Welcome to Curated Morning. A compendium of news, information, and stories that economic development professionals, community development leaders and elected officials read every week to stay in touch with what is happening in our economy.

The Main Thing:

Over the weekend, I tried something completely new. No, I didn’t jump out of a plane for my upcoming milestone birthday, but that’s still on my list. Also, I wasn’t arrested. Instead, I found myself eagerly clutching a stack of my own artwork, preparing to take part in an event I’d only ever admired from afar. But let me rewind just a bit—

This shift from curiosity to experience happened this past weekend, when I participated in an event I have long admired and dreamed of being part of. Here in Rockford, Illinois, the Rockford Area Arts Council sponsors something called ArtScene. Think "pub crawl," but for art. Venues across the City, including restaurants, bars, museums, non-profit organizations, and even a dry cleaner, sponsor local artists with ‘pop-up’ exhibits. It’s a chance for artists of all types to display their work to the general public.

The artists range from seasoned professionals who make a solid living from their work to neophytes, students, and emerging artists, as well as one collector who opened her home to display her vast collection. Some artists gave live demonstrations, and others offered activities for kids.

There were over thirty venues downtown, and the place was buzzing with activity.

Speaking of beginners, I mentioned neophytes in the paragraph above. One of those neophytes was me: Marty Vanags, Artist. Not Martin Karl Vanags of MartinKarl Consulting, but Marty Vanags, the artist.

If you haven’t caught on to my previous columns, my main message is this: I am in a state of professional transition from economic developer and consultant to artist. This is not about retirement or a hobby becoming more serious. This is a true shift in how I see my work and identity.

I have spent the last several weeks preparing art that I have produced over the past several months to display at one of my favorite places in Rockford, Carlyle Brewing Company. My genre is pen sketches colored with alcohol markers and other various inks. My subject matter tends to be buildings, places, and environments. I don’t do dogs or people if you were wondering.

One of my favorite pieces is a sketch of the Carlyle Brewing Company itself, captured on a cold winter afternoon when the sky was gray, and the cold gripped my fingers as I snapped a picture from across the street. I was inspired by the building's old-school architecture and by the owners, who lovingly completed it many years ago. There is something special about recreating familiar places through my own perspective and seeing others recognize a location that means something to them too.

And let me tell you something: I have never been more fulfilled or happier in my life. I wake up every morning excited to see what I can sketch next. I have people admiring my work and commissioning me to sketch their home, their business, and the place where they had their first date.

I invite you to pause for a moment and consider: What brings you true fulfillment? Is there a creative pursuit or passion you have set aside that you might want to explore? I would be thrilled to hear what inspires you or what creative projects you are working on, so please feel free to share your stories as well.

I spent a lifetime and career trying to please other people and meet the expectations of economic development board directors, city councils, local business leaders, owners, and entrepreneurs. And as you know, you can’t please everyone, and trying to do so will drive you crazy. And that is just part of the equation. I also spent my life trying to live up to the expectations of my parents, family members, spouse, children, and peers. We all do that to some degree.

Some of us are really good at this, some fail miserably, and some land somewhere in between. For some people, this effort to please others can be mentally exhausting. I think I am somewhere in between, but as I “do” more art and begin to participate in events like ArtScene and plan for art fairs, I find myself in a state of bliss and fulfillment.

Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s important to be a role model and anchor for your family, especially your children, but the balance can be precarious and lead to emotional challenges for you. I know that was the case for me.

I am still committed to helping the existing economic development clients I still serve, and the young economic development leaders I coach. I still love seeing communities prosper and economies grow, and I feel my experience and work have resulted in a collection of strategies and knowledge that allows me to be helpful in the consulting space.

At the same time, there’s this art thing…

Keep following me and reading this newsletter to watch the ongoing transition from economic developer to artist. My journey is about following passion and fulfillment; I invite you to join me on this rewarding path. If you would like to connect, share your own creative stories, or have questions about future events I'll be part of, please reply to this newsletter or leave a comment. I would love to hear from you, and who knows—you might find inspiration or even join me at an upcoming ArtScene or local exhibit!

