Jamie Beasley is a seasoned economic development professional with a strong record of leadership in rural revitalization, small business support, and regional capacity building. She currently serves as Executive Director of the Pike County Chamber & Economic Development Corporation in Illinois, where she leads strategic initiatives to support local entrepreneurs, attract investment, strengthen infrastructure, and grow the region’s tourism economy.

Jamie brings over a decade of cross-sector experience, including past leadership roles with the Northeastern Nevada Regional Development Authority and the Yukon 66 Main Street Association. Her background includes targeted work in business retention and expansion (BRE), housing development, and innovative funding strategies for rural communities.

She holds a Master of Science in Economic Development from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Central Oklahoma. Jamie is currently participating in the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute (OU EDI) and is on track to earn her Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) designation, reflecting her commitment to national standards of professional excellence.

In addition to her public-sector leadership, Jamie is the founder of Econ Dev Ops, a virtual assistant agency serving chambers of commerce and economic development organizations nationwide. Her firm specializes in providing scalable support solutions to help local organizations extend their reach, improve operational efficiency, and increase community impact.

She is also a Certified Crowdfund Better Advisor and led Pike County to become the first crowdfunding-certified economic development corporation in the United States. Her approach blends traditional and emerging tools to create practical, community-driven solutions that reduce reliance on government grants and promote local ownership.

Jamie’s professional focus areas include rural entrepreneurship, housing and childcare access, tourism strategy, and organizational development. She brings a data-informed, people-centered approach to her work and is recognized for her ability to align diverse stakeholders around shared goals.