I’m excited to share that the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona has launched a refreshed website at econa-az.com, and I invite you to take a look.
This new site was built with you in mind. Whether you are a partner in our region’s growth, a business exploring expansion opportunities, or site selector looking for a home for your company, we wanted to make it easier to find what you need, and show why northern Arizona is a smart place to do business.
through innovative public-private partnerships. The town currently has 1,480 housing units in various stages of development – proof that creative collaborations between municipalities and developers can deliver results.
Last month, Highview at Boulder Creek broke ground on the first phase of what will ultimately be more than 300 factory-built homes as part of a larger mixed-use development on the west side of town. It’s an area with little infrastructure and currently no links to the Town’s water or wastewater systems.
his past year, the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona has worked on the region’s behalf to promote the greater Flagstaff area, Sedona, Winslow and Camp Verde.
We took the story of the opportunities available in northern Arizona to conferences around the country – the ICSC Retail Show, the national Site Selector Guild, SEMI-CON, and the Flinn Brown Bio Capital Conference.
ECoNA lent its support to applications for funding for work on the I-40 corridor, the Northern Arizona University Venture Studio, and infrastructure improvements along the BNSF railway in Flagstaff.
We also fielded 62 qualified leads that resulted in 34 competitive bids with the potential of added more than 3,000 jobs and $1.8 billion in capital investments to our area. Almost half of these businesses were in the manufacturing sector, with the rest being a mix of retail, office, transportation and bioscience.
For the past four years, the city of Flagstaff has been leading transformative work in an attempt to address two City Council-declared emergencies: the critical need for approximately 8,000 more housing units by 2031, while also striving to achieve carbon neutrality by the end of this decade.
Much of the work to address these issues is coming out of the city’s Planning and Development Services Division, led by Director Michelle McNulty in partnership with the Housing and Sustainability Divisions.
On behalf of the leadership of the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona, I want to express our sincere appreciation for you and for the communities we proudly serve.
Local businesses, government partners, and dedicated individuals make ECoNA’s work possible, and each of you plays a vital role in sustaining a thriving northern Arizona.
Recently, ECoNA and our regional partners took Northern Arizona’s story of opportunity and innovation to two major industry event – SEMICON West and ICSC@Western – reaching decision makers who can help shape our region’s economic future.
This was the first year the SEMICON West was hosted in Phoenix, underscoring Arizona’s growing leadership in the semiconductor and advanced manufacturing sectors.
Earlier this month, R. Glenn Williamson, founder and CEO of the Canada Arizona Business Council (CABC), spoke to the ECoNA Advisory Council about the unique relationship between Arizona and Canada and the pressures it is currently facing.
For northern Arizona, the relationship is significant. Canadian companies employ more than 300 people in Coconino, Navajo, and Yavapai counties, with another 2,600 jobs impacted by exports to Canada.
Statewide, Canada remains Arizona’s largest foreign direct investor. Additionally, an estimated 1 million Canadians visit the state each year, while about 100,000 Canadian “snowbirds” live in Arizona for part of the year. Combined, they contribute $2.4 billion to the local economy.
That impact is impressive – but not without pressure
We hope we’ll see you at High Country Conference Center as the next chapter of our state’s Bioscience Roadmap – a long-term strategic plan to advance the state’s bioscience sector – is launched.
The free event, being co-hosted by the Flinn Foundation, SRI International, and Genterra Enterprises, will be from 12 – 1:30 pm on Tuesday, September 9. Doors open at 11:30 am and lunch will be provided, but space is limited. You can register HERE.
Good afternoon, Frank,
Dr. Eric Heiser has spent more than two decades in higher education, with the past three as President of Coconino Community College. His journey to the role wasn’t a straight line: in fact, he first tried his hand in the hospitality industry before a chance invitation to teach changed his career trajectory – and life – forever.
In our recent conversation, Dr. Heiser, a member of the ECoNA Executive Committee, shared how growing up on Wyoming’s Wind River Indian Reservation gave him a deep understanding of — and commitment to — diverse and often underserved student populations.
