[EDAWN Column for the Reno Gazette-Journal for Sunday, March 13]
In 2004-05 the citizen-based leadership of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) saw our region’s explosive growth and asked if we were creating the kind of place we would want to live in five to 10 years from that point. Were we growing too fast without a quality of life focus for the longer term? When we released a request for proposals to conduct a thorough economic study of our region’s potential with key recommendations, proposing firms noted their pleasant surprise that we were asking for such help during such a high-growth period. They also felt we were asking the right questions at the right time.
Fifty regional leaders helped review and approve the Target2010 strategic economic plan which was issued in 2006, just before the bottom fell out of the economy everywhere. A recent segment on 60 Minutes highlighted the nearly 25 percent of children who are in poverty in the U.S. Middle class families who have lost their homes live in their car, a hotel room or with another family. Belongings are stored, and when families can’t pay rent, those few precious items are auctioned off. This has become the face and driver of our economic development efforts. We are not the place we hoped to be. While we continue to reach for excellence as outlined in the Target2010 recommendations, we have to first strive for sustenance.
Yet, how far off are we from those recommendations? Job creation is the current top priority for nearly everyone. The first recommendation of Target2010 was to support a business climate that promotes business growth with good-paying, knowledge-based jobs in key target industry sectors. Companies must want to locate and grow here. While we need any and all jobs we still need quality companies and opportunities to sustain our recovery. Workforce and education was second on the to-do list and that remains critical with many new changes and challenges. Third was quality of life around three key issues: grow a young professionals populace (Reno-Tahoe Young Professionals Network created), downtown revitalization (slowed, but on-going with the Downtown Improvement Association and City of Reno) and affordable housing (no longer the issue it was.) Fourth was creation of an incubator which a key EDAWN partner, C4Cube, has begun. Fifth was the execution of economic development efforts on a regional basis. Parts of these recommendations are on target, such as target industry advisory groups, while others are works in progress.
On, Thursday, March 31st from 5-8 p.m. EDAWN will hold a “Business BUZZ” economic forum to update progress and reconsider plans. As we move beyond Target2010 we will integrate new issues and ideas from Governor Sandoval, the Lt. Governor’s New Nevada Task Force, the Reno Gazette Journal/UNR Reno2020 project, and others. Technology commercialization, venture capital, impact of state fiscal policy, education, renewable energy, entrepreneurship, and more will all be considered. We hope you will join in this critical discussion and economic plan development. Our collective efforts today will ensure this is a place we all want to live, work and thrive for years to come. RSVP your attendance to wagonseller@edawn.org.
[Chuck Alvey, CEcD, is President and CEO of EDAWN
The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada]
