Heartland Forward announces leadership changes, $500 million economic impact goal

Bentonville-based think-and-do tank Heartland Forward has made some leadership changes and set a new goal of generating a $500 million economic impact in the middle of the country by 2030, the organization announced Tuesday (Dec. 10).

Executive Vice President Angie Cooper has been named president and chief operating officer. The appointment is effective Jan. 1. Ross DeVol, president and CEO since Heartland Forward’s inception, will become board chairman while remaining CEO. Heartland Forward has 23 full-time staff and three interns.

The new goal will be driven by policy proposals, programs, and research in the 20 central U.S. states that comprise the heartland. The goal will focus on four economic drivers: innovation and entrepreneurship, human capital and workforce development, health and wellness, and regional competitiveness. As part of the goal, Heartland Forward has launched a new initiative, Pulse of the Heartland, to track, communicate and lead economic data, insights and research in the central United States.

“The heartland is home to tremendous untapped potential, but many communities still face systematic challenges,” DeVol said. “Our leadership changes signal a bold new era for Heartland Forward as we continue driving innovation and economic growth across the heartland. I’m deeply proud of the team’s accomplishments thus far, which have laid the groundwork for such strategic moves. I know these new positions will allow us to pursue even bolder, high-impact initiatives, including Pulse of the Heartland and generating $500 million in economic impact by 2030.”

In her new role, Cooper will lead strategy, programs, public policy, and the Heartland Summit, which is Heartland Forward’s flagship event. Heartland Forward looks to create partnerships with nonprofits, businesses and organizations to meet the $500 million goal.

“Heartland Forward’s work to accelerate economic growth in the middle of the country – the third largest economy in the world – continues to demand bold action,” Cooper said. “As a team, we are committed to bridging gaps and building strong public-private partnerships to ensure the heartland leads the way as we grow the talent pipeline with a focus on workforce, education and entrepreneurship. We must harness the power of artificial intelligence to be prepared for the future while expanding access to affordable high-speed internet. None of this can be done without ensuring we are creating healthy communities – all which will transform lives. We look forward to working alongside our many partners to achieve $500 million in economic impact in the heartland by 2030.”

Cass Crews, research director of entrepreneurship and innovation, will become research director of talent pipeline. His new duties include addressing workforce challenges across the region. Chris West will support this work by providing data and research support.

Ken Imanak joins Heartland Forward as research director for health and wellness. His duties include addressing issues such as maternal health and health care access.

“Cass has been a driving force in entrepreneurship and innovation, and I’m excited to see him bring that same passion to our talent pipeline efforts,” said Dave Shideler, chief research officer of Heartland Forward. “Ken’s expertise in health and wellness also will be invaluable as we expand our focus on improving livelihoods in the heartland. They will both be vital to the success of our new Pulse of the Heartland initiative and help us track our $500 million economic impact by adding new evaluation metrics to such products as our Most Dynamic Metropolitans and Micropolitans.”

This fall, the nonprofit launched multiple initiatives involving artificial intelligence, telehealth and career readiness for high school students. It also released a study, developed in collaboration with the University of Arkansas, regarding the economic impact of doubling the number of engineering and computer science graduates, research and development spending, and patents at the UA.