When ECoNA released its 5-year Strategic Plan in 2023, it confirmed something many of us already knew: northern Arizona is facing a critical shortage of workforce housing.
During the decade leading up to the plan, the average price of a single family home in our region soared – by as much as 294%, depending on the community. This surge has priced many out of home ownership and pushed rental prices higher, straining families and employers alike.
With the opening of its Downtown Connection Center (DCC) earlier this month and major service enhancements scheduled to start on July 27, Mountain Line, Flagstaff’s public transit system, is entering a new era.
The two-story, 21,000-square-foot DCC, located on Phoenix Avenue, is now the home of the transit systems’ customer service, administrative, and operations support teams, and streamlines transfers across Mountain Line’s nine fixed routes. Its previous headquarters on Kaspar Drive will continue to handle bus maintenance and storage.
My heart sank as I read the article in the Wall Street Journal.
My alma mater, the Macomb campus of Western Illinois University, was featured as an example of America’s new “rust belt” – once-booming college towns now struggling because of dwindling enrollment rates. In the past 15 years, enrollment has dropped by 47 percent, and the bustling community I remember from my college days is quickly becoming a ghost town.
Macomb is hardly unique, and its story serves as a powerful reminder of how fortunate we are in northern Arizona, where one of the biggest drivers of our regional economy is Northern Arizona University.
This week we celebrate Economic Development Week, created by the International Economic Development Council in 2016. This year’s theme, “The Power of Partnerships,” emphasizes the collaborative spirit that fuels innovation, community well-being, and economic transformation across the country – and especially here in Northern Arizona.
At the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona, partnerships are at the heart of everything we do. We work closely with local governments, businesses, nonprofits, and education partners to address the region’s most pressing challenges – from workforce development to housing to business attraction and retention.
Heidi Hansen, Economic Vitality Director for the City of Flagstaff, is the Vice Chair of the Executive Board of ECoNA. Originally from Delaware, she moved to Flagstaff when her father, a W.L. Gore & Associates employee, relocated to Arizona. After earning her bachelor’s degree in advertising from Northern Arizona University, she spent more than 20 years in media advertising before becoming the City’s Convention and Visitor Bureau’s director in 2012.
Speakers at the event include Heather Carter, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Health Choice CEO and the chair of the Roadmap Steering Committee. She’ll share new data on Arizona’s bioscience and hospital jobs, wages, venture capital, university tech-transfer, and other measurements of how the biosciences impact our economy statewide.
We’ll also learn about the opportunities and challenges surrounding bioscience research, commercialization, and healthcare during these uncertain times from Tomás Diaz de la Rubia, Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at the University of Arizona.
And SRI International will provide a sneak peak of the new Bioscience Roadmap set to launch in September.
Later this month, Winslow Economic Development Director Jack Fitchett and I will attend the annual conference of the Site Selector Guild, the only association of the world’s foremost professional site selection consultants.
The influence of site selectors is becoming more critical as companies navigate complex factors from local and state regulations, available talent pools, zoning considerations, and more in the decision-making process.
Northern Arizona’s rich, dense forests are among the many reasons why people love to live and work in our region. But the beauty and recreational opportunities of these endless acres of green come with a risk in an area that is known for its dry and often windy conditions – the threat of wildfire.
Numerous entities are dedicated to reducing that risk. Northern Arizona University’s School of Forestry specifically offers a BS in Applied Wildland Fire Science; APS has a dedicated Forestry and Wildfire Mitigation team; and the 4FRI project continues to use thinning and prescribed burns to lessen the threat of wildfires – and post-wildfire flooding – to communities throughout northern Arizona.
The work of these entities not only impacts our safety – it also has an economic impact for the region.
Join us Thursday, Dec. 11th to celebrate the season and the achievements of 2025 at our Holiday Mixer & Open House!
Enjoy coffee and delicious cinnamon rolls from the Kickstand Kafe, plus great conversation with fellow economic development stakeholders in our office in Historic Downtown Flagstaff.
We’d love to see you there! Please RSVP by Friday, Dec. 5th.
