Katie Milton Jordan will deliver a keynote and moderate a panel at the 2026 PDI Fall Conference, hosted by the Professional Developers of Iowa September 23-25 in Burlington, Iowa. The conference theme, “Flowing at the Speed of Change: Economic Development, AI, and Community Readiness,” brings together Iowa economic-development professionals to examine the forces reshaping local economies and the practical work required to prepare communities for what comes next.
Jordan's appearance will center on thought leadership at the intersection of artificial intelligence, economic development, and human-centered execution. Her work focuses on helping mission-driven organizations move beyond AI experimentation and build governed workflows that support better decisions, stronger teams, and measurable results.
The PDI conference agenda addresses downtown redevelopment, AI's impact on economic development, disaster preparedness, data-center growth, childcare solutions, legislative updates, and community readiness. Jordan's participation places her in conversation with professionals working through the same questions facing communities across the country: how to adopt new technology without losing local judgment, institutional knowledge, or the human relationships that make development work.
"The most important AI conversations are not really about software. They are about readiness - whether leaders have the systems, judgment, and shared language to turn change into community advantage." - Katie Milton Jordan
The conference takes place in Burlington, Iowa, September 23-25, 2026. More information is available at pdiowa.com. Learn more about Jordan's work at katiemiltonjordan.com.
About Katie Milton Jordan
Katie Milton Jordan, MBA, CBI, CEPA is the Founder and CEO of SimpleEDO.ai and an authority on AI execution for economic development organizations, chambers, regional partnerships, and other mission-driven teams operating under real public, budget, and capacity constraints. A former economic development executive, Certified Business Intermediary, and Certified Exit Planning Advisor, Katie helps leaders move beyond AI theater into governed, human-accountable workflows that produce measurable results.
katiemiltonjordan.com
