Small Nation Founder and CEO Jason Duff will deliver keynote remarks at the annual National Rural Economic Developers Association (NREDA) conference in Louisville, KY, on Wednesday, November 10.

Founded in 1989, the National Rural Economic Developers Association is an individual-member, professional organization dedicated exclusively to the advancement of rural development, the development of member proficiency, and achievement of social and human service objectives in rural areas. The conference will draw economic and business managers and directors, CEOs, CFOs, marketers, developers, administrative assistants and community representatives from electrical and telephone cooperatives, government entities, counties and economic development consultants and organizations from across the country.

Duff’s keynote presentation, titled “How to Supercharge your Downtown in a Post-COVID Economy,” will focus on revitalizing small towns following the pandemic. Prior to COVID, small rural towns were hurting. Now, small towns across the country are in a perfect position to re-energize themselves. Duff will discuss how he took a rural town of 13,000 people with an 80% vacancy rate downtown nearly ten years ago to over thirty revitalized buildings, twenty-eight loft apartments, and over fifty new small businesses in less than a decade and how to take those practices back home.

While at the conference, Jason Duff will also lead a breakout session on workforce development and using local solutions to attract employees to companies. With workforce development being one of the most common issues among communities and economic developers today, Small Nation has developed Hometown Opportunity, a hyperlocal solution controlled and maintained by local communities to recruit and grow the local workforce. Duff will also discuss how building amenities in your community can help attract employees looking for a big-city lifestyle in a small town.

Small Nation, established in 2010, develops places, spaces and dreams for small towns and small-town entrepreneurs across the country.