Department for Community Planning (DCP) staff includes economic development professionals with years of training and experience in all aspects of economic development on both the local and regional levels.  As BGADD staff members, they can efficiently coordinate efforts between local governments and State and Federal agencies to attain grant funding to leverage conventional and secondary market financing.   They assist both private business and government entities in research, development and presentation of economic development analysis and strategies. In addition, BGADD economic development specialists serve as directors of Economic Development Authorities (EDA) across the region, assisting local EDA members in ongoing economic development planning and marketing for their communities.  Other available services include brownfield remediation and redevelopment, entrepreneurship and small-business assistance, and industrial park planning and development.

One of the most vital functions of DCP economic development staff is producing a regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the EDA, an agency of the US Department of Commerce.  DCP produces the strategy document every five years as part of the requirements of JFA funding, along with annual performance reports to the EDA describing plan implementation and private sector participation.