:47.807 my parents were getting older. 00:08:47.807 --> 00:08:49.127 I wanted to be near them. 00:08:49.437 --> 00:08:51.717 My dad was starting to have health challenges, so I really wanted to 00:08:51.717 --> 00:08:55.117 be, I was ocean away, so it was, it was very hard for me to be there. 00:08:55.117 --> 00:08:58.747 So I was there, was in London for about seven years and then I came back. 00:08:59.157 --> 00:09:02.777 And once I got back I I contacted my old boss and said, 00:09:02.777 --> 00:09:04.497 Hey, i'm back in the States. 00:09:04.497 --> 00:09:05.337 Do you have any consulting? 00:09:05.337 --> 00:09:07.797 'cause I wanted, I needed to fill that gap until I figured out what 00:09:07.797 --> 00:09:08.907 I wanted to do closer to home. 00:09:08.907 --> 00:09:12.267 There wasn't anything that I was looking at in Howard County right away. 00:09:12.597 --> 00:09:15.207 So I did consulting work one of my old bosses, which is great. 00:09:15.537 --> 00:09:18.297 And then while I was doing that, I was thinking, what do I want to do? 00:09:18.297 --> 00:09:21.567 I wanna get a job close to Howard County where the commute isn't a 00:09:21.567 --> 00:09:22.617 long time to my parents' house. 00:09:22.667 --> 00:09:25.227 As I was doing that , I was just running into a bunch of different 00:09:25.227 --> 00:09:28.537 people about Calvin Ball was running for county executive at the time. 00:09:28.567 --> 00:09:30.847 I was looked at his platform for economic development, 00:09:30.847 --> 00:09:31.897 other things for Howard County. 00:09:32.287 --> 00:09:35.817 It became important for me 'cause I grew up here and a lot of the things that, the 00:09:35.817 --> 00:09:38.997 candidates were talking about was like how to make Howard County better and how 00:09:38.997 --> 00:09:40.617 to grow Howard County in different ways. 00:09:40.977 --> 00:09:42.897 And it resonated with me 'cause even though I was away for a 00:09:42.897 --> 00:09:43.947 long time, it's still home. 00:09:44.037 --> 00:09:48.027 So , I paid attention to the local level politics and then after 00:09:48.027 --> 00:09:50.397 that, he offered me a position as his deputy chief of staff. 00:09:50.397 --> 00:09:54.557 So I was like, this is great 'cause I can work problems that affect Howard 00:09:54.557 --> 00:09:56.027 County residents every single day. 00:09:56.247 --> 00:09:58.947 And this is part of me giving back to the community that helped me. 00:09:59.097 --> 00:10:02.757 So I did everything, not just business development and economic development. 00:10:03.087 --> 00:10:04.457 I did other things. 00:10:04.457 --> 00:10:08.077 So I was like doing things with the Office of Veteran Affairs and Office 00:10:08.077 --> 00:10:11.107 of Disabilities and things that I didn't normally work on in my lifetime. 00:10:11.107 --> 00:10:14.827 So I had to come up to speed on a lot of county issues that had nothing to 00:10:14.827 --> 00:10:16.467 do with business, which was also great. 00:10:16.467 --> 00:10:19.992 So I worked with the library system and I did things on some of the immigration 00:10:19.992 --> 00:10:21.102 issues we were having at the time. 00:10:21.102 --> 00:10:23.347 So a lot of issues that I, that was not my background, that I 00:10:23.352 --> 00:10:24.562 had to quickly come up to speed. 00:10:24.982 --> 00:10:28.032 And it was good because it helped me it rounded me out in terms of 00:10:28.032 --> 00:10:30.522 what was going on at the local level in the county that I love. 00:10:31.152 --> 00:10:32.802 And so I did that for four years. 00:10:33.627 --> 00:10:36.057 And just getting, get exposed to everything from public safety, like I 00:10:36.057 --> 00:10:38.437 said, all the way to, veteran issues. 00:10:38.977 --> 00:10:42.637 And then after that I was like, okay, so. 00:10:43.267 --> 00:10:46.597 I'm always like looking at myself in ways how else can I help the 00:10:46.597 --> 00:10:50.437 county, but also help me in terms of professional growth and learning. 00:10:50.437 --> 00:10:53.347 I felt like I had been exposed to a lot. 00:10:53.347 --> 00:10:53.542 Dr. 00:10:53.542 --> 00:10:57.817 Ball was very supportive of my career, but I was like, okay, so now I want to 00:10:57.817 --> 00:11:02.387 really hone in on what I, my background and what I'm naturally good at. 00:11:02.437 --> 00:11:04.577 I was doing a lot of things in the government that naturally, I didn't 00:11:04.577 --> 00:11:07.427 know anything about, like I was point on agriculture and farming, which was 00:11:07.427 --> 00:11:10.637 great 'cause I met a lot of farmers and ag issues that I would never know. 00:11:10.637 --> 00:11:11.747 But that's not my background. 00:11:11.747 --> 00:11:13.727 Although they're businesses, so that's my background. 00:11:13.782 --> 00:11:17.682 But I was like, okay, now I can hone in on what 20 years of experience can be. 00:11:17.682 --> 00:11:21.012 And I think I could be more of a benefit to the county in economic development. 00:11:21.012 --> 00:11:23.852 'cause that's naturally my, what I've learned over the years. 00:11:23.852 --> 00:11:28.462 And so at the time, the previous CEO, he was retiring and I was like, Hey, I think 00:11:28.462 --> 00:11:29.722 I, it would be great for this position. 00:11:30.202 --> 00:11:30.867 And Dr. 00:11:30.867 --> 00:11:34.272 Ball nominated me and the board voted and approved and here I am. 00:11:34.312 --> 00:11:37.642 And I think that being in this position, I'm using all the things 00:11:37.642 --> 00:11:39.202 that I learned throughout my life. 00:11:39.202 --> 00:11:41.242 And I think this is the first position where that's happened. 00:11:41.632 --> 00:11:42.782 'cause, other positions. 00:11:43.337 --> 00:11:45.527 You use a part of what you've learned 'cause it's just a 00:11:45.527 --> 00:11:46.817 very niche kind of position. 00:11:46.817 --> 00:11:51.137 But in this position, I have to not only know economic development and business, 00:11:51.137 --> 00:11:53.377 which I learned, in California and London. 00:11:53.687 --> 00:11:57.582 But I have to know the county, which I learned and its issues , even 00:11:57.582 --> 00:11:59.952 the , non-economic development ones, which I learned working for Dr. 00:11:59.952 --> 00:12:00.852 Ball the first four years. 00:12:00.852 --> 00:12:02.562 So I learned all those issues. 00:12:02.892 --> 00:12:07.202 And then you also kind of gotta know, the different parts of government 00:12:07.202 --> 00:12:08.882 that can help you in this position. 00:12:08.882 --> 00:12:12.962 So I've already knew all the directors of the head of licensing and permitting, 00:12:12.962 --> 00:12:15.902 the head of planning and zoning so that when you have a business issue 00:12:15.902 --> 00:12:18.332 that touches those things, I can just call them, they already know me. 00:12:18.332 --> 00:12:20.222 I don't have to come up to speed on all that stuff. 