Contact: EricFuller ChairmanoftheBoardofDirectors ColumbiaRiverEconomicDevelopmentCouncil (360)7505595x11

FORIMMEDIATERELEASE ThursdayJune16,2011

CountywideEconomicDevelopmentStrategicPlanFinalDraftDelivered
Participantsaskedtoreviewandreturntoadopt

Vancouver,WATheBoardofDirectorsoftheColumbiaRiverEconomicDevelopmentCouncil werepresentedthismorningwiththefinaldraftofthefirstcountywidecomprehensive strategicplanforeconomicdevelopmentfromTIPStrategiesofAustin,TX. AmeetingtocoordinateClarkCountyeconomicdevelopmenteffortswasheldinApril of2010towhichrepresentativesofthecountymunicipalities,ports,otherjurisdictions,and privateinvestorswereinvited.Thepurposeofthemeetingwastodiscusscountywide economicdevelopmenteffortsandtheextenttowhichtheywouldbecoordinated.Outofthat discussiongrewaninitiativeunderthedirectionoftheCREDCtocreateacomprehensive countywideplanforeconomicdevelopmentandleadership. TheExecutiveSummaryofthereportreleasedtodaysumsupthechallengesand opportunitieswithinClarkCountyas...notuniform.Thecountyisgeographicallyand culturallydiverse.Asaresult,therearedistincteconomicdevelopmentinterestsandpriorities amongthecitiesandportsaswellasacrossthecounty. Takingitsdirectionfromtheinitialmeetingoverayearago,thefinaldraftreleased outlinesastrategyforClarkCountyconsistingofbothshorttermandlongerterminitiatives. Inthispostrecessioneconomicenvironmentthecountymustbandtogethertosetanew chartforgrowth.Inthisplan,alleconomicdevelopmentplayershavearole,saysEricFuller, ChairoftheCREDCBoardofDirectors.Clearlythereisasignificantamountofworkoutlinedin

thisplan,butitistheroadmapthecountyneedstocreatetheeconomicvitalitythatwill distinguishClarkCountyfromtherestoftheregionovertime. Thefivegoalsoutlinedintheplanaddress(1)highereducationasakeyleveragepoint; (2)informationtechnologyasakeyindustrysector,(3)internationalinvestmentsand entrepreneurship,(4)enhancebusinessvitalitythroughtargetedrecruitment,expansion,and entrepreneurshipefforts,and(5)theneedtodevelopthenecessaryinfrastructuretomatchthe economicdevelopmentefforts. Additionally,thedraftplansuggestsspecificmetricstoevaluatethesuccessoftheplan overtimeandspecificallymovesawayfromsimplymeasuringtotaljobscreated.Going throughtheprocess,thesteeringcommitteesawthatonlytrackingjobgrowthovertimewas notstrategic,saidBarbaraBushell,ChairoftheSteeringCommitteeandimmediatepastchair oftheCREDCBoard.Thenewmetricsintheplanincludeincreasedvalueofdevelopedland, numberofbusinessesformedorattractedtotheregionintargetedsectorsaswellasthe numberofadultsover25withassociates,undergraduateandpostgraduatedegrees.Along withmoretraditionalmeasurementsofnumberofjobscreated,averageandhouseholdincome wewillhavethemeanstomakeoureffortspurposeful,relevantandaremorelikelytocreate vitalityandprosperityacrossthecounty,Bushellsaid. TheProjectSteeringCommittee,whichconsistsof17representativesofClarkCounty, fivecities,andthreeportsleadingtheeffortandworkingcloselywithTIPStrategies,hasasked eachmemberoftheCREDCBoardofDirectorstogarnerfeedbackonthedraftoverthenext severalmonthswiththeirrespectiveorganizations,bothpublicandprivate.AttheSeptember 22,2011meeting,theBoardwillbeaskedtoaccepttheplanandstarttheimplementation steps.EricFulleroffered,WhenwemetwiththevariousinvestorsinAprilof2010,itwasclear acomprehensiveeconomicdevelopmentplanwasnecessaryforthecounty.IthinkTIP Strategieshasdeliveredexactlywhatweneedandwelookforwardtothediscussionsoverthe nextmonthspriortoitsadoption.

TIPStrategies,Inc.(TIP)isaprivatelyheldAustinbasedbusinessandeconomicdevelopment consultingfirmcommittedtoprovidingqualitysolutionsforbothpublicandprivatesector clients. ColumbiaRiverEconomicDevelopmentCouncil(CREDC)isaproactive,resultsorientednon profitassistingbusinesseswithrelocationandexpansioninClarkCounty.Withover130 investorsfromthepublicandprivatesector,theCREDCischargedwithpromotingjobcreation andinvestmentwhilemaintainingthecounty'sexceptionalenvironmentandhighqualityoflife. TheCREDCservesasa"onestopshop"specializinginsitelocationandacquisition,business dataanddemographics,andprocessfacilitation.TheCREDCachievesitsgoalsthroughvisionary thinkingandstrategicrelationships.Since1982,theCREDChascreatedover20,000jobsand$5 billionincapitalinvestment,representingover$1billioninannualwagesfortheregion.For moreinformation,visitwww.credc.org.