Institute for Innovation and Economic Development
Director of Strategic Engagement

In addition, by introducing Rapid Improvement with Lean Tools, Fadden has been a key contributor with the College of Business Graduate recruitment team whose work has resulted in doubling the MBA enrollment thus becoming Alabama’s largest program. This work has led to engagements on a variety of university processes.
In her previous role as President at the Rockford Area Economic Development Council she created and implemented innovative approaches to strategic planning for economic development. Fadden facilitated a collaborative approach to regional economic development work. In eight years, the results of this collaborative work resulted in the retention or creation of 18,700 jobs, $1,300M of capital investment and occupation of 13M square feet of development.
Fadden also served in various capacities as President, Vice President, and General Manager for major multinational corporations including Honeywell, General Signal, Applied Power, Pacific Scientific, and Danaher. She is experienced in lean management and leadership which resulted in many achievements over her corporate career.
Fadden earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and Management from Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, and her Master of Business Administration degree from Northern Illinois University. She serves as a certified fellow of the Strategic Doing Institute, a breakthrough process for doing more together. Fadden has facilitated many workshops and keynote talks about strategy development and implementation.
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Leading Experts Available at the Institute Include:
Project Examples:
- Shoals Cultural Asset Impact Analysis
- Strategic Doing Digital Cluster Project
- UNA Economic Impact Analysis
- The Shoals Shift Project: An Ecosystem Transformation Success Story
- Cultural Change Through Rapid Improvement Methods
- A Value Stream Mapping Story
Affiliated Organizations: