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Steve Vincent OEDA President
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PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE—from Steve Vincent
I am pleased to provide you this update, and to thank
several of our key partners in the delivery of OEDA’s programs.
We had over 40 in attendance at our Summer Training in Bend on July 10.
A special thank you goes to Colin Sears and the Portland Development
Commission for their work in bringing John Rhodes to Oregon to share his thoughts about
workforce development from a site selector’s perspective. Thanks also
to Claire Berger for her masterful work in putting the event together.
Second, I am pleased to announce that we are now moving
forward with one of OEDA’s top priorities for 2006: the re-establishment of a
statewide public relations campaign. Thanks to a $40,000 commitment
from the Oregon Economic Development Commission and a $20,000 commitment from
the Regional Partners, OEDA now has $60,000 of the $80,000 needed for a
one-year public relations campaign. Special thanks goes to Charlie
Allcock and Tim McCabe for helping to pull this funding together. Our
plan is to launch this effort immediately with Rockey Hill & Knowlton,
and reach out to our membership to raise the balance of the funding.
You will hear more about this both through email as well as at our Annual
Conference.
Third, the Annual Conference
will be September 10-12 in Eugene…less
than six weeks away! Given how fast August moves with vacations and
special events, we would appreciate your efforts to register now
for this great event.
Finally, please know that our newly-formed Legislative Committee is
very active. You will have plenty of opportunity to provide your input
in OEDA’s very open process to send an effective and targeted message to our
legislators.
I hope that you agree that it is a great time to be a
member of OEDA. Our membership continues to grow, and we look for new
and better ways to serve Oregon’s
economic development community every day.
 Marketing Efforts
Oregon Economic
Development Commission and Regional Partners Commit to Public Relations
Campaign
One of OEDA’s top priorities for 2006 is to reestablish
a Public Relations campaign designed to promote Oregon’s strong business climate as well
as recent business development success stories.
The Regional Partners have committed $20,000 toward this
project and the Oregon Economic Development Commission matched these funds
with $40,000 at their meeting in July.
OEDA is revitalizing its Marketing Committee, and inviting
members to participate on the Committee and to contribute matching funds
toward the campaign.
OEDA intends to work with Rockey Hill & Knowlton to
re-establish the effort that by all accounts was a great success earlier in
the decade.
OEDA members will be contacted directly by email in the
near future.
Governor Leads Trade Mission
to Korea and Japan
Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski led a five-day trade mission to
Oregon’s two biggest overseas trading
partners, the Republic of Korea and Japan, in June. Several
OEDA members joined the Governor on the mission.
Listing of Tradeshows Posted on oeda.biz
For information about business development tradeshows
that may benefit OEDA members, check the Marketing
section on www.oeda.biz.
Oregon
Prospector
Oregon
Business Plan Showcases Oregon
Prospector
The Oregon Business Plan initiative showcased the
increasing number of “project ready” sites being featured on Oregon
Prospector in their July 2006 newsletter. Thank you to the Oregon
Business Council
for your partnership.
OEDA BUSINESS
Old
Business
2005 and 2006 meeting Agendas and Minutes
can be reviewed here.
PARTNERS
OEDA Continues to Participate in the
Renewable Energy Working Group
Immediate Past President Bill Fashing is
regularly attending meetings of the Renewable Energy Working
Group which is advancing specific strategies and requests for
resources for the continued growth of renewable energy development in Oregon. Governor
Kulongoski has made the development of new renewable energy resources a top
priority.
USDA Brings Broadband to Rural America
The US Department of Agriculture Rural Development has
established the Rural
Development Broadband Program offering
both loans and grants to stimulate telecommunications capacity.
OEDA Improves Communication with Regional
Partners
OEDA
continues to be committed to a strong partnership with the Regional
Partners, a group of economic
development organizations in Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Yamhill, and Columbia Counties.
Increased frequency of emailed information will be enjoyed by the Regional
Partners in the coming months.
LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY
OEDA Forms New Legislative Committee
In advance of the 2007 Legislative Session, OEDA has
formed a Legislative Committee which is sifting through dozens of ideas and
potential economic development resources to formulate recommendations for the
Legislature.
Members of the committee include Steve Vincent, Lita Colligan, Steve Dahl, Art Fish, Ron Fox, Jim
Hagar, Jack Issleman, Renate Mengelberg, Charlie Allcock, Doris Penwell, Glenda Poling, Colin Sears, and Jim Thayer.
To
remain abreast of the emerging recommendations of the Legislative Committee,
visit www.oeda.biz and click on Minutes.
While you are there, you can update yourself on the activities of the Board,
Education Committee, Marketing Committee, and Oregon Prospector Review
Committee as well.
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
Back To Business 2 Slated for September
10-12 in Eugene
Back to Business 2, OEDA’s Annual Economic Development
Conference, will once again take place at the Eugene
Hilton.
Make your plans now as the conference is a bit earlier
this year: September 10-12. Register now.
The Conference will be loaded with great content in
three tracks: Nuts & Bolts, Strategic Context, and Professional
Development.
Similar to the Spring Training and Summer Training, this
event will once again feature the views of a corporate site selector, Duncan
Chapman. Additionally, attendees will be inspired by the challenging
and innovative message of Sheila Sheinberg, one of the most effective
speakers and motivators in the Pacific Northwest.
Both Duncan and Sheila will also offer workshop sessions on Monday, September
11.
We are pleased to once again bring back John Mitchell
from U.S. Bank to give us a lively update on the dynamics of the Oregon economy.
OEDA’s first Annual Conference held last October drew
over 200 attendees. This event should be even bigger and better.
Summer Training Focuses on Workforce Development
and Cluster Strategies
OEDA was pleased to partner with the Governor’s Office
on Workforce Policy to present a top-quality program on July 10 at the Bend
Riverhouse. The program
featured experts in corporate site selection, economics, and cluster
development.
OEDA will continue to partner with workforce advocates
at the Annual Conference to
launch new strategies and programs associated with cluster development.
WORKFORCE
OEDA Steps Up Partnership with Workforce
Advocates
Along
with the attached Gov’s
Notes which regularly provide OEDA
members with up-to-date information on workforce strategy, policy, and
resources, OEDA was pleased to partner with the Governor’s Workforce Policy
Office for the Summer Training in Bend.
For more information on the Summer Training, see the Professional Development section.
JOB OPENINGS
Job Openings Regularly Posted on oeda.biz
OEDA is pleased to post job openings on our
website. What started out as a trickle has become a regular stream of
cities, counties, ports, and economic development organizations seeking
OEDA’s help to “get the word out”. Make a brief visit to www.oeda.biz as a regular part of your daily
routine (but don’t leave Oregon!.
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