00:12:20.522 --> 00:12:23.612 So you have somebody that's already tied to government operations. 00:12:24.002 --> 00:12:27.452 And so I feel like those three things has really helped me in this position and 00:12:27.452 --> 00:12:31.577 I've tried to use that as an anchor to to get our strategic plan implemented. 00:12:32.417 --> 00:12:37.187 Linda Ostovitz: So all that experience set you up and had you totally prepared 00:12:37.577 --> 00:12:42.287 to step into the role of CEO of the Economic Development Authority. 00:12:42.947 --> 00:12:45.917 Jennifer Jones: I don't wanna say totally prepared, but it gave good foundation. 00:12:46.247 --> 00:12:46.787 Linda Ostovitz: You know what? 00:12:46.837 --> 00:12:49.357 That's a good point too, because I know you describe 00:12:49.357 --> 00:12:51.937 yourself as a lifelong learner. 00:12:51.937 --> 00:12:55.027 You're always thirsty for learning something new. 00:12:56.047 --> 00:12:58.297 We all do that and we all should be like that. 00:12:58.297 --> 00:13:01.027 But you stepped in with such a strong background. 00:13:01.522 --> 00:13:05.612 You also spent, before we dig into economic development a little bit more, 00:13:05.612 --> 00:13:11.162 you also spent some time in the political arena though in connection with Dr. 00:13:11.162 --> 00:13:12.182 Ball's campaigns, 00:13:12.232 --> 00:13:12.772 Jennifer Jones: That's right. 00:13:13.337 --> 00:13:16.517 Yeah, so when I was doing the consulting, like I said, he was 00:13:16.517 --> 00:13:18.187 running for county executive. 00:13:18.187 --> 00:13:19.417 I didn't know who he was. 00:13:19.417 --> 00:13:22.707 I just heard about his platform and I was like, I really like his platform. 00:13:22.707 --> 00:13:26.777 And he had like good points on, education, the economy, the environment 00:13:27.137 --> 00:13:31.787 and I just started seeing him in events different places and would talk to his 00:13:31.787 --> 00:13:33.287 campaign manager about different things. 00:13:33.287 --> 00:13:35.597 And then, and I know got to know that team. 00:13:35.597 --> 00:13:39.887 And then the campaign manager asked me to be his field director, which is basically 00:13:39.887 --> 00:13:43.297 the person that's like responsible for, the strategy about where you should 00:13:43.297 --> 00:13:46.057 knock, where you should phone call, which precincts you should focus on. 00:13:46.057 --> 00:13:49.147 Which neighborhoods you need to like work on which neighborhoods like you 00:13:49.147 --> 00:13:53.167 just, and then basically all that leading up to the election where you have to 00:13:53.167 --> 00:13:54.877 get a ton people out to vote, right? 00:13:54.877 --> 00:13:57.277 So you know where your base is and you know where your people are. 00:13:57.277 --> 00:14:02.827 So I had never done that before, I feel like once again, that is also 00:14:02.827 --> 00:14:07.012 another position where I felt like I just pulled on all my experiences. 00:14:07.012 --> 00:14:09.022 That's the other position where it's okay, everything that I've learned 00:14:09.022 --> 00:14:10.852 before, this is the same thing. 00:14:10.852 --> 00:14:11.992 It's just in politics. 00:14:11.992 --> 00:14:15.422 So numbers analysis, that's the engineering part. 00:14:15.422 --> 00:14:18.792 Analyzing numbers communicating with people at the door, communicating 00:14:18.792 --> 00:14:21.702 with people in general, but in a bit, community events, all of that 00:14:21.882 --> 00:14:23.622 just is the, it's the same skills. 00:14:24.012 --> 00:14:25.722 It's just in a different position. 00:14:26.082 --> 00:14:29.657 So I think it came, like it was like a natural position for me. 00:14:29.907 --> 00:14:32.217 There were hard parts to it that I had to learn and everything, but it 00:14:32.217 --> 00:14:36.597 was a natural position for me because it's the same kind of thing that 00:14:36.747 --> 00:14:38.337 like engineering and law taught me. 00:14:38.967 --> 00:14:42.857 So I just pulled on the same skillset and then since he, won the election 00:14:42.857 --> 00:14:43.967 and then he offered me a position. 00:14:43.967 --> 00:14:46.517 So I felt like that was great and I didn't expect that either. 00:14:46.567 --> 00:14:49.527 'Cause it was my first time and I know when I took that position too, several 00:14:49.527 --> 00:14:50.877 people were like who's Jennifer Jones? 00:14:50.877 --> 00:14:51.297 Like, why? 00:14:51.297 --> 00:14:55.497 Because most people grab folks from the state or people that have been in that 00:14:55.497 --> 00:14:58.197 political arena for a while, known names. 00:14:58.707 --> 00:15:00.847 And the campaign manager didn't do that. 00:15:00.847 --> 00:15:03.487 She just was like, Hey, I think you know, you would be good for that. 00:15:03.487 --> 00:15:03.772 And Dr. 00:15:03.772 --> 00:15:08.077 Ball signed off . But I think she saw that it might've been like a she also said, 00:15:08.137 --> 00:15:09.517 I think this is a natural fit for you. 00:15:09.577 --> 00:15:12.427 We had been at other events together and things like that, I had asked questions 00:15:12.427 --> 00:15:15.247 and done a bunch of things and she's like, okay, so this is somebody that we 00:15:15.247 --> 00:15:18.337 need is very analytical and breaks down numbers and can deploy people where we 00:15:18.337 --> 00:15:20.287 need to go to get people out to vote. 00:15:20.777 --> 00:15:23.597 Yeah but I had never done that, and then like I said, that led me into the 00:15:23.597 --> 00:15:25.307 deputy chief of staff position and then. 00:15:25.682 --> 00:15:28.912 Once I was there, deputy chief of staff, I think you two years in or a year 00:15:28.912 --> 00:15:30.022 and a half in or something like that. 00:15:30.022 --> 00:15:30.592 Two years in. 00:15:30.982 --> 00:15:33.702 I then became the Chief Strategy Officer 00:15:34.632 --> 00:15:36.282 . Linda Ostovitz: I was going to ask you about that. 00:15:36.382 --> 00:15:41.422 But before we jump into the Chief Strategy officer and what that involved I'm 00:15:41.422 --> 00:15:46.462 just picturing almost this progression of Jennifer Jones who have found 00:15:46.462 --> 00:15:49.402 this terrific educational background. 00:15:49.442 --> 00:15:55.462 And in the political arena, my perception is you are knocking on 00:15:55.462 --> 00:15:58.312 doors and getting to know the people, 00:15:59.412 --> 00:15:59.952 Jennifer Jones: That's correct. 00:16:00.142 --> 00:16:03.537 Linda Ostovitz: the people and building this network of who you 00:16:03.537 --> 00:16:05.577 know, because of what you were doing. 