Hello,
As we move into 2025 this week, the Board and investors of the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona extend our warmest wishes for a Happy New Year.
Our region’s economy is ever-evolving, and we’re excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. Together, we will continue to strengthen key business sectors, address challenges facing our communities, and foster a thriving environment for both industries and individuals in northern Arizona.
Thank you for being part of this journey. We look forward to collaborating with you in the year ahead.
Wishing you a successful and fulfilling 2025.
The arts are more than a source of inspiration – they are a vital economic driver for northern Arizona.
We know from data collected by the national Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6), the latest economic impact study conducted by Americans for the Arts, that the arts account for more than $85 million in direct economic activity in Flagstaff annually, and another $13.5 million in Sedona.
The arts are one of the top 10 sectors in the region based on employment and our 5-year Strategic Plan calls for community leaders to support the expansion and enhancement of arts and cultural venues and offerings within our communities.
On behalf of the leadership of the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona, I want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to the communities we proudly serve.
We are deeply thankful for the unwavering support of our partners – local businesses, government entities, and countless individuals – who have been instrumental in shaping and strengthening our regional economy.
As we celebrate this holiday weekend with family and friends, let us reflect on the many blessings we share here in northern Arizona, from our abundant natural resources to the incredible talent and dedication of those committed to our region’s prosperity.
As we celebrate Women’s Entrepreneurship Day today, we are reminded of the incredible strides women have made in business and entrepreneurship – and of the significant challenges that remain.
According to Wells Fargo’s inaugural Impact of Women-Owned Businesses, which was released earlier this year, women own more than 14 million businesses in the United States (about 39% of all companies), employing more than 12.2 million people and generating $2.7 trillion in annual revenue. In non-employer businesses, Arizona has a higher share of women-owned businesses than the United States as a whole.
(On Nov. 8), the leadership of this 130 year old institution will transfer from Executive Director Dr. Jeffrey Hall to Dr. Amanda Bosh, currently the observatory’s chief operating officer. The following weekend, Lowell will celebrate the grand opening of its $53 million Marley Foundation Astronomy Discovery Center (ADC).
How can a community better plan for its workforce needs?
Given the increasing complexity of our economy and the difficulty of obtaining reliable data, it can be challenging for policymakers, businesses, and educators to plan for future growth.
That challenge is being addressed by the Arizona Education and Workforce Visualization Project, part of the Arizona State University / Helios Decision Center for Educational Excellence.
The director of the Decision Center, Dr. Joe O’Reilly, will be presenting on the tools from the visualization project at an upcoming meeting of ECoNA’s Advisory Council.
This is Arizona Bioscience Week, and there is no better time to spotlight the significant wins for bio-based businesses in Northern Arizona. From groundbreaking medical advancements to a growing bioscience ecosystem, the region is strengthening its position as a leader in innovation in the sector.
Here are some of the recent highlights:
Last month, Northern Arizona Healthcare announced it had entered into a cancer care coordination agreement with City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the nation, to help treat complex or rare cases of cancer in northern Arizona. The model will increase access to cancer care for northern Arizonans, and allow them to get expert support from City of Hope providers without having to leave NAH oncology care.
Dave Cheney is CEO & President at Northern Arizona Healthcare, leading Flagstaff Medical Center, Verde Valley Medical Center, primary care and specialty clinics throughout Northern Arizona. Prior to joining NAH, Dave served as President and CEO of Sutter Hospitals. He led six area CEOs and oversaw the 24 hospitals within the Sutter Health System, following his tenure as CEO of Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento.
Cheney is a member of the ECoNA Board. Below is an excerpt from our recent interview with him. You can see the full interview here.
Good afternoon,
At first glance, it’s felt like a cruel summer for northern Arizona’s retail sector, with a string of announcements about store and restaurant closings. Often they were places that had been staples of the community for years: Big Lots, Kachina Kitchen, Peter Piper Pizza, Grimaldi’s.
While those businesses will certainly be missed, their closings don’t tell the whole story of the retail landscape in our region.
