WESTMARC to host economic development Fellows inaugural cohort
Special to Independent Newsmedia
Posted 2/22/24
The West Valley will host Economic Recovery Corps Fellows, designed to build capacity in some of the hardest-hit and most economically distressed areas across the U.S. while cultivating the next generation of economic development leaders.
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The West Valley will host Economic Recovery Corps Fellows, designed to build capacity in some of the hardest-hit and most economically distressed areas across the U.S. while cultivating the next generation of economic development leaders.
WESTMARC – the Western Maricopa Coalition – will be part of the first cohort with host communities. WESTMARC is a public-private partnership of the 15 communities, the business community, and the educational sector in the West Valley.
The Corps was launched in 2023 through a $30 million cooperative agreement between the International Economic Development Council and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration.
“WESTMARC welcomes Fellow, Luciano Oviedo, to the West Valley,” Kimberly Jordan, WESTMARC executive vice president, shared in a press release. “Luciano will leverage his vast experience and skills to work with our regional industries, education, and municipal stakeholders.”
Fellows will begin their 30-month ERC Fellowship after convening in Portland, Oregon, this month, and will conclude the fellowship in summer of 2026. Fellows will spearhead catalytic projects that advance new ways of doing economic development to build more resilient, inclusive, and equitable economies.
“Throughout this collaborative regional project, partners will identify opportunities to leverage AI and other technologies to solve for workforce challenges, identify opportunities to upskill our current workforce, and increase digital literacy and technology adoption,” Jordan stated.
“WESTMARC is implementing West Valley Pipeline 2.0 workforce development strategy, which is focused on developing talent in key industries that the region is attracting,” Sintra Hoffman, WESTMARC President and CEO said.
The 65 selected Host projects are located across 44 states and territories and represent a cross-section of rural, urban, and tribal communities. Of the 65 sites, 62% are rural, 23% are mixed (urban, suburban, and rural), and 15% are urban.
Hosts reflect the entire community and economic development field spectrum, from city and county government to regional coalitions, economic development organizations, economic development districts, and entrepreneurial support organizations.
Nine of the 65 projects are led by Tribes or involve a Tribal organization as a primary partner.
IEDC received more than 500 applications from potential host organizations and over 1,400 Fellow applications from June through August.