You can see more of my art on Instagram, where I post almost daily @martyart75 or my art website, www.martyart.works

Focus On Data Centers

Don't Just Take the Deal — Own the Moment

The AI data center gold rush is rewriting the rules of economic development. A new Brookings Institution report finds that most communities still leave enormous value behind. The usual data center projects bring mostly short-term construction jobs and little long-term, high-value tech work.

That doesn't have to be the case. Fierce competition among hyperscalers for top sites and power gives communities a bit of leverage. This can help shape more forward-looking, mutually beneficial AI data center deals. From Wisconsin to New Jersey to Massachusetts, bolder, smarter negotiations are emerging, and Brookings explains how a new playbook could help economic developers and their communities.

Why This Matters: Economic developers have historically approached data center recruitment as they would a warehouse landing. ED professionals are grateful for tax revenue, satisfied with construction jobs, and ask few questions. This report is a call to think bigger. Regions should treat data center negotiations not as isolated real estate deals but as opportunities to shape the local ecosystem by exchanging access to infrastructure for commitments to boost innovation, talent, and industry strengths.

The report offers concrete models. Here are some examples:

New Jersey passed legislation offering up to $250 million in AI tax incentives for equivalent investments into the state's tech ecosystem, including partnerships with universities, startups, and accelerators.
Microsoft's Wisconsin project linked data center development to workforce training, a manufacturing AI co-innovation lab, and university research partnerships. Communities can also explore co-investment models, where a portion of financial returns from data center real estate flows back to residents through a community equity endowment. Your land, water, access to the power grid, and permitting authority are precious in a highly competitive market. Use them like it counts.

Here are some suggestions for Economic Development Professionals:

Understand your leverage before negotiating. Before meeting with any data center prospect, list the available mega-sites in your region, power capacity, water access, permitting timelines, and workforce training resources. The developer knows their needs. You must know your strengths and what you want in return.
Build your ask list now, not at the end. Demand that the potential project commit to workforce training, donate computing to local universities, form R&D partnerships with regional industry clusters, and co-invest in local AI startups. Put these on the table from day one, rather than adding them later to appease skeptical residents.
Study the New Jersey and Wisconsin models. New Jersey's legislation offered AI companies tradeable tax incentives in exchange for investments in the state's tech ecosystem. This approach focused on partnerships with research universities, technology startups, and incubators and accelerators. Both states offer replicable frameworks worth adapting to your regional context.

Read Turning the data center boom into long-term, local prosperity by Daniel Goetzel, Mark Muro, and Shriya Methkupally | Brookings Research.

Something You Should Read:

The Map Is Being Redrawn — Is Your Community on It?

Remember the economic development cluster study? In my early years as an economic development professional, the cluster study was an important tool for understanding who to target in recruitment efforts. Much cluster analysis was based on what industries you have historically been part of your economy, and how some of those industries, and the skills some of those workers possess, might transition into new types of industries and clusters.

These cluster studies served as the basis for many recruitment and attraction activities. But today, that has changed. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, it's more about geolocation than about existing clusters.

I never put much stock into the cluster analysis world. Even though a Harvard professor had developed this system, it seemed that our existing institutions, particularly those involved in training, could not respond fast enough to the rapid economic changes in the marketplace, rendering these studies ineffective.

By the time you completed a workforce study and prepared local training programs, the marketplace had changed.

The world hasn't slowed down yet. In fact, the pace of change has increased due to AI and other factors. Some of these factors stem from supply chain and foreign direct investment location decisions.

That's the central insight of McKinsey Global Institute's latest research on foreign direct investment. Their conclusions are summarized in a podcast conversation with two of the firm's senior partners.

Where the world's biggest investment dollars flow today determines where jobs, supply chains, and competitive industries land tomorrow. Massive capital commitments into areas like AI, semiconductors, and clean energy are signaling which industries will scale, where supply chains will land, and which regions will dominate, and the signals are hiding in plain sight if you know what to look for. Three-quarters of recent greenfield FDI announcements are flowing into these future-shaping industries, a dramatic concentration that is effectively writing the first chapter of the next global economic order.