00:16:05.982 --> 00:16:11.192 And then you rise to the level of deputy chief of staff. 00:16:11.582 --> 00:16:15.322 And my understanding is that in that role, you had various 00:16:15.322 --> 00:16:17.032 departments reporting to you. 00:16:17.602 --> 00:16:18.057 Jennifer Jones: That's correct. 00:16:18.242 --> 00:16:20.822 Linda Ostovitz: And so you're not only getting to know the people 00:16:20.822 --> 00:16:25.922 who run those, but the system, if you will, the county move. 00:16:26.542 --> 00:16:33.802 And now in economic development, you used all of that to know who to reach 00:16:33.802 --> 00:16:36.202 out to to make something happen. 00:16:37.042 --> 00:16:42.767 To move all the blocks out of the way so that something can go forward or 00:16:42.767 --> 00:16:47.087 to make navigating the system easier so it's something can go forward. 00:16:48.267 --> 00:16:52.107 And that's something is you bringing a new business to the county or helping 00:16:52.107 --> 00:16:55.167 one that's already here with something that they need to help 'em grow. 00:16:55.662 --> 00:16:56.022 Jennifer Jones: Right. 00:16:56.052 --> 00:16:57.042 And I love doing this. 00:16:57.042 --> 00:16:58.782 I love working with businesses, helping them grow. 00:16:59.202 --> 00:17:01.332 And like I said, this position is a little different 'cause the other 00:17:01.332 --> 00:17:04.242 one was a political pointed position with, this one's non-political. 00:17:04.242 --> 00:17:06.502 So I don't, get into any of that stuff. 00:17:06.502 --> 00:17:08.932 It's just like you're a business in Howard County, I wanna help you grow or 00:17:08.982 --> 00:17:11.412 you wanna come to Howard County for a certain reason, I help you get there. 00:17:11.512 --> 00:17:12.292 But you're right. 00:17:12.302 --> 00:17:15.652 When you make phone calls or go to community meetings or knock on doors and 00:17:15.652 --> 00:17:19.582 you're talking to somebody one-on-one and they're firing questions at you about 00:17:19.582 --> 00:17:22.692 different things and you kind of come up with the answer or figure out an answer. 00:17:22.692 --> 00:17:24.912 If you don't know the answer, figure it out and come back to them. 00:17:25.517 --> 00:17:28.387 That like really gives you a good foundation for talking to 00:17:28.387 --> 00:17:30.937 business owners because they're just like, they wanna succeed here. 00:17:30.937 --> 00:17:32.547 They're raising their families on their businesses. 00:17:32.907 --> 00:17:34.457 They wanna know different things. 00:17:34.457 --> 00:17:35.927 And I get the same type of thing. 00:17:35.927 --> 00:17:40.297 I'm very comfortable now talking with people talking about different resources. 00:17:40.297 --> 00:17:43.447 If they're upset with something in the county, triaging that to 00:17:43.517 --> 00:17:45.247 right or solving the problem. 00:17:45.247 --> 00:17:49.147 So it does set you up for a lot of conversation. 00:17:49.327 --> 00:17:51.847 And honestly it's strange 'cause I am an introvert. 00:17:51.927 --> 00:17:54.687 Anybody that knows me, I am a introvert. 00:17:54.687 --> 00:17:55.857 I usually, it's just weird. 00:17:55.857 --> 00:18:00.197 But I don't feel like I'm odd at all talking to business 00:18:00.197 --> 00:18:01.547 owners or knocking on doors. 00:18:01.547 --> 00:18:02.927 I don't know what that means, but I. 00:18:04.382 --> 00:18:04.742 Yeah. 00:18:04.822 --> 00:18:06.022 Yeah, people were surprised. 00:18:06.022 --> 00:18:07.592 So yeah, I loved it. 00:18:07.622 --> 00:18:08.162 I love it now. 00:18:08.162 --> 00:18:08.882 I love this job. 00:18:09.032 --> 00:18:11.502 Linda Ostovitz: Well, there's probably somebody who is smart enough to 00:18:11.502 --> 00:18:13.722 analyze you and put all that in a box. 00:18:13.932 --> 00:18:17.232 What it means is you're a delight to talk to and you're doing a great 00:18:17.232 --> 00:18:21.552 job, and you've been building your blocks to be such a huge success 00:18:21.552 --> 00:18:23.202 at this for all of your career. 00:18:24.312 --> 00:18:29.142 So you had mentioned that you were the chief strategy officer. 00:18:29.772 --> 00:18:34.422 Sounds like it added another layer to your capabilities and 00:18:34.422 --> 00:18:36.912 ability to use your background. 00:18:36.912 --> 00:18:39.102 So what did you do as the chief strategy Officer? 00:18:39.632 --> 00:18:42.832 Jennifer Jones: So a lot of when you work for the county or work in 00:18:42.832 --> 00:18:45.382 government or in pretty much a lot of jobs, a lot of what you do is 00:18:45.532 --> 00:18:47.182 execution and implementation, right? 00:18:47.182 --> 00:18:50.742 So you get a project, you get some milestones and then you execute on it. 00:18:50.742 --> 00:18:51.762 And that's a good skill to have. 00:18:51.762 --> 00:18:55.692 You have to be able to take something that somebody hands to you and execute quickly, 00:18:55.752 --> 00:18:58.002 which I feel like I know how to do that. 00:18:58.062 --> 00:18:59.052 I've done that before. 00:18:59.112 --> 00:19:03.372 But sometimes, I think as you move up the ladder and as you grow in your career, you 00:19:03.372 --> 00:19:08.972 really need to zoom out and come up with strategy and come up with different ideas. 00:19:09.032 --> 00:19:12.572 And that takes a lot of it's a different skillset, it's a different 00:19:12.572 --> 00:19:15.702 way your brain works than just taking something and executing on it. 00:19:15.752 --> 00:19:19.192 And I feel like a lot of the chief strategy officer position is just 00:19:19.192 --> 00:19:21.442 basically looking at what we're currently doing, what we're currently 00:19:21.442 --> 00:19:25.572 doing across the agencies and looking at, okay, so where are the gaps? 00:19:25.572 --> 00:19:26.652 What else could we be doing? 00:19:26.652 --> 00:19:27.852 How could we be optimizing this? 00:19:27.852 --> 00:19:29.382 Is there anything else that we're missing? 00:19:29.677 --> 00:19:31.027 , You're doing all these things all the time. 00:19:31.032 --> 00:19:33.222 You're completing these projects, you're doing things for the residents, 00:19:33.222 --> 00:19:35.862 but there's always something that you could be doing better or 00:19:35.862 --> 00:19:37.212 something that's not being addressed. 00:19:37.212 --> 00:19:41.592 So stepping back and saying, okay, looking at the whole portfolio, 00:19:41.712 --> 00:19:42.942 what else could we be doing? 00:19:43.032 --> 00:19:44.622 What is a project that we be working on? 00:19:44.762 --> 00:19:47.862 What can we be doing to make Howard County an even better place? 00:19:47.892 --> 00:19:50.952 And so that sometimes takes, you gotta switch your brain. 