Welcome to Heartland!

Heartland promotional picture

April 26 - 30, 2027

Heartland 2027 will be held at the Stoney Creek Conference Center in Independence, MO.

The course includes 10 basic sections:

  • EDO Management
  • Ethics
  • Strategic Planning
  • Neighborhood/Community Development
  • Business Retention & Expansion
  • Economic Development Finance
  • Entrepreneurship & Small Business
  • Site Selection & Business Attraction
  • Workforce/Talent
  • Real Estate Development 
Coming Soon

Take it from our 2026 grads

  • "I had great discussion and felt supported by those around me."
  • "Really loved the fact that not only where we learning, but we actually got to see physical ways that economic development really can impact an ecosystem.”
  • “Fantastic course with such amazing, in-depth information provided on every subject.”
  • “Loved this week of training. I learned so much, and it has left me eager to dive even deeper, and to connect with fellow classmates beyond the classroom. I enjoyed the balance of tours with classroom time, and truly loved having the opportunity to connect one-one-one throughout the week with instructors, board members, community leaders, and more.”
  • "The instructors were excellent and provided a mix of content from the materials and real world experience from the field."
  • "Meeting other people in the field and learning from them was one of the best parts of the course." 

Heartland is...

CEcD Logo

Presented by Heartland Economic Development Course, Inc., with the Institute for Decision Making at the University of Northern Iowa, in partnership with the Kansas Economic Development Alliance, Professional Developers of Iowa, Missouri Economic Development Council, Nebraska Economic Developers Association, Select Oklahoma and South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development.

It is accredited by the International Economic Development Council, which accredits a number of Basic Economic Development Courses (BEDC) that provide the foundation for entry-level economic development practitioners, allied professionals, community leaders and volunteers. The HEDC and other basic courses serve as the equivalent to IEDC’s Introduction to Economic Development Course for those interested in the Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) Certification through IEDC.

Contact

Heartland Economic Development Course

University of Northern Iowa
Institute for Decision Making
Business and Community Services Bldg.
8120 Jennings Drive, Suite 113
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0186

Office:  319-273-6944
             800-782-9520
Email: heartland-edc@uni.edu