WINTER 2012 NEWSLETTER

Contents

• Building On Our Assets: Implementation & Action Steps
• Legislative Reception & Vision Awards (photos)
• East Bay Broadband Consortium
• Jim Foley joins EDA Officers Committee
• Mary Nejedly Piepho elected President of Contra Costa Board of Supervisors
• Upcoming events

1. Building On Our Assets: Implementation & Action Steps

More than 200 East Bay EDA members and regional partners gathered in Concord on December 5, 2011 to discuss strategies and action plans to follow-up to the October release of Building On Our Assets. In addition to helping set direction for East Bay EDA, the interactions helped set the stage for the following initiatives which are now taking shape:

Education & Workforce Development

East Bay EDA's Board of Directors has identified Education and Workforce Development as the region's #1 economic priority. Specifically, East Bay EDA will be working to help create a highly networked workforce preparation system that expands and enhances business involvement with educational institutions at every level but especially with East Bay high schools and community colleges.

Want to be a part of this effort? Contact Karen Engel karen@eastbayeda.org.

Innovation

Technological innovation drives the East Bay regional economy. East Bay EDA will be working to strengthen the East Bay's innovation eco-system and technology clusters through:

• Proactive marketing and communication of the East Bay's innovation assets, investment opportunities, and success stories including an annual celebration of East Bay Innovators of the Year.
• Implementing our regional marketing and branding campaign EDA's Marketing Committee created last year to focus on telling the East Bay innovation story. We are gearing up for a fundraising campaign to hire help to do this work. We are also convening all of our message partners to kick-off this effort. East Bay EDA's Marketing Committee will remain the key leaders of this effort – thank you Kaiser and City of Dublin!

Want to be a part of this effort? Contact Karen Engel karen@eastbayeda.org.

Business Climate

East Bay EDA is focused on ensuring that companies - especially small and medium-sized ones - start, survive and thrive in the East Bay. This year East Bay EDA will be facilitating regional collaboration to:

1. To improve the connection between small businesses and those who can help them in a variety of ways (financing, advising, etc.), East Bay EDA and Inner City Advisors are working together with the help of Wells Fargo and others to put together a series of sub-regional Small Business Symposia. We will be engaging a wide range of lenders and business service providers to connect with small business owners. Our target date for the first Symposium is March, 2012.
    
2. To improve the region's regulatory environment, East Bay EDA is looking into the feasibility of a "Back-to-Business Pledge" – a set of customer service and business-friendliness practices that regulating entities would adopt and commit to abiding by as a way to ease the regulatory burden on business and economic development. This effort would also showcase regulatory process "best practices." Cushman & Wakefield and Grubb & Ellis will help drive this initiative.

Want to be a part of this effort? Contact Keith Sutton at keith@eastbayeda.org.

Infrastructure & Land Use

The East Bay is ground zero for a number of critical infrastructure issues facing the state of California.

• The loss of redevelopment by the region's cities is a major blow to the region's ability to adapt older industrial areas to newer, more productive uses. East Bay EDA will be supporting its city members and related entities in pursuing alternatives to ensure investment continues to flow into the regions older and more resource-constrained areas.
• East Bay EDA will be working actively with its partners in the Bay Area Business Coalition to ensure that issues related to economic and business development and employment are front and center in the list of considerations and criteria for effective regional planning – especially in the context of the Sustainable Communities Strategy and the Regional Transportation Plan.
• East Bay EDA aims to convene a variety of key businesses and associations which rely on efficient transportation modes and have a vested interest in infrastructure investment. The Transportation and Land Use Committee ensures that transportation and land use priorities uphold the East Bay's competitive business climate, maintain efficient transportation and goods movement systems, and ensure a high quality of life for its workers.

Want to be a part of this effort? Contact Scott Peterson at scott@eastbayeda.org.

2. East Bay Vision Awards & Legislative Reception

California Treasurer Bill Lockyer and businessman T. Gary Rogers have been named as recipients of the East Bay Vision Award presented annually to individuals or organizations that have greatly advanced the economic vitality and quality of life in the East Bay.

The awards were presented during East Bay EDA's 17th Annual Legislative Reception and East Bay Vision Awards celebration at the Oakland Marriott on Friday evening. Legislative officials who attended the event included: California Senator Ellen Corbett, California Senator Loni Hancock, Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, Assemblyman Sandré Swanson, and Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan. In addition to congratulating State Treasurer Lockyer and Mr. Rogers for their awards, the legislators spoke about East Bay EDA's 2012 priorities to improve the economic health of the region.

To learn more about the awardees, please see the press release.

3. East Bay Broadband Consortium

East Bay EDA, together with the Contra Costa Economic Partnership, the Solano EDC, and the East Bay Community Foundation, has formed the East Bay Broadband Consortium (EBBC) to improve broadband deployment, access, and adoption in the East Bay.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) officially recognized the EBBC in December, 2011 and has granted us $150,000 per first year for three years to shape and help implement a broadband strategy for the East Bay.

In 2012, the EBBC will be hosting three roundtables and one regional broadband summit to shape regional priorities and a strategy for improving the region's broadband access. Please mark your calendars:

More information coming to our website soon! Want to be a part of this effort? Contact Bob Sakai at robert@eastbayeda.org.

4. Jim Foley joins EDA Officers Committee

Jim Foley, Greater Bay Regional President for Wells Fargo, has joined the Officers Committee of East Bay EDA's Board of Directors. After many years as a member of the Executive Committee, Foley is looking forward to playing a more active role in the leadership of East Bay EDA during an exciting time in the organization's development.

5. Mary Nejedly Piepho elected President of Contra Costa Board of Supervisors

Congratulations to Mary Nejedly Piepho who was elected by her colleagues to serve as President of the Board of Supervisors in Contra Costa County. A two-term Supervisor, Piepho's newly redrawn district now includes mostly East Contra Costa territory, including voters in Oakley and a large chunk of Antioch. She serves as a Vice Chair of East Bay EDA's Board of Directors.

6. Upcoming Events

i-Gate exciting event coming up on February 13, 2012 from 2:00pm-5:00pm. In partnership with the Labs, i-GATE is presenting "Get to Know Your National Labs: A Seminar & Networking Series" which is designed to help small businesses learn how they can work with Labs to gain a competitive advantage.

This is a free event, but seats are limited so early registration is recommended. Registration Link: http://gettoknowyournationallabs.eventbrite.com

The San Francisco Business Times hosts its annual Mayors Economic Forecast in Oakland on Tuesday, February 14, 2012, from 7:15 am - 10:00 am at the Oakland Convention Center - West Hall.

Join business and civic leaders for a lively conversation with Mayor Jean Quan of Oakland and Mayor Ed Lee of San Francisco. Each now has a year's worth of perspective and experience at the helms of their cities, but each also faces a multitude of challenges and opportunities in the coming year.

Cost = $95 and you can register at http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/event/57601

THE CITIES & COUNTIES OF Alameda Antioch Albany Berkeley Brentwood Concord Town of Danville Dublin El Cerrito Emeryville Fremont Hayward Hercules Livermore Martinez Newark Oakland Oakley Piedmont Pinole Pittsburg Pleasant Hill Pleasanton Richmond San Leandro San Ramon Union City Alameda County Contra Costa County

CONTACT This report was prepared by: Scott Peterson Deputy Director (510) 272-6843 East Bay EDA 1221 Oak St., Ste. 555 Oakland. CA 94612 For more information on the East Bay, click on www.eastbayeda.org

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