00:19:51.442 --> 00:19:53.332 It is a different switch in your brain. 00:19:53.692 --> 00:19:57.472 And so I felt like that particular thing called on more of my law 00:19:57.472 --> 00:19:58.852 and MBA more than the engineering. 00:19:58.852 --> 00:20:02.832 'Cause engineering is more of you start from a big like an inverted triangle. 00:20:02.832 --> 00:20:06.572 You start, from the, like the base, the big, and you hone down into something 00:20:06.572 --> 00:20:09.852 like really, a tiny point where you're solving the problem, right? 00:20:10.102 --> 00:20:13.617 And the other thing is like the regular standing triangle where you're trying to 00:20:14.892 --> 00:20:18.042 start with something like at a pinpoint, and then you're trying to expand up into 00:20:18.042 --> 00:20:21.192 something broad that's harder for some people, and it's a different skillset. 00:20:21.192 --> 00:20:23.622 But the strategic strategy officer helped me do that. 00:20:23.622 --> 00:20:25.152 So I just basically worked with Dr. 00:20:25.152 --> 00:20:29.422 Ball to look at okay, we're doing these things in for instance for veterans. 00:20:29.472 --> 00:20:32.652 We had these programs going, we're doing these things for better known businesses. 00:20:33.582 --> 00:20:35.052 What are we hearing out there for the community? 00:20:35.052 --> 00:20:36.962 What other initiatives should we be doing? 00:20:37.142 --> 00:20:38.462 And that's what I focused on. 00:20:39.077 --> 00:20:40.947 Basically just across the agencies. 00:20:41.997 --> 00:20:42.597 Does that make sense? 00:20:42.597 --> 00:20:45.297 So it's just, it was good for me to do that because like I said, it's a 00:20:45.297 --> 00:20:49.287 different switch in your brain and it basically was what I do all the time now. 00:20:49.527 --> 00:20:53.752 So it just, I I have a great team here where I delegate things to, 00:20:53.752 --> 00:20:56.407 and they execute and implement and come up with great ideas too. 00:20:56.407 --> 00:21:00.707 But I pretty much in this position, I would say 70% of the time, am focused 00:21:00.707 --> 00:21:03.602 on okay, we got this things going. 00:21:03.602 --> 00:21:04.922 Think the train is running down the track. 00:21:04.982 --> 00:21:06.362 What else am I missing? 00:21:06.362 --> 00:21:07.262 What else am I seeing? 00:21:07.262 --> 00:21:09.992 You have to constantly be looking on the horizon on this position. 00:21:10.022 --> 00:21:14.222 So that's the chief strategy officer position helped me with 00:21:14.222 --> 00:21:15.632 respect to this part of my job now. 00:21:17.427 --> 00:21:19.737 And that thing about that is your brain doesn't shut off. 00:21:19.737 --> 00:21:21.777 You're always thinking about what's next. 00:21:22.017 --> 00:21:22.617 You know what I mean? 00:21:22.617 --> 00:21:24.927 Like when you run your own business, you always gotta be thinking what's next? 00:21:25.207 --> 00:21:26.227 What's, not working. 00:21:26.227 --> 00:21:27.697 It's like it doesn't ever shut off. 00:21:27.997 --> 00:21:28.267 Yeah. 00:21:28.267 --> 00:21:29.917 And I really love coming with new ideas. 00:21:29.917 --> 00:21:32.627 I have really great leadership team that helps with some of 00:21:32.627 --> 00:21:35.607 this stuff and they're very good. 00:21:35.667 --> 00:21:39.787 So , I feel like I can say, Hey, I think that we have some great loan 00:21:39.787 --> 00:21:41.317 programs, but what are we missing? 00:21:41.317 --> 00:21:42.037 What do we need to do? 00:21:42.157 --> 00:21:43.477 What have you heard from businesses? 00:21:43.477 --> 00:21:46.487 What loan programs have, we've been doing, what incentives aren't we, does 00:21:46.487 --> 00:21:49.797 the next county over do but we don't do and let's analyze some things and figure 00:21:49.797 --> 00:21:50.937 out who can come out with a new product. 00:21:50.937 --> 00:21:51.797 Let's try to do that. 00:21:51.797 --> 00:21:52.997 So we do stuff like that. 00:21:52.997 --> 00:21:56.867 And I feel like you have to always be iterating and growing in this position. 00:21:57.737 --> 00:21:58.517 And so that's what we're doing. 00:21:58.517 --> 00:22:02.227 So like last year we rolled out a new flex line of credit program to 00:22:02.227 --> 00:22:05.827 compliment our other loan funding programs for businesses, which is great. 00:22:05.877 --> 00:22:09.587 This year we also for our business development team, we really honed 00:22:09.587 --> 00:22:11.367 in on our international initiatives. 00:22:11.547 --> 00:22:13.197 And we went on two international trips. 00:22:13.197 --> 00:22:15.687 So we looked at like at the top of last year, what do we need to 00:22:15.687 --> 00:22:19.017 be doing and implement and going on and we did successful trip 00:22:19.017 --> 00:22:20.587 to the uk, Ireland, and Germany. 00:22:20.587 --> 00:22:23.107 And then just past June we did one to Canada. 00:22:23.157 --> 00:22:26.127 Things like that where you always need to just be thinking about what's 00:22:26.127 --> 00:22:30.007 next and what will benefit businesses here that we currently aren't doing. 00:22:31.067 --> 00:22:34.427 Linda Ostovitz: You just addressed some of it, but you know, from a mission, 00:22:34.607 --> 00:22:40.547 broad picture point of view, what does the Economic Development Authority do? 00:22:41.717 --> 00:22:44.057 What is your primary mission? 00:22:44.057 --> 00:22:45.527 I guess start with that. 00:22:45.887 --> 00:22:50.177 Jennifer Jones: So by the primary mission is to, make sure that 00:22:50.177 --> 00:22:51.407 businesses have what they need. 00:22:51.407 --> 00:22:54.212 If they're here, make sure that they have, they need to grow 00:22:54.272 --> 00:22:55.592 and expand here in the county. 00:22:55.592 --> 00:22:58.382 So over business retention and expansion for the current businesses. 00:22:58.742 --> 00:23:02.332 And I would say that's a large majority because after COVID, businesses can 00:23:02.362 --> 00:23:04.832 generally be anywhere now and hire people. 00:23:04.832 --> 00:23:07.892 So the fact that they're in Howard County is the, it's very important. 00:23:07.942 --> 00:23:09.892 They can move anywhere and still hire because a lot of people 00:23:09.892 --> 00:23:11.122 are hybrid and remote, right? 00:23:11.122 --> 00:23:15.122 So businesses don't have like jurisdictional lines like they used to. 00:23:15.122 --> 00:23:16.562 So that is important. 00:23:16.562 --> 00:23:20.412 Making sure businesses grow and thrive and then making sure that we attract new 00:23:20.412 --> 00:23:22.152 businesses to the county is important. 