When a retail business closes, it often creates opportunities for new businesses to emerge, a life cycle that’s a part of how this sector evolves.
Throughout northern Arizona, we’ve had far more retail business launches than closures this year.
ECoNA with its municipality partners got a chance to promote northern Arizona to hundreds of semiconductor manufacturers and related businesses during the recent SEMICON West expo in San Francisco.
According to SEMI, the international trade organization that organizes the expo, global sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment are poised to reach $109 billion this year, a new industry record. ECoNA’s 5-year Strategic Plan identifies advanced manufacturing as one of the five sectors the region should pursue for economic development.
Camp Verde is a town in transition.
The municipality of about 13,000 residents has changed leadership recently, with Town Manager Miranda Fisher coming on board in late May. Within a few weeks, Fisher promoted Economic Development Director Molly Davies to Deputy Town Manager. Davies, who is a member of the ECoNA Executive Board, will continue her role as ED director until a replacement can be found.
Fisher says that promoting Davies was in line with keeping economic development front and center for the Verde Valley community.
“All departments are vital, but I think in Camp Verde, economic development is one of the most essential, given the town’s desire to grow and increase business retention and recruitment,” Fisher said.
It’s no secret that 4th of July events can be an economic driver, with parades, festivals, and fireworks prompting tourists to visit communities large and small. In northern Arizona we are fortunate to have a wide range of Independence Day events for visitors – and locals – to enjoy.
The celebrations start early in Flagstaff where hundreds of runners will compete in the Downtown Mile, a series of races held prior to the annual 4th of July Parade. There are races for all levels of runners, including elite races for cash prizes and one just for children. The first race starts at 6:30 am.
Winslow is taking a two-prong approach to creating more workforce housing to address current needs and also prepare for future development in the city of about 10,000 residents.
According to the Strategic Plan that ECoNA released last year, Winslow has a deficit of about 750 workforce housing units between the current gap and projected growth over the next five years. The current number of dwelling units is about 2,900, with another 180 in the pipeline, said Jack Fitchett, the city’s Economic Development Director.
“We have some pretty large plans for development,” he added, including a large industrial park. “That’s going to require pretty significant labor, and that’s not going to happen if those people don’t have a place to live.”
At the ECoNA Advisory Council meeting last week, we took a deep dive into programs dedicated to cultivating budding entrepreneurs in northern Arizona.
The initiatives range from a free entry-level program to help potential entrepreneurs determine if their innovative ideas could be commercialized, to loans and venture capital investments for early-stage businesses.
Cristy Salanga, Patent Manager at Northern Arizona University, discussed the National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program, an immersive entry-level training program, which focuses on determining the potential customers of a business as well as the potential value proposition of a product or service.
Work has begun to transform a 31.45-acre parcel just west of Flagstaff Pulliam Airport into a technology park focusing on cutting-edge businesses and research.
Genterra Enterprises, the master developer of the Northern Arizona Technology Park, recently completed negotiations with the City of Flagstaff to secure a long-term ground lease for the parcel, which was originally granted to the City by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The development is one of the largest shovel ready projects in northern Arizona and the only one dedicated to technology enterprises. It’s zoned Highway Commercial and the land is fully entitled, streamlining the approval process for interested companies, said Tim Kinney, President & CEO at Genterra.
We are all aware of the crucial role the bioscience sector plays in driving innovation, economic growth, and improving healthcare outcomes in Arizona. We hope you will join us next month for a virtual update on Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap.
The Flinn Foundation, which originally commissioned this long-term strategic plan more than two decades ago, will host the free Zoom session from 12 – 1:30 p.m. on Monday, April 22. You can register to attend HERE.
It is hard to overstate the importance of apprenticeship programs in today’s economy, where numerous industries have identified a persistent “skills gap” in the workforce.
The State of Arizona’s Office of Economic Opportunity recently announced it is working to expand registered construction and trade apprenticeship programs with grants from its BuildItAZ initiative, but time is running out to apply for these funds.
