February 2020 Chair's Column

Happy February GEDA,

Every February, my team hosts our Leadership Douglas Class for their economic development day. We talk about what economic development is and how we do it, economic sustainability, give them the data on our economic indicators and global trends and share about partnerships.  We also get them out to tour some of our businesses and the community and look at it from a different lens. Each year we get great feedback on our day. 

But as we all know it’s one thing to just share the great news and give the “ra-ra” speech.  It’s another thing to dive deep into some of our issues and challenge them to step out of themselves and see the world from the perspective of the less fortunate amongst us.  Ron Kitchens says “The Greatest Force for Change is a Job”, and that’s what most of us in this profession set out to do on a daily basis, seek, find and cultivate job opportunities for our respective constituents. So, we decided to invite a friend of mine to talk to this year’s class about why it’s vital that economic inclusion be woven into your economic development strategy.  My friend, Nathaniel Smith, has been a beacon for shared prosperity and economic inclusion for years and his efforts are finally bearing fruit.  He and his organization Partnership for Southern Equity (www.psequity.org) defines economic inclusion as:  Increasing equity in the distribution of income, wealth building, employment, and entrepreneurial opportunities for vulnerable populations.

We had Nathaniel come speak to our Leadership Douglas Class and make the case for why it’s so critical we uplift this matter.  I was grateful of how receptive the class was to his comments and perspective and even caused them to ponder how they view the world and their place in it.  He shared that he endured great resistance as he challenged major corporations and organizations on their role in fueling economic inequity and how now those former opponents have become proponents of economic inclusion as a central driver of regional competitiveness.

Economic inclusion is becoming more and more integrated in economic development strategies. It was at the core of our strategy, striving for all of Douglas County’s residents to be able to participate in our economic success and competitiveness.  Now we all know that not everyone will participate, but we must be intentional and sincere in our efforts towards realizing a more inclusive economy. 

CEO of CenterState, an economic development organization in Upstate New York said this, “If unaddressed, these dynamics will pose a serious long-term threat to our economy as a whole—from increased demand on social services, to potential spikes in crime, to increased blight in our neighborhoods.”

In our business, economic sustainability is our goal, but it’s only achieved when we have a strong quality of life, a qualified and educated workforce, job opportunities diverse housing and economic vitality. But we can’t achieve that if we fail to engage all of our community; bringing all the necessary resources to the table. 

I encourage you all to take time and think about your economic inclusion strategy.  How responsive is your leadership to the needs of the community? Do you view ALL of your residents as an economic asset? Research the topic, there are tons of resources out there from the Brookings institute, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, United Way and others including Nathaniel’s organization.  I contend that your competitive position will be greatly enhanced once economic inclusion is a core pillar of your strategy.  Our economic future depends on it.