The Columbia-
Snake river
hydroelectric dam
system accounts
for 90 percent of
renewable energy
in the region.
spotlight on rural economics
Expanding economic opportunity to every
capital, and quality health care and child care,
corner of the state was again a focus in
and a commitment to supporting the natural
2018. That’s because while the central Puget
resources sector.
Sound region has seen impressive job growth
“Access to the internet touches on healthcare,
since the Great Recession, too many of
it touches on education, it touches on
Washington’s rural areas are falling behind.
even management of some of our natural
As part of this effort, AWB hosted its third
resources,” said John Flanagan, an economic
Rural Jobs Summit in Longview Nov. 8-9 to
development adviser to Gov. Jay Inslee,
discuss solutions to economic challenges
during his panel presentation at the 2018
in rural regions that exist in each of
Rural Jobs Summit.
Washington’s 39 counties.
AWB started the dialogue in 2017 and
Nearly 150 attendees, including lawmakers
will continue its multi-year effort to put a
from both parties and business leaders from
spotlight on the needs of residents in our
communities across Washington, helped
rural regions and the employers that support
build AWB’s robust agenda to boost rural
them through advocacy in the Legislature
regions. Chief among the agenda items were
and working alongside AWB’s member-driven
access to broadband internet, access to
Rural Jobs Task Force.
“I want to really
applaud AWB.
I look at the
materials that are
here, your Redbook
and summary on
the rural economy,
and you all nail it.”
mark scheffel,
senior vice president,
advantage capital,
speaking at the 2018
rural jobs summit
pg. 9