The Board of ECoNA had a robust, wide-ranging conversation with Senator Mark Kelly recently that covered infrastructure improvements in northern Arizona, possible strategies for addressing our chronic housing shortage here, and the senator’s profound disappointment that the border security bill that was negotiated in Congress did not garner enough support to pass.
Earlier in the day, Senator Kelly had presided over a field hearing of the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee at City Hall, which focused on a progress report from local officials and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Rio de Flag Flood Control project.
According to statistics from the Northern Arizona Association of Realtors, the surge in home prices in Flagstaff slowed down dramatically in 2023. After increases of 11.8% in 2020, 25.2% in 2021, and 13.6% in 2022, the median sales price for a residential home grew 1.3% in the past year – from $618,697 in 2022 to $626,500 last year.
Although the latest figures may indicate that the price to buy a home has reached a plateau, rental property prices are still climbing.
This year has been pivotal for the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona not only for what was accomplished, but also for the roadmap we are developing for the future.
Our top story for 2023 was the creation of our 5-year Strategic Plan (which you can download here) as we contemplated the most critical issues we must address to ensure continued economic vitality for our region.
One of the important aspects for our economic health is trade, and we were pleased to host the Consul General of Mexico, Jorge Mendoza Yescas, and Glenn Williamson, the founder and CEO of the Canada Arizona Business Council in Flagstaff. We opened up our Advisory Council meeting to the entire business community so everyone could benefit from the insights of these two representatives of Arizona’s largest two trading partners.
As Ioanna Morfessis, President & CEO of IO, Inc., recently put it: “Economies don’t remain static; there is no stasis. They either grow and progress or they regress.”
Morfessis and Danny Court of Elliott Pollack & Co. co-authored the recently released Strategic Plan created on behalf of ECoNA to outline a roadmap for the region’s economic future.
Their reporting indicates that Northern Arizona faces a major decision: whether the region’s economy will continue to remain competitive or if anti-growth sentiment will lead to stagnation and possible economic erosion.
As part of our celebration of Manufacturing Month, the ECoNA Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) team recently organized a tour of three local manufacturers for 17 juniors and seniors from Flagstaff and Coconino high schools to show the rewarding work – and excellent pay – available in this sector.
The Arizona Office of Economic Security projects that between 2022 and 2024, there will be an 8.2% increase in manufacturing jobs in Coconino, Navajo, and Yavapai counties. This equates to more than 100 new jobs.
“Our intent is to have more of these educational tours throughout the northern Arizona region,” said Cynthia Hudspeth, the newly named Director of Operations at ECoNA who attended the tours with the students. “The message is to show students the possible careers right here in their backyard and that they can work, live and stay in northern Arizona.”
You are cordially invited to join us tomorrow for a special webinar on Prop. 480, the citizens of Flagstaff’s referendum on the re-zoning of the proposed Northern Arizona Hospital site. The re-zoning of the site was approved by the Flagstaff City Council earlier this year.
This Arizona Civic Exchange (CivEx) event, which will be held from 2 – 3 p.m. (MST), is being sponsored by the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership, a part of the Flinn Foundation. The webinar is being presented in conjunction with the Northern Arizona Leadership Alliance Community Civility Project.
Good afternoon,
Late last month, we released our comprehensive 5-year Strategic Plan, a roadmap for economic growth in northern Arizona that was created for ECoNA by Elliott D. Pollack & Co. and IO, Inc.
Over the past few weeks, representatives of those companies have been leading a series of webinars that drill down on three key aspects of the plan: housing challenges, the local labor shed, and sectors that northern Arizona should be targeting for greater prosperity.
What’s made these webinars fascinating is not only the in-depth analysis provided by Danny Court and Ioanna Morfessis, the principal authors of the roadmap, but also the insightful questions from webinar participants as we study where northern Arizona is now – and where we want to be headed.
Earlier this week, representatives from Elliott D. Pollack & Co. and IO Inc. presented an overview of their comprehensive 5-year Stategic Plan for economic growth in northern Arizona, including a SWOT analysis, comparisons to similar areas, and six overarching goals needed to sustain and increase the economic vitality of the region.
