Meet the Fellows: Audrie Burkett

Audrie Burkett

VP & COO, Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana

We’re excited to welcome Audrie to MDLF! Audrie is the VP and COO of the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana and lives in Evansville.

About Audrie:

I am lucky that my everyday professional life revolves around strengthening my hometown community. As the VP and COO of the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana, it’s my job to figure out how to bring our CEO’s vision to life and to keep the team happy. Two of my latest projects include managing the Regional Cities Initiative to build a place where people want to be and championing our Rural Broadband Initiative to help increase the amount of internet access for those living in rural areas. I never would have imagined as a Purdue Agricultural Communications undergraduate, my future career would be in economic development identifying internet dead zones, writing and administering grants to improve sewer infrastructure, and recruiting developers to make investments in the community. I’ve realized my honest passion for improving Southwest Indiana, background in storytelling, and work ethic learned from growing up on a dairy farm have made a very useful toolbox, and I am excited to think broader than my region.

When not at work, you may find me playing sidewalk chalk with my two-year-old daughter, golfing with my husband, testing out a new Pinterest recipe, or digging in my vegetable garden.

What's your vision for Indiana? How does this relate to your decision to join the program?

Thinking about the future vision for Indiana in its simplest terms, when my daughter is old enough to make the choice where she wants to live, I want her to choose Indiana. I want to know that we as a state have made the right choices now to make her future choice an easy one. The last five years I have spent my time building Indiana’s Great Southwest. The reality is that in order for my hometown of Evansville and the greater region to thrive, the entire state as a whole has to keep moving in a positive direction. I’m excited that MDLF brings together minds that are passionate about Indiana and can bring a different perspective to how we can continuously improve our state as a whole.

What's your favorite quote?

“Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.”

What's something you're reading now?

I typically like to have two books going at a time on my Overdrive app. One to get my mind thinking and the other to calm it down. Right now, I am reading Good to Great by Jim Collins again and just started The Innocent by David Baldacci.

Check out our blog to see more about our newest class of Fellows.