Santa Rosa, CA – August 6, 2017 – SANTA
ROSA, CA —The Sonoma County Economic Development Board (EDB) announces the
launch of Strategic Sonoma, an
innovative economic development planning effort in partnership with Santa Rosa
Junior College, and the Sonoma County Workforce Investment Board.
“The
goal of Strategic Sonoma is to create
a five year plan that identifies economic development opportunities for
residents and businesses in Sonoma County,” said Board of Supervisors Chairwoman
Shirlee Zane. “We look forward to meeting with the community, hearing what they
have to say, and developing a plan to further grow our local economy.”
Strategic Sonoma is organized around the four key themes
of economic diversification, workforce investment, innovation and
entrepreneurship, and economic inclusion – a deliberate effort to ensure
economic policies benefit all residents in the County. These themes emerged
from the Sonoma-Mendocino Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS),
approved by the Board of Supervisors in November 2016. This effort to develop an action plan that
addresses some of Sonoma County most pressing economic needs serves as the next
step in the CEDS process.
Strategic Sonoma will be guided by a Stakeholder Group of
local business and community leaders representing diverse backgrounds and
perspectives. Pam Chanter of VANTREO Insurance
and Brett Martinez of Redwood Credit Union will serve as co-chairs of the
group. Martinez believes that Strategic Sonoma, “will help take Sonoma
County to the next level. Sonoma County’s strong economy allows us to be
proactive in our approach to developing a strategy and a plan that can be
implemented.” Chanter notes that that the, “stakeholders in this plan go beyond
employers and employees and include education, government, students, parents, and
service providers. I am very excited about participating in the creation of a
shared economic vision among so many community leaders.”
The
EDB has engaged Avalanche Consulting, a nationally-recognized firm, to assist
in the plan’s development. Avalanche has led more than 100 economic development
plans across the U.S., from Charleston, South Carolina to Provo, Utah, and they
bring with them a wealth of experience and knowledge about local economic
development efforts. Amy Holloway, president of Avalanche, says, “We’re
energized about working in beautiful Sonoma County. We’re also keenly aware of
how topics such as workforce, economic diversity, and economic inclusion are
critical to sustaining the unique character of the community. We look forward to diving into issues,
hearing from stakeholders, and developing a plan to fortify Sonoma County’s
economy.”
The
project consultants will solicit community input through a series of focus
groups and interviews with a broad range of business and community leaders in
each of Sonoma County’s five supervisorial districts. Coupling that input with
available economic and demographic data, the EDB will present a comprehensive report
with a series of strategic and actionable recommendations on how Sonoma County
can build on its assets to grow and remain globally competitive over the next
five years.
For details
regarding Strategic Sonoma please visit
sonomaedb.org and strategicsonoma.com or contact Program Manager Ethan Brown at (707) 565-7589 or email ethan.brown@sonoma-county.org.
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