Q&A with Jeff Hoagland, President and CEO of the Dayton Development Coalition
This article originally appeared in the October 2026 edition of Development Incentives Quarterly.
In this edition of Development Incentives Quarterly, we welcome Jeff Hoagland, president and CEO of the Dayton Development Coalition (DDC).
You have led the Dayton Development Coalition through a period of significant growth and change. How has the Dayton Region evolved during your tenure, and how has the region adapted to remain competitive?
I came to the DDC in 2010, and while I didn’t realize it at the time, we were in the middle of the second worst economic time in U.S. history. Dayton lost over 30,000 jobs during the Great Recession.
But in true Dayton fashion, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work. We continued to implement the strategy for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base set up back in 2003 to protect against a series of base closures. It worked, and Wright-Patt gained missions and personnel.
That win was critical. Companies and local governments in the Dayton Region rallied behind the DDC’s strategy and the community has stayed supportive ever since.
In 2011, JobsOhio was formed, refining our mission and giving us additional tools and resources. The new system made us even more laser focused on growing existing companies and attracting new ones.
Dayton, and Ohio, started to see more companies growing and investing in operations here.
During COVID, JobsOhio and the network partners focused even more on our existing companies, while also looking to encourage re-shoring and on-shoring opportunities.
We saw projects like Intel, Honda, Joby, SNC, Anduril and others come to the state.
And now, in 2026, CNBC recognized Ohio as the #1 state for business.
Dayton has been in the top 10 metro markets for economic development for 20 consecutive years with being #1 six times. Dayton is now the #3 metro area for aerospace & defense manufacturing investment per Global Location Strategies
We take none of this for granted and are working even harder to win more projects.
Looking back over your time at the DDC, what accomplishments make you most proud, and what do they say about the direction of the region?
There are too many to list, but a few of the top ones include:
- Building an amazing team at the DDC is at the top of the list
- Being a part of the historic growth of jobs and missions at WPAFB
From a “project” standpoint:
- National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence (NAAMCE) – which started with Skyvision 1.0
- Honda in Fayette County
- SNC at the Dayton Airport and the recently announced $78M All Ohio Future Fund dollars to build out hundreds of more acres of development
- Stratos Development (Enhanced Use Lease at Wright-Patt)
- onMain development and the $35M Innovation Hub grant that allowed the development to begin
- NASIC building at WPAFB ($182M)
- AAM companies Joby and Electra committing to build manufacturing facilities
I hope the message people take away is that when we work together as a community to attract jobs and grow the economy, it works. These projects required the dedicated effort of people across the region to pitch the region to new businesses and support our existing companies.
The Dayton Region has long been known for aviation and manufacturing. How has the economy grown and diversified while continuing to build on those strengths?
Since 2005, Wright-Patt has doubled in employment, from about 19,000 people to 38,000. New critical missions have come to Wright-Patt and continued to grow both new and existing missions.
The growth of the defense and aerospace industrial base around Wright-Patt is something we have not seen since WWII and the potential growth is moving at a pace we have not seen.
But it’s not just A&D. Other sectors we work in are just as important to grow the region. Companies like Westrafo, Honda, Royal Canan, Danone, CareSource, Accelevation, Midmark, and Shearer’s represent a variety of industries with diverse job opportunities.
How important has the partnership between Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the Dayton Development Coalition and JobsOhio been to the region's success, and how has the commitment of these three groups helped the region compete for major investments?
Wright-Patt is the state’s largest single site employer with over 38,000 employees and over $16B each year in economic activity. It drives our economy in a way no other organization can match. This is why DDC and JobsOhio work to support the base and its needs, from workforce, to off-base sites for contractors, to supporting legislation that makes the transition to Ohio easier for active-duty personnel.
One of our strongest advantages in the defense industry is proximity to their customer. For companies that work with AFMC, AFLCMC, AFRL, NASIC, NSIC, AFIT, the 88th and other missions, there’s no better place to be than right outside the fence.
The relationship between Wright-Patt, our Congressional delegation, the State of Ohio, JobsOhio, the DDC and the community has never been more aligned. We’re lucky to have a strong team of state and federal officials who understand the base and the track record to prove they’re reliable partners.
