York County Development Corporation Wins Mid-America Economic Development Council Award For Innovative Podcast

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

YCDC’s 17-County Podcast turns community storytelling into a tool for talent attraction, recruitment and business development

LINCOLN, NE Sept. 2, 2026 – York County Development Corporation (YCDC), a catalyst for economic and community vitality in York County, announced today that it has received a Workforce and Talent Award from the Mid-America Economic Development Council in recognition of its implementation of a popular podcast into a successful workforce attraction and retention effort. 

Launched in 2020, the twice-monthly 17-County Podcast has become a core element of a communication ecosystem that delivers authentic, on-demand storytelling designed to address the rural county’s core challenge of competing for talent, business investment, and perception in a national market. 

With more than 39,500 downloads, more than 70% of which come from outside of Nebraska and from as far away as Brazil, China, and Japan, the podcast and its stories of life and opportunities in York County has become a key resource that community partners including the York Chamber of Commerce and York University for recruitment, onboarding, and community engagement. York General Hospital, for example, uses podcast episodes as part of its physician recruitment tours to help candidates understand the community. 

“As a rural community of 14,500 competing against larger metropolitan areas, we’re always looking for unique approaches that create competitive advantage,” said Lisa Hurley, YCDC Executive Director. “This podcast has allowed us to reach an international audience with high-quality, cost-effective storytelling that highlights the opportunities available in York County and the benefits of living and working here.” 
YCDC won MAEDC’s Workforce and Talent Award for communities with a medium-sized population. 

“Over the past five years, we have built a consistent, trusted platform that supports talent attraction, workforce recruitment, business engagement, and stakeholder investment, and this award is further recognition that small communities and development organizations that think creatively about their communication efforts can create high-impact strategies with minimal initial investment,” said Hurley. “We’re proud of the impact this podcast has had and take this award as further validation of its success.” 

To learn more about YCDC or the 17-County Podcast visit YorkDevCo.com. 

YORK COUNTY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION is an active partner in helping York County, NE become widely recognized as the first choice for businesses and families in the region. Working with community and business partners, YCDC is a catalyst for economic and community vitality in the region through promotion of available sites, development of workforce development resources, and marketing initiatives designed to highlight the benefits of living and working in the county. Learn more about YCDC at YorkDevCo.com or visit the organization on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, YouTube, or Instagram. 

For more information, contact:

Lisa Hurley
lhurley@yorkdevco.com
402-362-3333