The strategic plan, commissioned by ECoNA, identified the workforce housing gap, slow population growth in the region, and anti-growth sentiment as the biggest challenges facing our area.
“No economy remains static; it either progresses or regresses,” said Ioanna Morfessis, President and Chief Strategist for IO Inc., who added that strategic plans like the one created for ECoNA were not about “growth for growth sake” but preserving the assets of the region while creating opportunities for the next generations to live and work here.
It’s been a busy summer at northern Arizona’s three local airports, with changes in personnel, new facilities and extensive improvement work to enable these facilities to better serve our region.
At Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, Brian Gall became the new Airport Director in late April. He had previously been the airport’s Program Manager and his career has included serving as a Development Engineering Project Manager for the City of Flagstaff and being an engineer for both the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests.
Time is running out to RSVP for next week’s meeting of the ECoNA Advisory Council, which will feature conversation with the Consul General of Mexico in Phoenix, Jorge Mendoza Yescas, and Glenn Williamson, former Honorary Consul of Canada for Arizona and the founder and CEO of the Canada Arizona Business Council.
You are cordially invited to the next meeting of the ECoNA Advisory Council, where our featured speakers will be the Consul General of Mexico in Phoenix, Jorge Mendoza Yescas, and Glenn Williamson, former Honorary Consul of Canada for Arizona and the founder and CEO of the Canada Arizona Business Council.
We are extending this invitation to the entire business community because of the importance of these two countries to our state and regional economy.
Typically, my e-newsletters to you are reserved to talk about our region and the work that the diverse leadership of the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona is doing to maintain and expand economic vitality here.
Today, however, I want to share a little bit of personal news that I think will also benefit our efforts.
I’m honored to announce that starting next month, I will be part of the 15th cohort of the Flinn-Brown Fellowship. This is an extraordinary opportunity to connect with 27 other civic leaders throughout the state and gain a deeper understanding of policies as we work to address Arizona’s long-term issues.
The Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona is pleased to announce that the featured speakers for its August 16 Advisory Council meeting will be the Consul General of Mexico, Jorge Mendoza Yescas, and Glenn Williamson, the founder and CEO of the Canada Arizona Business Council.
Both men have decades of diplomatic service between them and are uniquely versed in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which created one of the world’s largest free trade zones.
We are extending this invitation to the entire business community because of the importance of these two countries to our state and regional economy. The meeting will be held from 1-2:30 pm in the City of Flagstaff Council Chambers, 211 W. Aspen Ave.
All across northern Arizona, there will be lots of celebrations this Independence Day. Here is a sampling of what’s happening in the region as you make your holiday plans.
In Flagstaff, July 4th will get off to a patriotic start with the annual Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce 4th of July Parade through Historic Downtown. The parade starts at 9 am, but you’ll want to arrive early to secure a good viewing spot; this is one of Flagstaff’s biggest events all year.
Later that day, the festivities take a musical turn with A Flag Fourth at the Pepsi Amphitheater in Fort Tuthill County Park. The Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra will take the stage at 3 pm for its annual pops concert. This event is perfect for all ages and free! Bring your lawn chairs, blankets and sunscreen. Doors open at 2 pm.
As temperatures heat up, it’s important for businesses to explore ways to save on their energy bills. Fortunately, APS offers a whole suite of services and programs to help businesses manage energy usage.
“Small business owners are still trying to catch up from the pandemic and now they’re dealing with inflation,” said Trevor Swanson, Energy Innovation Advisor for APS. “Whether it’s an energy assessment, rebate or special program, there are countless ways for small businesses to save on their monthly energy bills.”
The biosciences continue to be one of the most dynamic sectors in our state’s economy, and northern Arizona had many highlights to share in the latest Arizona Bioscience Roadmap progress report.
The roadmap is a long-term strategic plan originally commissioned by the Flinn Foundation in 2002 and updated in 2014 with the goal of Arizona becoming globally competitive and a national leader in select areas of the biosciences by 2025.
