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By Jennifer Ryan
The Government & Economic Development Institute (GEDI) provides over 100 programs for professional development and certification, with most of its students being public servants, elected officials, state employees and employees of other organizations and businesses. As the field of economic development grows, universities are offering majors, minors and certificated programs for students interested in making it their profession.
GEDI Associate Director David Mixson is an instructor for courses designed to help entrepreneurs and small business owners increase their success. Since 2020, Mixson has also served as Auburn University faculty, teaching the POLI 7700 course, “Economic Development and Competition”. This course, which is required to earn the graduate certificate in economic development, gives students a comprehensive understanding of the key components of economic development and lets them apply their knowledge to address a real-world community challenge.
In addition to attending the course and working on an economic development project, participants must attend week one of GEDI’s Intensive Economic Development Training Program. “The opportunity for our students to apply their knowledge and gain first-hand experience, while also helping an economic development organization overcome an issue, is a win-win proposition,” Mixson said.
Students rave about the course, which not only exposes them to information and concepts they were not familiar with, but introduces them to a full range of contacts and career choices. Carter Thomas, Rural Development Project Manager for the Alabama Department of Commerce, completed the course in 2021 and credits it with changing the trajectory of his career. “I thought I would become a lawyer. I didn’t know what economic development was, but the course taught me all the concepts and attending the Intensive program reinforced them and introduced me to professionals working in the field. I made connections and got to collaborate with my classmates on a project where I applied what I learned to that scenario.” Thomas explained.
Austin Whitehead was a POLI 7700 student in the summer of 2025 while pursuing his graduate degree in community planning. Whitehead enjoyed all aspects of the program and said, “For me, the Intensive course was one of the most valuable things that I have experienced during my time at Auburn. While the economic development course helped give me a foundation, the Intensive course gave me the opportunity to network, build relationships, and learn from some of the most amazing people the State of Alabama has to offer. It made me realize that this might be a field I could fit into.”
While GEDI staff typically provide training and certification programs in the workplace, it is important for us to be a bridge to connect college students to careers. After all, that is the ultimate goal of the college experience, to educate students and assist them along their paths to fulfilling careers. GEDI is proud to help them achieve their goals.
