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Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA) — Events & Opportunities for Economic Development Week

by Community Contributor • May 4, 2023 • Comments Off

Good afternoon,

Next week is the 8th annual Economic Development Week, created by the International Economic Development Council in 2016 to increase awareness of local efforts to promote economic vitality and highlight programs that create jobs and opportunities for individuals and businesses.

Here are some of the events that will be happening in northern Arizona to celebrate our region and help ensure prosperity for our communities and residents.

On Monday, May 8, Diana White, the Executive Director of Moonshot at NACET – our regional business incubator and accelerator – will lead a seminar on Interviewing with Confidencefrom 11 am to 12 pm at NACET. This free session will review the interview process and feature tips on how to make the best impression during an interview.

Later that day, the Flagstaff Women’s Leadership Network will host a discussion featuring Mackenzie Rodgers, Director of Transmission Operations and Maintenance for APS. Mackenzie will talk about her 15 years at APS and working in a sector where women make up less than one-third of the workforce. This event will be held from 4:30 – 6 pm at Mother Road Brewing Co., with the program starting at 5 pm.

On Tuesday, May 9, the Flagstaff City Council will issue a proclamation celebrating Economic Development Week and the role of economic developers in promoting a high quality of life in their communities by creating, retaining and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth, and provide a stable tax base.

One of the keys to unlocking economic opportunity in northern Arizona is increasing access to technology in underserved areas of our region. On Wednesday, May 10, the Northern Arizona Council of Governments’ Broadband Working Group will continue its multi-year mission to bring more high-speed internet to a vast Economic Development District that includes four counties (Coconino, Apache, Navajo, and Yavapai) and the lands of nine federally recognized Indigenous tribes.

On Thursday, May 11, you can meet with your regional economic development professionals at Mother Road Brewing Co. from 4 – 6 pm. Bring your questions and enjoy a potent potable at this informal (but informative) gathering.

Rounding out the week are very auspicious events for our local students – and future workforce – with Northern Arizona University and Coconino Community College holding commencement ceremonies.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t take this opportunity to celebrate some major achievements in our local economic development world. At last week’s Arizona Association for Economic Development Spring Conference, Winslow’s Economic Development Director Una Wirkebau (above left) was named Economic Development Director of the Year for small communities. Meanwhile Creag Znetko of the City of Flagstaff and Crisi Clark of the Town of Camp Verde (above right) were recognized for earning their Arizona Economic Development Professional (AZED Pro) certifications.

Congratulations to Una, Creag, and Crisi, and I hope everyone has a wonderful Economic Development Week!