00:23:22.152 --> 00:23:27.162 And also generally promoting Howard County is a great place to live, work, and grow. 00:23:27.612 --> 00:23:31.662 Howard County is like right in the middle of state, we're right in the middle 00:23:31.662 --> 00:23:32.982 of the Baltimore Washington corridor. 00:23:32.982 --> 00:23:34.452 We have a lot of strategic advantages. 00:23:34.452 --> 00:23:35.892 We have a great school system. 00:23:36.172 --> 00:23:37.282 We have great parks. 00:23:37.512 --> 00:23:40.202 People come here 'cause they want their families to, have like green 00:23:40.202 --> 00:23:42.402 spaces and a great education. 00:23:42.402 --> 00:23:45.512 And I think that helping promote Howard County as business friendly 00:23:45.512 --> 00:23:49.082 and saying, Hey, not only do you come here for your kids, you can come here 00:23:49.087 --> 00:23:52.147 and start your business and support your family here, so on your business. 00:23:52.567 --> 00:23:53.707 And that's our job to do that. 00:23:53.707 --> 00:23:56.467 And then fill in any other gaps, like if there's gaps with workforce 00:23:56.467 --> 00:23:57.997 development or any other thing. 00:23:57.997 --> 00:24:00.307 But I think that strengthening that business ecosystem and 00:24:00.307 --> 00:24:02.827 promoting Howard County are the two broad things that we do. 00:24:04.177 --> 00:24:05.407 Linda Ostovitz: Well, that's a big job. 00:24:05.407 --> 00:24:11.047 How big the team that you run to help you accomplish that mission. 00:24:11.837 --> 00:24:13.607 Jennifer Jones: I have 24 people on the team. 00:24:14.787 --> 00:24:19.302 And I think there are places that are a little bigger than 00:24:19.302 --> 00:24:22.132 us and a little smaller, but that's like around 24, 25 people. 00:24:22.182 --> 00:24:22.392 Yeah. 00:24:22.392 --> 00:24:25.442 And the teams are broken out into, like I said, we have our business development 00:24:25.442 --> 00:24:28.822 team that they're the engine that goes out and talks to established businesses. 00:24:28.822 --> 00:24:31.852 They boots on the ground, are visiting businesses all day, getting 00:24:31.852 --> 00:24:33.077 feedback about, different things. 00:24:33.752 --> 00:24:36.782 And then we have our innovation center, which is, we help startups. 00:24:36.852 --> 00:24:39.762 It's you come here, you can incubate with us, go through our programs, 00:24:39.762 --> 00:24:43.392 and then we make you stronger business and accelerate your growth. 00:24:43.602 --> 00:24:44.562 And so we have that. 00:24:44.922 --> 00:24:46.962 And then we have our business finance team, which helps with 00:24:46.962 --> 00:24:48.492 loan programs and incentives. 00:24:48.492 --> 00:24:52.032 So funding programs, a line of credit that we talked about, a couple of 00:24:52.032 --> 00:24:56.032 our microloan program, our catalyst loan fund that helps businesses grow. 00:24:56.392 --> 00:24:57.022 And we have that. 00:24:57.022 --> 00:25:00.182 And then we have our marketing team that market, Howard County 00:25:00.182 --> 00:25:01.412 and markets our services. 00:25:01.842 --> 00:25:04.152 And does a lot of work with the county exec's office in terms of 00:25:04.152 --> 00:25:05.592 collaboration and marketing the county. 00:25:06.372 --> 00:25:09.862 Then we have a strategy team, and they basically focus on 00:25:09.892 --> 00:25:12.262 revitalization, redevelopment projects. 00:25:12.512 --> 00:25:15.732 I have a data person that focuses a lot of on research and data analytics. 00:25:15.782 --> 00:25:19.752 A lot of the other agencies come up to us and say, Hey, we need data on this. 00:25:19.752 --> 00:25:20.382 Can you supply it? 00:25:20.382 --> 00:25:23.172 So we supply data to a lot of the government agencies on economics and 00:25:23.172 --> 00:25:25.482 businesses and also the community also. 00:25:25.867 --> 00:25:27.907 So that's basically how we're structured. 00:25:27.907 --> 00:25:30.697 And then each of those groups have a head of that business unit 00:25:30.697 --> 00:25:31.657 and that's my leadership team. 00:25:32.147 --> 00:25:34.937 We meet weekly, the leadership team and we roll out strategies 00:25:34.987 --> 00:25:35.857 and things like that from there. 00:25:37.042 --> 00:25:38.062 And then I report to a board. 00:25:38.112 --> 00:25:40.722 Just so you know, so like I'm quasi-governmental, so like I 00:25:40.722 --> 00:25:43.152 said, I work a lot at the county exec's office and he funds us. 00:25:43.232 --> 00:25:46.442 However we're quai governmental 'cause I have a board, a director, so I report to 00:25:46.442 --> 00:25:50.412 the chair and they work with me on the strategic planning and things like that. 00:25:51.672 --> 00:25:54.762 Linda Ostovitz: It's interesting 'cause I had wondered, I guess when I first 00:25:54.762 --> 00:25:56.682 became aware of economic development. 00:25:57.222 --> 00:26:00.042 Is it a governmental agency or is it something else? 00:26:00.462 --> 00:26:02.202 And it really is something else. 00:26:02.637 --> 00:26:04.917 More like a business than it does like the government. 00:26:04.917 --> 00:26:05.277 Right? 00:26:05.397 --> 00:26:11.547 But you interact so much with governmental, like agencies, departments, 00:26:11.547 --> 00:26:13.547 et cetera, to get anything done. 00:26:13.697 --> 00:26:18.817 So when you came into your role, you succeeded a CEO would been 00:26:18.817 --> 00:26:23.707 in the role for a long time, 10 years, 12 years, something like 00:26:23.847 --> 00:26:26.102 Jennifer Jones: Yeah, I think it was I wanna say 12 or 13 years. 00:26:26.112 --> 00:26:26.502 Yes. 00:26:26.557 --> 00:26:26.947 Linda Ostovitz: Okay. 00:26:27.637 --> 00:26:33.427 And I, it is my perception anyway, that a lot of the people who worked in 00:26:33.427 --> 00:26:39.337 the economic development arena for the county, not for the county, for its board, 00:26:39.877 --> 00:26:42.217 had also been there for a long time. 00:26:42.217 --> 00:26:47.517 What was it like stepping into a role that had been shaped by the 00:26:47.517 --> 00:26:49.827 individual who held that position. 00:26:50.817 --> 00:26:53.367 When you're Jennifer, you're not Larry Tweel. 00:26:53.427 --> 00:26:56.967 How do you go in there and make it your own and establish your 00:26:56.967 --> 00:26:59.337 own goals and make it all work? 00:26:59.442 --> 00:27:00.962 Jennifer Jones: Oh yeah, I mean that, it's a good question. 00:27:00.962 --> 00:27:04.292 So you have to, take it, and this is the engineering piece of my brain. 00:27:04.622 --> 00:27:06.062 You gotta take it in bite-size pieces. 