In fields such as precision medicine, neuroscience, bioengineering, agricultural biotechnology and more, Arizona has become globally competitive because of its deep talent base, the ability to turn research and discoveries into commercial products, and the critical mass of entrepreneurship to turn those products into enterprises.
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.
It is always a joy showing off all that northern Arizona has to offer – and what new things are on the horizon – to visitors who appreciate the power of economic development in keeping a community vibrant.
So it was with great pleasure that ECoNA recently hosted the business development team from the Arizona Commerce Authority on a whirlwind two-day tour of our region.
We packed a lot into those 48 hours, and our guests could not have been more positive and engaged as they learned more about the strides we are making to improve economic vitality in Flagstaff, Winslow, Sedona, and Camp Verde.
As the Bioscience Roadmap enters its third decade, we hope you will join us next month for the annual update on the growth and progress of Arizona’s bioscience sector.
The Flinn Foundation, which originally commissioned this long-term strategic plan more than two decades ago, will be hosting the free Zoom session from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19. You can register to attend HERE.
The event will feature presentations by Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and Tucson Mayor Regina Romero on the capacity of municipalities to drive growth in this sector.
Steve Peru became Coconino County Manager for a second time in 2021. He was originally hired by the County after graduating from Northern Arizona University in 1979 and had a storied 32-year career that culminated in becoming County Manager in 2006. He retired in 2011 and went on to positions at W.L. Gore & Associates, United Way of Northern Arizona and Coconino Community College before returning to County Government in 2021. Below is an excerpt from our recent interview with him. You can see the full conversation here.
Workforce development is a topic we often turn to when we talk about the critical needs of northern Arizona businesses, but often that discussion focuses on post-secondary education, internships, and job training.
The fact is that creating tomorrow’s workforce goes back much further, starting in elementary, middle, and high school. Which is why we are so happy that there are several upcoming events that celebrate our local educators.
It starts this Thursday with the annual STEMMY Awards being given out by Flagstaff STEM City to honor students, teachers and organizations who are STEM leaders in the greater Flagstaff community. Last year, Audrey Baird of Flagstaff Arts & Leadership Academy took top honors for STEM educator.
Thursday’s ceremony will be from 6 to 7 pm at the Museum of Northern Arizona.
While northern Arizona is home to many festivals throughout the year, the month of February tends to be a little slower, with much of the region’s tourism dollars coming from out-of-towners looking to ski and play in the snow.
There are a few exceptions to this rule, however.
Several local government agencies are offering grants and programs to help small business in 2023, but deadlines to apply for many of these funds are coming up soon.
The City of Flagstaff has allocated $300,000 of its American Rescue Plan Act package to help small businesses offset the fiscal challenges due to the pandemic, including staffing shortages, decreased revenues, and modification that were required due to Covid-19.
The awards, ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, can be used for a wide array of purposes, including marketing to overcome losses in revenue due to the pandemic, attracting and retaining employees, or purchasing business equipment. The business must be locally owned and operated, within the Flagstaff City limits, and have fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees. Deadline to apply is January 31 and details can be found here.
The last in a series of webinars on “Forging the Future,” the recently released 5-year strategic plan for northern Arizona’s economy, will be held on Tuesday, September 19 at 10 am.
Based on an economic roadmap developed for ECoNA by Elliott D. Pollack & Co. and IO, Inc., this webinar will focus on the plan’s targeted sector analysis.
Please join us for this informative session as we work together on pursuing greater economic vitality for northern Arizona. You can attend the webinar using this link.
Join us on Wednesday, Dec. 13 for a morning Holiday Mixer at the ECoNA office in downtown Flagstaff.
Enjoy beverages from Noble Ground Coffee and cinnamon rolls from Honey Pie Bakery as we celebrate the successes of 2023 and the joy of this special season.
We look forward to seeing you! Please RSVP by Friday, Dec. 8.
WHAT: ECoNA Holiday Mixer
WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 13, 8 – 10 am
WHERE: 201 E. Birch Ave., Suite 12, Flagstaff
Please RSVP via email HERE.
