Cris Gastner - Community Economic Development Specialist, Big Water Consulting

Strategic PlanningTribal DataCommunity Facilities
Written By Kevin Klingbeil

Cris Gastner is the Community Economic Development Specialist for Big Water Consulting. His work will focus on the design and implementation of economic development projects, planning efforts and market/feasibility studies.

Prior to joining Big Water, Cris helped lead an economic development organization focused on assisting rural communities with meeting their community and economic development goals. He encourages small rural communities to take more proactive approaches to do BIG things in their small towns. In addition to his work with communities, he also worked directly with small businesses and entrepreneurs as a small business counselor and taught entrepreneurial education courses. Away from work, Cris is an amateur craft beer aficionado and giant Pittsburgh sports fan.

Featured Events:

Featured
Accessing the Resources and Capital to Support Economic Development - Part 2 (Virtual Training Session)
Training/Workshop, March 2025
Funding, Strategic Planning, Accessing Resources and Capital
Accessing the Resources and Capital to Support Economic Development - Part 2 (Virtual Training Session)
Training/Workshop, March 2025
Funding, Strategic Planning, Accessing Resources and Capital

This session is the second installment in this 3-part training series and will describe approaches that tribal business entities, small business owners, and entrepreneurs can use as borrowers to cultivate relationships with lenders and investors to support economic development. 

Training/Workshop, March 2025
Funding, Strategic Planning, Accessing Resources and Capital
Accessing the Resources and Capital to Support Economic Development - Part 1 (Virtual Training Session)
Training/Workshop, FebruaryT 2025
Funding, Strategic Planning, Accessing Resources and Capital
Accessing the Resources and Capital to Support Economic Development - Part 1 (Virtual Training Session)
Training/Workshop, FebruaryT 2025
Funding, Strategic Planning, Accessing Resources and Capital

This session provides a non-exhaustive list of funding sources and the eligible uses and combinations of these sources as well as training on how to advance economic development through external borrowing/financing of activities (as opposed to purely grant-funded approaches) during the development and implementation of financing plans. 

Training/Workshop, FebruaryT 2025
Funding, Strategic Planning, Accessing Resources and Capital
Implementing an Economic Development Plan or Strategy (Virtual Training)
Training/Workshop, JanuaryT 2025
Funding, Strategic Planning, Core Components
Implementing an Economic Development Plan or Strategy (Virtual Training)
Training/Workshop, JanuaryT 2025
Funding, Strategic Planning, Core Components

Many tribal and Native economic development plans are never fully implemented. This section will focus on the critical shift from planning to plan implementation. It will cover the timing and sequencing of coordinated and diversified economic development activities . It will also cover how to turn loose planning partnerships into solid development partnerships.  

Training/Workshop, JanuaryT 2025
Funding, Strategic Planning, Core Components
Core Components of Economic Plan Implementation - Part 2 (In-Person Training)
Training/Workshop, DecemberT 2024
Funding, Strategic Planning, Core Components
Core Components of Economic Plan Implementation - Part 2 (In-Person Training)
Training/Workshop, DecemberT 2024
Funding, Strategic Planning, Core Components

This in-person training at the 2024 NAIHC Legal Symposium in Las Vegas underscores the foundational elements of economic development and provided strategies for developing each of these specific elements. This training covered: 

  • Workforce Development and Housing as Economic Development

  • Building Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

Training/Workshop, DecemberT 2024
Funding, Strategic Planning, Core Components
Creating an Economic Development Plan and Embarking on Plan Implementation - Part 2 (Virtual Training)
Training/Workshop, NovemberT 2024
Funding, Strategic Planning, Core Components
Creating an Economic Development Plan and Embarking on Plan Implementation - Part 2 (Virtual Training)
Training/Workshop, NovemberT 2024
Funding, Strategic Planning, Core Components

This virtual training introduced participants who are entering or considering an economic development planning process to its core components. Participants learned about the key   internal and external actors, the process’s timeline and duration, the data required, and critical outcomes. 

Training/Workshop, NovemberT 2024
Funding, Strategic Planning, Core Components
Core Components of Economic Plan Implementation - Part 1 (Virtual Training)
Training/Workshop, OctoberT 2024
Funding, Community Facilities, Strategic Planning, Core Components
Core Components of Economic Plan Implementation - Part 1 (Virtual Training)
Training/Workshop, OctoberT 2024
Funding, Community Facilities, Strategic Planning, Core Components

This first section of the track underscores the foundational elements of economic development plan implementation, including a qualified workforce/labor pool, an entrepreneurial ecosystem, and the primary infrastructure necessary to support economic activities. 

Training/Workshop, OctoberT 2024
Funding, Community Facilities, Strategic Planning, Core Components
Creating an Economic Development Plan and Embarking on Plan Implementation (Virtual Training)
Training/Workshop, SeptemberT 2024
Community Facilities, Strategic Planning, Tribal Data
Creating an Economic Development Plan and Embarking on Plan Implementation (Virtual Training)
Training/Workshop, SeptemberT 2024
Community Facilities, Strategic Planning, Tribal Data

The first training in the CoP’s 9-part series of a variety of topics across Indian Country. Cris Gastner and Kevin Klingbeil from Big Water Consulting led a discussion and exercises about the foundations and essential components of CED in Indian Country and an introduction to CED planning. 

Training/Workshop, SeptemberT 2024
Community Facilities, Strategic Planning, Tribal Data
Linking Housing and Economic Development (In-Person Workshop)
June 2024, Training/Workshop
Strategic Planning, Housing, Energy & Broadband, Capital & Finance
Linking Housing and Economic Development (In-Person Workshop)
June 2024, Training/Workshop
Strategic Planning, Housing, Energy & Broadband, Capital & Finance

As tribes work on projects to grow and improve their communities, it is essential that all the various sectors of community economic development are involved in the conversation together through a holistic planning process.

June 2024, Training/Workshop
Strategic Planning, Housing, Energy & Broadband, Capital & Finance
 
Kevin Klingbeil
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