00:27:06.092 --> 00:27:08.552 'cause if you come in and you're just like, I want everybody to know who I am, 00:27:08.552 --> 00:27:11.462 and you do it all at once, it's just, it's overwhelming and it's too much. 00:27:11.462 --> 00:27:16.642 So what I did was , right before I came in, there had been a strategic plan that I 00:27:16.642 --> 00:27:19.932 was working on from the county exec side, with all the stakeholders for the EDA. 00:27:20.232 --> 00:27:23.352 So that plan had officially got approved, and it already had buy-in 00:27:23.692 --> 00:27:25.102 from everybody, from the stakeholders. 00:27:25.372 --> 00:27:29.152 So what I did when I came in is I broke that strategic plan down, and 00:27:29.152 --> 00:27:30.772 then it's a very high level plan. 00:27:30.822 --> 00:27:34.472 And I put my own tactics and initiatives under those like six 00:27:34.572 --> 00:27:35.712 things that we said we were gonna do. 00:27:35.762 --> 00:27:39.152 Like the 30,000 foot goals that we set, we were gonna do in the plan. 00:27:39.782 --> 00:27:43.382 Basically just worked the plan that everybody agreed on. 00:27:43.382 --> 00:27:47.572 So that first year you work the plan that everybody agrees on and then you 00:27:47.572 --> 00:27:50.002 align the organization to that plan. 00:27:50.002 --> 00:27:51.832 So I did some reworking of the organization. 00:27:51.862 --> 00:27:55.192 The alignment, like with the groups that I told you about, formed those 00:27:55.342 --> 00:27:57.952 official groups that, 'cause they weren't there, all of them were 00:27:57.952 --> 00:27:59.122 not there when I first got here. 00:27:59.122 --> 00:28:01.972 Just be, it was business development in the innovation center, but 00:28:01.972 --> 00:28:03.722 those other groups were not there. 00:28:04.022 --> 00:28:06.452 So I formed those groups based on the strategic plan. 00:28:06.812 --> 00:28:11.682 And then just I literally at the top of the year, the fiscal year, I sat 00:28:11.682 --> 00:28:15.082 with each of the groups and we just broke down okay , for each of the 00:28:15.082 --> 00:28:18.892 goals under each of the priorities that we had, what are the milestones? 00:28:19.132 --> 00:28:20.212 When are we gonna have it done? 00:28:20.242 --> 00:28:21.052 What's going on? 00:28:21.052 --> 00:28:25.252 And we just used that throughout the year and everybody had agreed to the plan. 00:28:25.252 --> 00:28:28.042 So I just worked it and just implemented that, executed that. 00:28:28.572 --> 00:28:30.942 You know exactly the way we said we were going to. 00:28:31.272 --> 00:28:36.132 So that first year is like a baseline of okay, Jennifer can come in, take 00:28:36.132 --> 00:28:40.302 an organization and execute the way we agreed to with the plan. 00:28:40.302 --> 00:28:41.472 Get everybody comfortable with that. 00:28:41.472 --> 00:28:43.392 So that's what I did on that first year I would say. 00:28:43.392 --> 00:28:46.212 And so it was a lot of internal work working with the staff. 00:28:46.212 --> 00:28:50.592 I hired some new staff and I think that after that first year, 00:28:50.652 --> 00:28:53.452 obviously we're doing a lot of the same things that Larry was doing. 00:28:53.452 --> 00:28:56.162 Obviously the business retention expansion and things like that. 00:28:56.442 --> 00:29:00.542 But we did add some things and I think that first year everybody said, okay. 00:29:01.577 --> 00:29:04.817 She's gonna continue what worked well and then add some things that 00:29:04.817 --> 00:29:07.397 we added to the plan and we're comfortable that she can do that. 00:29:07.397 --> 00:29:09.827 It's every job you gotta prove yourself, which I don't have a problem with. 00:29:10.217 --> 00:29:14.447 And so I did that and I think after that people were like, okay, she, we can see 00:29:14.447 --> 00:29:17.627 this is the direction this organization is going on and we're on board because 00:29:17.627 --> 00:29:22.217 the direction was like laid out in the plan and what we thought, what everybody 00:29:22.217 --> 00:29:23.627 said we needed to do post COVID. 00:29:24.257 --> 00:29:26.657 And I think my team did a really great job of doing that. 00:29:27.622 --> 00:29:31.502 And I also during that first year, reintroduce myself to as in this new 00:29:31.502 --> 00:29:34.192 position to people that already knew me from the other position, right? 00:29:34.192 --> 00:29:34.762 Working with Dr. 00:29:34.762 --> 00:29:35.032 Ball. 00:29:35.032 --> 00:29:36.232 I met with the council members. 00:29:36.442 --> 00:29:39.142 I talked to some of the members of the general Assembly that are here, that 00:29:39.142 --> 00:29:41.752 the political people I talked to, the businesses that already knew me, which 00:29:41.752 --> 00:29:43.972 was good because they were already familiar with me, but what that meant to 00:29:43.972 --> 00:29:46.012 be in this new role, what I'm gonna do. 00:29:46.062 --> 00:29:50.292 I already knew all the people, all the players, but I was just like reintroducing 00:29:50.572 --> 00:29:55.462 myself in this role and executing this plan that everybody agreed to. 00:29:55.562 --> 00:29:57.212 That's basically how I just conquered that. 00:29:57.212 --> 00:29:59.522 I didn't think about it as oh, it's, this is horrible. 00:29:59.522 --> 00:30:02.372 I'm gonna have to come in here and let, make everybody like me 00:30:02.372 --> 00:30:03.422 because they, they like Larry. 00:30:03.422 --> 00:30:04.382 He was here for 13 years. 00:30:04.412 --> 00:30:05.102 Okay, that's fine. 00:30:05.102 --> 00:30:07.532 I'm, they like Larry, but they, I'm different and they can like me too. 00:30:08.327 --> 00:30:12.287 I just I felt like that plan gave me a really good way to, to do that. 00:30:13.412 --> 00:30:16.892 Now I'm just adding onto it, like doing more regional stuff, working with greater 00:30:16.892 --> 00:30:19.712 Baltimore Committee and other regional organizations to promote the region. 00:30:20.042 --> 00:30:23.372 Helping, not just being isolated with Howard County, strengthening partnerships 00:30:23.372 --> 00:30:25.462 with people across in other counties. 00:30:25.462 --> 00:30:28.432 Like I work closely with some organizations, some economic 00:30:28.432 --> 00:30:30.622 organizations in Baltimore City, because it's a regional play. 00:30:30.682 --> 00:30:32.302 You can't really do everything on your own. 00:30:32.812 --> 00:30:36.432 I work closely with the other CEOs of the other economic development 00:30:36.432 --> 00:30:37.692 organizations on in the state. 00:30:37.692 --> 00:30:40.272 We have a weekly call and so I do that. 00:30:40.312 --> 00:30:43.982 And I think like I said, through partnerships and having a great team. 00:30:45.072 --> 00:30:48.222 Being very clear and transparent about what the goals are 00:30:48.232 --> 00:30:49.552 for economic development. 00:30:50.182 --> 00:30:52.807 I think, people have pretty much, happy with what we're doing. 00:30:54.237 --> 00:30:56.307 Linda Ostovitz: Using that plan was really brilliant. 