| Dear Friend,
As many of you know, I’m entering into my last few weeks as head of the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona and, indeed, as a resident of this great state.
Nov. 30th will be my official last day, after which I’ll be heading off to Asheville and North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains for my retirement.
It has been a tremendous journey and I’m grateful to everyone who has made being part of ECoNA and economic development in Northern Arizona so rewarding.
The key word, of course, in our organization’s name has always been “collaborative.” Without the support, thought leadership and camaraderie of those in our public, educational, nonprofit and private sectors, ECoNA would not exist and would not be making an impact on our economic vitality.
I was asked recently what I was most proud of in my tenure with ECONA and without a doubt it has to be the work we’ve done helping our community understand – in a granular way – the challenges that have inhibited creating workforce housing here.
Our comprehensive report, Housing Attainability for the Flagstaff Workforce, is a powerful resource for our community leaders as they grapple with the need to create strategies and mechanisms that will make it easier for our workforce to live in the region.
As we look to ECoNA’s future, the Board of Directors has wisely chosen Gail Jackson as the interim President & CEO. For the past several months, Gail has been wearing multiple hats, assisting the City of Flagstaff as it strengthens its relationships with state, federal and tribal legislative partners, while also being my right hand here at ECoNA.
Gail has a rich history in the economic development realm: almost eight years with the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, plus several years as a business attraction manager. I’ve no doubt she will ably continue the work of ECoNA in the years ahead. You’ll be hearing from her in this space in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, I wish you all success and prosperity and look forward to keeping tabs on Northern Arizona’s growth from my new home.
Sincerely, |
