We have had a very busy and productive year so far at your CEDR and Clatsop Community College Small Business Development Center organization! We are pleased to share this seasonal recap.
57 signed up for free and confidential services
Counseling hours: 330
Long-term clients: 20 (five-plus hours of advising)
Training events: 17
• Annual Site Review was conducted by Deputy State Director John Downing in Seaside on March 3. I also had the opportunity to sit through the site review at Portland Community College SBDC. My counterparts from Clackamas and Chemeketa SBDC attended the CCC review. Sharing information and Best Practices.
• I attended the statewide SBDC directors meetings in Portland April 3 to 5.
• David Reid, lead advisor, and Tammy Lambert, office manager and administrative assistant, attended statewide administrative training sessions at Lane Community College SBDC recently. This was great professional development training.
• Walt Postlewait will be completing his first year as our Small Business Management Program manager in June, and has done a stellar job with the business cohort participants. Looking forward to next year! The 2017-18 program will start in October, and we will be interviewing applicants for this signature college program starting in June.
• The third annual Clatsop Job & Career Fair was held at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds in February, with over 700 students participating from Astoria, Ilwaco, Jewell, Knappa, Naselle, Seaside and Warrenton High Schools participating! We also had 70 employers participate, had resume and interviewing practice sessions, and expanded the afternoon session to accommodate our college students, and job-seeking adults.
This event gets bigger every year, and we are so appreciative to our many volunteers and financial sponsors of this regional event!
• The fifth annual CEDR awards event was held on March 22nd at the Seaside Convention Center, with over 180 business leaders, elected officials, and interested citizens in attendance. For 2018, the awards will be in Astoria, and we are hopeful it will be held at the beautifully remodeled Patriot Hall at the main campus of Clatsop Community College.
• I have been attending several meetings representing the business community of Clatsop County in the Northwest Regional STEM partnership, a group of cross-sector collaborators developing exposure opportunities for our students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, and exposure to the ARTS. Astoria School District Superintendent Craig Hoppes and Hampton Mill Special Projects Manager Cliff Tuttle are also working closely together with ESD project lead Myronda Schiding on internships, job shadowing and many other potential programs that will serve our students from elementary through college. Stay tuned for updates here!
• Clatsop Community College, under the leadership of President Chris Breitmeyer, has been working on a Five-Year Strategic Plan for the college, and how it can serve the community and region more effectively now, and in years to come. I have been charged with addressing “external stakeholder” needs — also known as what the business community is looking for as our economy continues to grow and diversify. We will continue to get candid input and feedback as the plan moves forward to assist the college and the board make decisions that will take us to the next level in education and workforce development.
• I am serving on the steering committee for the Advance Astoria initiative, and providing input to Kevin Cronin, community development director, the hired consultants, committee members, stakeholders and Astoria appointed and elected officials on balancing the priorities and needs of the Astoria community with family-wage jobs and sectors for Clatsop County.
• Affordable, workforce and market-rate housing continues to be a major focus for CEDR and our partners in each city and Clatsop County. CEDR will continue to take a “project-based approach.” I have presented at two Regional Solutions meetings this spring with an emphasis to continue shining a spotlight on this very critical issue for our region that is impacting economic growth.
Current plans include a training format under discussion to reduce barriers for development, and potential strategies to overcome the barriers.
Tillamook County has been taking a leadership role in the region with potential funding streams that will accelerate development of affordable housing, and we will continue to work with the Governors Regional Solutions Team, Col-Pac EDD and our public sector partners on this developing opportunity.
Email: kleahy@clatsopcc.edu
Direct: 503-338-2342
Visit our CEDR Website clatsoped.com