00:30:56.487 --> 00:30:59.677 It was noncontroversial, and it wasn't about Larry either. 00:30:59.857 --> 00:31:01.357 It was the plan. 00:31:01.897 --> 00:31:04.587 So you start with something that's non-controversial and 00:31:04.587 --> 00:31:06.567 obviously build on top of that. 00:31:07.737 --> 00:31:10.647 How would you describe your management style, Jennifer? 00:31:12.117 --> 00:31:13.107 Jennifer Jones: That's a good question. 00:31:13.821 --> 00:31:18.601 So I think my management style is pretty much to, like I said, I meet with my 00:31:18.601 --> 00:31:22.671 leadership team each week to set my expectations and goals and to get their 00:31:22.671 --> 00:31:25.591 feedback on things that are going on and any things that they wanna add to it. 00:31:26.041 --> 00:31:29.011 And my management style is , once we have the goals and it's transparent across the 00:31:29.011 --> 00:31:31.231 organization what everybody's supposed to do, I don't like to micromanage. 00:31:31.261 --> 00:31:35.491 I like to be able to delegate and then check in and then iterate if need be. 00:31:35.571 --> 00:31:38.501 And I'm not the kind of leader that's okay, I wanna do this new thing. 00:31:39.806 --> 00:31:42.236 Then give me something in six weeks when it's all done. 00:31:42.336 --> 00:31:43.176 And then let me see it. 00:31:43.176 --> 00:31:44.796 I like to build the plane in the air. 00:31:44.796 --> 00:31:47.916 You have different types of personalities and some personalities 00:31:47.916 --> 00:31:49.536 are very perfectionist, right? 00:31:49.786 --> 00:31:53.966 Other types of folks, i'm like, I do not need it perfect, but I need constant 00:31:53.966 --> 00:31:54.986 iteration and building in the air. 00:31:54.986 --> 00:31:59.866 So I'm the person that will roll get something to like about 85%, roll it out, 00:31:59.896 --> 00:32:01.486 and then iterate while we're doing it. 00:32:01.526 --> 00:32:05.086 You can't wait all the time for 12 weeks for everybody to be perfect 00:32:05.086 --> 00:32:05.956 for something, you know what I mean? 00:32:05.956 --> 00:32:07.166 Sometimes you need to get something moving. 00:32:07.186 --> 00:32:12.446 So I would say I am an agile leader, like I have high level goals and 00:32:12.446 --> 00:32:15.526 then I'm like, let's get moving now and then just continue building it 00:32:15.526 --> 00:32:17.216 in the air and get it rolled out. 00:32:17.216 --> 00:32:19.776 I think you have to be like that because the things that are going on 00:32:19.776 --> 00:32:23.136 now, like at the federal level, at the state level, things are moving fast. 00:32:23.136 --> 00:32:26.366 You don't have the, luxury to wait around for five months to put something 00:32:26.366 --> 00:32:30.241 together to help businesses or to help the residents here when they're going 00:32:30.241 --> 00:32:31.111 through a lot that they're going through. 00:32:31.111 --> 00:32:33.776 Like if you're a federal worker or whatever, you better sometimes say, okay. 00:32:34.486 --> 00:32:35.776 Federal workers are getting laid off. 00:32:35.826 --> 00:32:36.996 We gotta put together a workshop. 00:32:37.026 --> 00:32:38.756 Okay do we know what's going on right now? 00:32:38.756 --> 00:32:41.846 Call a couple people and let's get a date on the calendar and let's get a speaker. 00:32:41.846 --> 00:32:44.276 And let's do the first one and might not answer everybody's question, 00:32:44.276 --> 00:32:47.116 but at least we're put it out there and we get some mechanism 00:32:47.116 --> 00:32:48.316 for feedback from federal workers. 00:32:48.316 --> 00:32:48.886 So we did that. 00:32:48.936 --> 00:32:51.836 So we usually have a business expo two times out of the year. 00:32:52.146 --> 00:32:54.756 This past spring we had one and that was like right around, the 00:32:54.756 --> 00:32:57.786 federal people were getting laid off and it was like three weeks out. 00:32:57.786 --> 00:33:01.776 And we had some, maybe three or four weeks out, and we had our business expo. 00:33:01.896 --> 00:33:04.476 We were originally gonna be doing it as a general expo, and then we were 00:33:04.476 --> 00:33:07.626 like, we need to pivot this to make sure it targets federal workers. 00:33:07.626 --> 00:33:10.316 And if you are a federal worker and you wanna start a business. 00:33:11.366 --> 00:33:13.496 This is how you do it and get some speakers in here. 00:33:13.496 --> 00:33:14.516 So I was like, let's just do it. 00:33:14.546 --> 00:33:16.346 And people were saying, well, it's like we only have three weeks. 00:33:16.346 --> 00:33:17.516 Well we can do it. 00:33:17.806 --> 00:33:18.676 We have to do something. 00:33:18.676 --> 00:33:20.776 So I'm that kinda leader and they know that about me now. 00:33:20.776 --> 00:33:23.986 So I'd rather have something that's like 85%, but we get it 00:33:23.986 --> 00:33:27.526 out quicker and help people than have it perfect and wait, forever. 00:33:28.216 --> 00:33:28.786 Linda Ostovitz: I love that. 00:33:28.786 --> 00:33:30.106 Build it in the air. 00:33:30.706 --> 00:33:35.416 You gotta do something and you learn so much building it in the air, right? 00:33:35.576 --> 00:33:37.496 You get the benefit of other people's thoughts. 00:33:38.236 --> 00:33:42.166 One of your brand new things that's been unrolled this year is the 00:33:42.166 --> 00:33:46.206 Cyber Howard Accelerator program. 00:33:46.246 --> 00:33:50.476 What is the Cyber Howard Accelerator program that you have created? 00:33:50.986 --> 00:33:54.506 Jennifer Jones: Yeah the Cyber Howard Accelerator program is a program 00:33:54.536 --> 00:33:57.836 geared towards cyber companies that have products and their product 00:33:57.836 --> 00:33:59.716 ready to get customers with. 00:33:59.716 --> 00:34:02.686 But a lot of times with you have a product, you think it's ready 00:34:02.926 --> 00:34:07.726 and it might not be ready to the point where a customer can get it 00:34:07.726 --> 00:34:08.626 and get what they need out of it. 00:34:08.626 --> 00:34:12.606 So the Cyber Howard Accelerator is there to market test it, get feedback from 00:34:12.606 --> 00:34:16.666 industry experts, talk to people in the field about your product and hone it 00:34:17.086 --> 00:34:21.096 and accelerate its optimization and its growth so that at the end of the 12 weeks 00:34:21.396 --> 00:34:24.826 you're really ready to pitch your product, go to investors, things like that. 00:34:25.086 --> 00:34:28.206 We had a cohort that just graduated a couple weeks ago. 00:34:28.386 --> 00:34:32.366 It was eight companies, and then we have another cohort coming up in September. 00:34:32.786 --> 00:34:34.796 And this past cohort was really great. 