We have been doing this for over 20 years with leaders like Governor DeWine (formerly Senator), Senator Husted (formerly Ohio Speaker Husted and Lt. Gov.), Congressman Turner (formerly Mayor Turner), JP Nauseef (former President & CEO of DDC); and our military advisors like General Lester Lyles, General Tom Owen, and Lt. General John Thompson. They’ve all worked with us to pitch the region to companies and help company leaders understand why the region is a good fit.
What is your vision for the Dayton Region over the next decade, and where do you see the greatest opportunities for growth?
Dayton is the epicenter of the defense and aerospace industry for R&D, Intelligence, Acquisition, Maintenance Repair and Operations work. Notice I said “is,” not “will be.” We have established ourselves as a major location for this kind of work and we are seeing our hard work pay off.
We want to grow Wright-Patt to over 50,000 workers with a multiplier of 3x outside the fence. I hope to see more flying missions, as well.
Advanced Air Mobility vehicles will be manufactured in the Dayton Region and that ecosystem will continue to grow. As the Jetsons will come to life with AAM vehicles transporting customers locally and from city to city and state to state, many of those aircraft will be made in our community.
Our economy will be even more diversified than it is today with growth in Advanced Manufacturing, Cyber/intelligence, Agriculture, Logistics, and AI.
None of this happens without a strong community. We want to attract and retain a workforce that wants to build their future here. Just like we need sites and workforce to attract companies, we need strong communities, great schools, affordable housing, arts, sports, and outdoor recreation to keep our top talent here.
The Dayton Region has seen significant economic growth and investment lately. Are there any major developments or projects you’d like to highlight that are making a big impact locally and statewide?
One project that stands out is Electra’s $850+ million investment in Springfield and Clark County, which will create nearly 2,000 jobs supporting production of up to 800 EL9 Ultra Short aircraft per year.
The production facility will help Electra meet demand for Direct Aviation, a new category of accessible, point-to-point air mobility. The EL9 Ultra Short is a nine-passenger fixed-wing aircraft that uses hybrid-electric propulsion and blown-lift technology to take off and land in as little as 150 feet. The new facility will be located at Airpark Ohio, adjacent to Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport.
Nearly 20 years ago, we developed a strategy to fly unmanned aircraft at the airport where F-16s once used to fly. In 2019, AFRL and Ohio announced an agreement to fly unmanned aircraft beyond visual line of sight in designated airspace around the airport.
The National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence (NAAMCE) was built a few years later with the goal to attract AAM companies to the site. Airpark Ohio was certified as a SiteOhio location to provide development-ready land for manufacturing facilities.
The Electra deal validated our strategy and plan.
What helped Ohio and the Dayton Region stand out for this project?
Electra CEO Marc Allen, said it best: “In Springfield and Clark County, we found the rare combination this next era requires: a ready site, a skilled workforce, a deep aerospace and defense ecosystem, and state and local leaders with the commitment and vision to build it with us. We are grateful to the City of Springfield, Clark County, and the State of Ohio for welcoming Electra into this community as we prepare to bring the EL9 Ultra Short into production, through certification, and ultimately into service.”
Springfield’s proximity to Wright-Patt and AFRL, along with the quality of life it offers to Electra’s workforce, were strong selling points for the region.
The JobsOhio model of economic development was instrumental in winning this project. Not just the incentives, but the ability to move at the company’s speed and leverage Ohio’s strong business climate played a role.
How does the Electra project build on the region's connection to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and strengthen Dayton's position in aerospace and advanced air mobility?
Every success we have helps set the stage for the next big project. As we keep adding more AAM companies, it puts us on the radar of more people in the industry. They see our ecosystem in action, from educational partners to suppliers, and share their experience with their industry partners. Local universities like Clark State, Sinclair, WSU, UD and others are adapting their curriculum to meet the demand of companies like SNC, Joby, Anduril, and now Electra.
They also see the benefits of proximity in action. With their customer AFRL just down the road, it’s easy for them to communicate with Air Force leadership.
AAM has been growing in our community and state for 10 years and these projects plant the flag that Ohio is the go-to state for AAM
The Dayton Region helped launch the first era of aviation through the Wright brothers. What role do you see the region playing in the next era of flight and aerospace innovation?
People in the aerospace industry talk about the evolution of flight in three phases. The first phase beginning with the powered flight invented by the Wright Brothers. The second evolution is the jet age that came with the development of increasingly powerful jet engines. We are right at the beginning of the third phase, with electric and hybrid aircraft, and uncrewed flight that have the potential to bring flight into people’s everyday world.
The Dayton Region is leading the way.