Landdis A. Hollifield
Hometown:
Marion, North Carolina
Connect: LinkedIn
Landdis is excited to work on a multi-faceted project that is aggressive but realistic, fueling her love of seeing small towns and regions thrive. She looks forward to meeting all of the stakeholders, refining the County’s strategic plan, and bringing new life to their ongoing economic development efforts.
Landdis Hollifield is a seasoned public relations professional with a background in government affairs, small business development, and tourism marketing. In her past roles, she has led dynamic leadership teams that have imagined, created, and implemented strategic plans to help the organization they represent better align with its mission and vision. She has a passion for small business development and has actively worked as a Small Business Center instructor since 2020. Her classes focus mainly on small business marketing, point of sale system dynamics, and many more technology-driven topics.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she developed a strategic marketing plan to support the small business owners in her community. Through strategic partnerships and the sharing of resources, Landdis in collaboration with other economic development partners was able to increase foot traffic to local small businesses by 40-70% during the pandemic. She plans to use her marketing and promotion skills alongside her knowledge of local government and product development to uplift a community or region.
Landdis hopes to one day work for an economic development partnership entity so that she can uplift communities in need of economic development assistance.
ERC Project
Project Title:
Implementation of a Strategic Economic Development Plan in Highland County, Virginia
Host Community or Region:
Virginia
Host Organization:
Highland Economic Development Authority
In collaboration with the Highland Community Development Initiative (HCDI), the project addresses the unique challenges of this rural, mountainous region in Virginia’s least populated county. With a population of 2,200 residents, lack of public transportation or highway access, and reliance on agriculture and tourism, Highland County seeks greater economic diversification. The project's importance lies in reversing the trend of a declining population and revitalizing the county’s economy. The ERC Fellow will be instrumental in refining and implementing a comprehensive Strategic Economic Development Plan, which includes revitalizing the Highland Inn, supporting small businesses, enhancing visitor experiences, and launching a marketing campaign to attract younger residents and remote workers. Collaborating with local partners, the fellow will provide technical assistance and expertise, facilitate meetings, conduct outreach, develop strategies, and oversee the plan’s execution. The outcome aims for a rejuvenated Highland County with a stronger economy, more sustainable tourism, and a thriving community.
Interested in supporting this project or learning more? Contact the ERC program team here.
