Celebrating 25 Years of the Western Development Commission with the WDC Regional Development Summit: “Reflect and Reignite”
This October we’ll be honouring the region’s achievements over the past 25 years and focus on driving socio-economic development for the next 25. The Regional Development Summit will address key issues that will shape stakeholder conversations and policymaking in the coming years.
Our Guest of Honour is Minister Dara Calleary, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, attending cabinet. TD for Mayo.
Our MC for the day is Shane Coleman. Journalist, Broadcaster and Author, Shane promises to keep conversations fresh, alive and invigorating.
Dr. Ernesto Sirolli, a global leader in community and economic development, will deliver the keynote address entitled: “Shut Up and Listen – How to Capture the Energy, Passion, and Intelligence of Local People”. Known for his TEDx Talk, If You Really Want to Help Someone – Shut Up and Listen—translated into 35 languages and viewed over four million times—Dr. Sirolli brings a wealth of experience and insight to this event.
Panel 1: Milestones & Memories – 25 Years of Regional Impact
Joan Crawford
Fáilte Ireland, Wild Atlantic Way
As a Manager on the Wild Atlantic Way, Joan has been instrumental in the project’s development since its inception in 2014. She is passionate about supporting tourism businesses to drive business recovery and growth, showcasing her commitment to the industry and her community.
Barry Comerford
Founder/CEO Sauleen Holdings
Barry is an entrepreneur with a proven track record in MedTech manufacturing startups. His goal is to help others to build out their teams so that they can grow their Medical Technology ideas into World Class Businesses.
Jane McDaid
Founder Thinkhouse
Jane saw that that brands were missing the mark when it came to connecting in a culturally-relevant way with young people. She built Thinkhouse around this mission and now; with their youth insights division The Youth Lab; their work impacts over 100+ markets globally.
Panel 2: A Future Balanced Region – What does the next 25 years look like?
Nick Smoot
Aesop Industries
Nick Smoot is an entrepreneur, community builder, and author dedicated to rethinking social, civic, and economic systems. With over a decade of experience, he has led transformative projects in 20+ communities, run social and economic experiments in Canada, United States, Italy, China, and Aruba; contributed to federal workforce legislation, and launched initiatives that gamify and measure human flourishing.
Patricia Munatsi
NAPAR Advisory Board
Patricia Munatsi is an international human rights lawyer with particular expertise in international law, public policy, government relations, social justice, strategic engagements, lobby and advocacy. She was recently appointed to the Government Advisory Committee on Racial Equality and Racism.
Derek Flynn
Engineering Director Abbvie Sligo
With over 20 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry, 10 of those in the Northwest, Derek will bring his insights on working in the MedTech sector in the region.
Val Cummins
Simply Blue Group
As the Chief Impact Officer and Portfolio Director of Emerald and Western Star Joint Ventures with EDF at Simply Blue Group, Val leads the development and delivery of the first floating wind farms in Ireland, while also ensuring that projects align with the vision of creating a positive impact on the ocean, the environment, and the society.
In the afternoon, Dr. Sirolli will lead an exclusive masterclass and design-thinking session on regional development. This is a rare chance to work directly with a global expert whose innovative approaches have created over 55,000 jobs across more than 400 communities worldwide.
This summit aims to foster collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange among key stakeholders committed to the region’s progress, providing a clear vision for the future.
Date: 3rd October 2024
Location: Lough Rynne Castle, Co Leitrim
MC: Shane Coleman – Newstalk presenter, journalist and author.
Let’s work together to create impactful actions and ensure a thriving future for our region.
This event is invitation only.