For economic developers, FDI announcements are signals and provide intelligence. The dollar announced, or that goes into the ground today, tells you something about where things will be produced, who will be trading, and who will be competitive in the future. McKinsey's researchers draw an explicit parallel to China's rise: FDI flowing into China 15 years ago created the manufacturing base that reshaped global trade for a generation.

The same dynamic is unfolding now around AI data centers, semiconductor fabs, and battery manufacturing, and the winners will be communities that positioned themselves early. The research also offers a critical insight about what actually makes FDI stick and translate into lasting growth: when FDI was outsized, and an industry actually grew, the distinguishing factors were a human capital ecosystem, domestic investment piling in alongside foreign investment, and connections to global supply chains, and not just the initial capital announcement.

Consider tracking FDI announcements as a form of competitive intelligence. By monitoring AI infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, and clean energy projects in your region and neighboring states, you can strengthen your recruiting efforts. These announcements are two- to five-year leading indicators of the future competitive landscape and emerging workforce, supplier, or infrastructure gaps.

Successful FDI requires people on the ground who understand the technology and can build it out, as well as workers trained to operate in the factories and supplier ecosystems around them. Therefore, you need to have a good handle on your human capital pipeline against future-shaping industries. If you don't already have this information, you should map your community college and technical training programs to the specific skill sets that data center, semiconductor, battery, and clean energy facilities actually need, and proactively close the gaps.

For marketing and attraction, position your community as a node rather than an island. Research shows FDI-driven growth fails when disconnected from wider supply chains. When recruiting for major capital projects, highlight logistics, supplier ties, and regional links, and deliberately build the supplier ecosystem around any anchor investment.

Lastly, don't forget about the intangible aspects of economic development attraction. Many economic development organizations place little emphasis on the cultural and non-infrastructure aspects of their communities. Site location decisions are as much about human beings' as they are about infrastructure. How your community stands up against others, through all the intangible elements, is important.

Read or listen to the McKinsey podcast here.

Overheard:

“When I think about a healthy community, I think about healthy business, healthy schools, healthy environment, healthy arts and culture. Finding that balance and integration make it a great place to live, work, and raise a family.”

—Travis Anderson, President & CEO, UW Health

The Rabbit Hole:

The View From 252,756 Miles Away: What We Look Like From Out There

On April 6, the Artemis II crew broke a record that had stood for 56 years. They traveled 252,756 miles from Earth, farther than any humans have ever been. For context, that's about ten times around the Earth's equator. Or roughly the distance I've put on rental cars over my career.

While they were out there, they did what anyone would do: they took pictures. And on April 6, as they swung around the far side of the Moon, they captured Earth setting behind the lunar horizon. The shot echoes the famous "Earthrise" photo from Apollo 8 in 1968, except this time it's an Earthset, and the astronauts had been trained specifically on how to photograph the planet from deep space. NASA wasn't after "good enough." They wanted scientifically precise images that also happen to be breathtaking.

This was the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. Four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency spent nearly ten days testing the Orion spacecraft on a loop around the Moon. They named the spacecraft Integrity. They brought along a plush toy designed by an eight-year-old named Rise, inspired by the original Earthrise photo. And they came back with images that remind you just how small and fragile this whole operation actually is.

From 250,000 miles away, Earth looks like a marble. All our problems, all our plans, all our economic development strategies are all happening on that little blue dot floating in the darkness. Makes you wonder if we're spending our time on the right things.

See the stunning photos from Artemis II

A few more Rabbit Holes to wander down:

If we avoid sadness in life, why do we seek it in art? By Tara Venkatesan and edited by Christian Jarrett | Psyche -- Philosophers and psychologists have puzzled over the allure of tragic art. New findings show how sadness can be a comfort

The brain-boosting benefits of a good night’s sleep ; A TED Playlist -- A good night's sleep isn't just about rest; it's vital for your brain and body. From how many hours you really need to what causes insomnia, tune in to discover how it can quite literally reset your mind for a new day.

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With over three decades of experience in economic development, public administration, and small business, I can now bring my expertise to benefit you. What are the issues facing your community? What obstacles are you facing in growing your business? Let's work on this together.

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Your Curated Morning (#230) for April 30, 2026 is Here!