Economic Development and Developers in the News # 136

Welcome to the 136th weekly edition of Economic Development and Developers in the News.

Today's issue contains news from 65 economic development executives and organizations in 21 states and Canada.

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The Econ Dev Show is a podcast, weekday email newsletter, and blog of actionable strategies, fresh news, insights, and ideas from the economic development community and your host, Dane Carlson.

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California

Wayne Olson, the previous senior development manager for economic development in Palm Desert, began his new role as Palm Springs' first chief economic development officer last Tuesday.

Robert Bergstrom, overseeing Tuolumne County's economic development, announced a proposed plan to improve the economic health of Twain Harte. The plan was drafted in response to the economic challenges the community experienced, including the loss of businesses and families.

The City of Dublin had been updating its Economic Development Strategy and had launched two surveys to gather feedback from residents and businesses. The surveys aimed to produce a comprehensive economic development plan that mirrored the desires and needs of the community. These surveys were crucial parts of the city's long-term economic development vision.

Over the past 50 years, Southern California's economy heavily relied on logistics due to an increase in trade with manufacturing giant China. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach grew massively, centering the logistics industry and creating nearly 600,000 jobs. According to a 2017 study by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., these jobs averaged $63,130 in wages. Despite the important role of logistics, it has been targeted for environmental issues like air pollution. Measures taken to lessen these impacts could threaten its competitiveness globally. John McCown, a fellow at the Center for Maritime Strategy, warned about the negative effects of reducing Southern California's share in global trade due to increased operational costs from restrictions, such as the adoption of zero-emission trucks.

Chris Rico, who has been leading Solano EDC for a year, has shifted the organization's focus toward diverse housing, workforce, supporting under-resourced nonprofits, small businesses, and prioritizing diversity, equity, inclusion in the area. He is also part of the California Forever citizens advisory board planning to construct a city from scratch in Solano County.

Canada

Former Vice-President of Moncton's economic development agency, 3+ Corporation, Daniel Bard is due to stand trial in 2025. The charges against him include fraud, theft, and money laundering from his time at the company between 2016 and 2018.