00:34:34.796 --> 00:34:37.876 One company went through the accelerator and they honed their 00:34:37.876 --> 00:34:38.956 product and they got acquired. 00:34:39.226 --> 00:34:40.336 So it was a great win. 00:34:40.376 --> 00:34:41.606 Yeah, so it was great. 00:34:42.006 --> 00:34:45.466 One other one actually they worked with us on the European delegation 00:34:45.466 --> 00:34:48.616 trip that I talked about, and they got a JV partner out there. 00:34:48.801 --> 00:34:51.561 It's just basically you know, when you're an entrepreneur it's a lonely thing. 00:34:51.891 --> 00:34:54.111 You could think your product is the greatest thing in the world and it could 00:34:54.111 --> 00:34:57.621 be, but it could always be tested and making sure it's really market ready. 00:34:57.621 --> 00:35:03.351 And so just challenging these companies and saying, Hey, tweak this, do this. 00:35:03.351 --> 00:35:05.251 And then it gets you ready for investment also. 00:35:05.281 --> 00:35:07.781 'cause you might be looking for equity investor or things like that. 00:35:07.781 --> 00:35:10.721 So that's basically what it is, just to accelerate growth and make 00:35:10.721 --> 00:35:12.556 sure your products is where it needs to be when it hits the market. 00:35:13.696 --> 00:35:15.406 Linda Ostovitz: Well, congratulations on that. 00:35:15.406 --> 00:35:18.796 And the first class just graduated that last week. 00:35:18.796 --> 00:35:22.396 We were talking on the phone and you, your next thing to do was 00:35:22.396 --> 00:35:23.926 to go to a graduation, right? 00:35:24.556 --> 00:35:25.006 Yeah. 00:35:25.156 --> 00:35:25.641 Jennifer Jones: That was it. 00:35:25.906 --> 00:35:26.566 Linda Ostovitz: That's great. 00:35:27.561 --> 00:35:31.691 So the last thing I wanna ask you about, Jennifer, is what's next for 00:35:32.051 --> 00:35:34.061 economic development in Howard County? 00:35:34.811 --> 00:35:35.711 What should we look for? 00:35:36.341 --> 00:35:39.301 Jennifer Jones: Yeah, I think that this is really a good place for economic 00:35:39.301 --> 00:35:42.481 development and where we are now because, there are a lot of things going on at 00:35:42.481 --> 00:35:46.381 the state level and the federal level that I lead to where I feel like the only 00:35:46.381 --> 00:35:50.781 way to grow the state of Maryland and to grow the counties in Maryland is through 00:35:50.781 --> 00:35:52.881 economic development and economic growth. 00:35:53.251 --> 00:35:55.831 We know we're facing a budget challenge, at the state level. 00:35:56.111 --> 00:35:59.261 You know, people are getting laid off at the federal level and I think a 00:35:59.261 --> 00:36:02.451 lot of people, obviously you need to tighten your belt within that situation 00:36:02.451 --> 00:36:05.631 and cut back on economic development programs because you're saving, like 00:36:05.661 --> 00:36:07.761 short term budget wise, budget things. 00:36:07.761 --> 00:36:10.881 But I think the only way to fight your way out of something like this 00:36:10.911 --> 00:36:12.201 is through economic development. 00:36:12.201 --> 00:36:16.221 So you might need to spend money on certain programs, but long term 00:36:16.221 --> 00:36:18.621 it gets you out of stagnation. 00:36:18.621 --> 00:36:20.061 It gets you out of negative growth. 00:36:20.441 --> 00:36:22.201 And I think that, that's where we are now. 00:36:22.201 --> 00:36:26.091 I think that, me and all the other economic development heads of the state 00:36:26.511 --> 00:36:31.569 really need to, meet look at our budgets and talk with our county executives and 00:36:31.569 --> 00:36:36.199 our mayors and the state and really put together, a message that, Maryland is 00:36:36.199 --> 00:36:39.319 here for growth, Maryland is business friendly and this is how you do it. 00:36:39.319 --> 00:36:40.569 And it's a grassroots type thing. 00:36:40.569 --> 00:36:42.039 You gotta do it from the local level up. 00:36:42.069 --> 00:36:43.839 And I don't think you can really do it from the state down. 00:36:44.229 --> 00:36:47.199 And I think this is a great time in terms of that for economic development. 00:36:47.199 --> 00:36:50.819 In terms of really honing in and expanding our programs, keeping 00:36:50.819 --> 00:36:51.959 the programs that we have. 00:36:52.049 --> 00:36:52.949 We need to do all of that. 00:36:52.949 --> 00:36:56.654 We need to have all the tools in the toolbox to get us out of a negative 00:36:56.654 --> 00:36:58.384 growth trend that we have in the state. 00:36:58.384 --> 00:37:01.729 And I think, the governor's talked about that too, how he, it should 00:37:01.729 --> 00:37:02.959 be a business friendly state. 00:37:02.959 --> 00:37:04.909 He wants to encourage certain lighthouse sectors. 00:37:05.269 --> 00:37:07.439 And I think that we might need to spend a little money now 00:37:07.559 --> 00:37:08.749 to reap the benefits later. 00:37:08.749 --> 00:37:11.329 So I know that might be controversial because a lot of 00:37:11.329 --> 00:37:12.889 times people say we're in a deficit. 00:37:12.889 --> 00:37:14.899 Where are we gonna get the money from and what's going on? 00:37:14.899 --> 00:37:16.759 And we need to cut back on these programs, but. 00:37:18.269 --> 00:37:21.449 I honestly think that if you cut back on economic development programs, yes 00:37:21.454 --> 00:37:25.134 you'll balance the budget now, but in 10 years, 20 years from now, I don't think 00:37:25.134 --> 00:37:26.064 it's good for the state of Maryland. 00:37:26.424 --> 00:37:28.584 Linda Ostovitz: Well in the future, right? 00:37:28.674 --> 00:37:29.544 Like for many. 00:37:31.389 --> 00:37:35.589 Well, Jennifer, thank you so much for joining me today. 00:37:35.589 --> 00:37:42.309 It's interesting to me how in your mind even you compartmentalize your skills. 00:37:42.309 --> 00:37:45.489 And here's where I use this and here's where I use that, but my 00:37:45.489 --> 00:37:49.509 goodness, when you put 'em all together, you are a power house. 00:37:50.274 --> 00:37:54.744 We are so lucky in Howard County to have you driving the 00:37:54.744 --> 00:37:56.604 economic development engine. 00:37:56.604 --> 00:37:57.954 So thank you for that. 00:37:58.524 --> 00:37:59.514 I appreciate it. 00:37:59.514 --> 00:38:02.454 I'm a Howard County resident and have been all my life basically 00:38:02.454 --> 00:38:06.594 like we discussed, so thank you for doing the good work that you do. 00:38:06.654 --> 00:38:07.794 Please keep it up. 00:38:08.284 --> 00:38:10.624 And again, thank you so much for joining us today. 00:38:10.674 --> 00:38:11.754 Jennifer Jones: Thank you for having me. 00:38:12.054 --> 00:38:12.774 It's great to see you. 00:38:13.789 --> 00:38:14.479 Linda Ostovitz: My pleasure.