Join NGIN’s Community of Practice — a national network where small and midsize city leaders learn, test, and build economic systems together through events peer connection and curated programming.
Community of Practice
Small and midsized cities (SMCs) have a unique opportunity to test innovative economic approaches, yet many face challenges like uneven neighborhood investment, aging infrastructure, and fragmented systems.
Our Community of Practice (CoP) helps leaders connect, share strategies, accelerate innovations, and activate investment.
A Network of Leaders Solving Problems and Leveraging Their Strengths
Through the CoP, you can expect:
Flexible ways to engage. A mix of live sessions, peer conversations, and self-paced touchpoints designed to fit into busy schedules.
Connection that feels useful. Opportunities to exchange economic ideas, learn from peers, and stay connected without overcommitting.
Ongoing access to resources. Tools, insights, and shared knowledge curated to support day-to-day efforts.
Who the Community of Practice Serves
This Community of Practice is designed for leaders from small and midsized cities (30,000–500,000 residents) across three core sectors;
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City leadership includes mayors, city council members, and senior municipal officials who set policy direction and steward public resources.
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Leaders from Economic Development Organizations include public, private, and quasi-public entities focused on business growth, workforce development, and investment attraction.
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Community leaders include individuals from nonprofits and anchor institutions—such as universities, hospitals, and cultural organizations—focused on strengthening communities and supporting long-term social and economic outcomes.
Find Your People.
Connect with peers who understand your challenges and goals. When you join, you’ll be paired with an NGIN advisor to help curate your journey within the CoP, gain access to tailored resources, hear about new opportunities, and receive invitations to special sessions.
Upcoming Events
Peer Learning Series: Stockton, CA; New Orleans, LA; and St. Louis, MO
This Peer Learning Series showcases the real-world experiences of communities participating in NGIN's SCALE program through candid, practitioner-led conversations. In this interactive session, three SCALE communities, Stockton, CA; New Orleans, LA; and St. Louis, MO will each share one implementation challenge they've encountered, one lesson that's helped move their work forward, and one question they are still working to answer.
October 27 at 2 PM ET
Virtual
Peer Learning Series: Jackson State, MS; Winston-Salem, NC; and Greenville, MS
This Peer Learning Series showcases the real-world experiences of Small and Midsized City leaders through candid, practitioner-led conversations. This installment features leaders participating in NGIN's Strategic Capacity for Local Economies (SCALE) program from Jackson State, MS; Winston-Salem, NC; and Greenville, MS. Each will share one implementation challenge they've encountered, one lesson that's helped move their work forward, and one question they are still working to answer.
Rather than polished success stories, this conversation is designed to foster honest reflection, peer problem-solving, and practical knowledge exchange among community and economic development leaders.
August 25 at 2 PM ET
Virtual
Peer Learning Series: York, PA and Chicago, IL
This Peer Learning Series showcases the real-world experiences of communities participating in NGIN's SCALE program through candid, practitioner-led conversations. In this interactive session, two SCALE communities, York, PA and Chicago, IL, will each share one implementation challenge they've encountered, one lesson that's helped move their work forward, and one question they are still working to answer.
September 22 at 2 PM ET
Virtual
News from the SMC Hub
Meet Our CoP Advisor
Beka Burton is a Certified Economic Developer with a passion for building communities where people and businesses can thrive. She brings nearly two decades of experience spanning statewide initiatives, cross-sector partnerships, and grassroots engagement.