business backgrounder | economy
AWB Takes Action on Rural Jobs
Task Force launches long-term strategy to revitalize rural areas.
Andrew Lenderman
Rural Washington lags urban areas in economic growth and job creation. That’ s why AWB started the rural jobs conversation last year, hosting two summits and creating the Rural Jobs Task Force, chaired by Alex McGregor. The task force is working to find solutions and remove barriers to success.
At A Glance
AWB started the statewide discussion about rural jobs in 2017 by hosting two summits on the issue.
One of the outcomes was creation of a Rural Jobs Task Force made up of leaders from agriculture, telecommunications, manufacturing, ports, economic development councils and other sectors.
The task force guided development of a rural jobs agenda, which was adopted by the AWB board in January.
Nearly 250 Washington employers, legislators and community leaders gathered for AWB’ s Rural Jobs Summit in Moses Lake last October and walked away with a practical plan to boost the economy in small towns across the state. The goal is to bring new jobs
“ What a great opportunity for us to develop a cohesive strategy to help foster a rebound in the natural resource world, vital to us all and to our futures.”
— Alex McGregor, chair, Rural Jobs Task Force
and vitality to northeast Washington, the Olympic Peninsula and other parts of the state that have not experienced the same economic growth as urban centers.
Alex McGregor, president of The McGregor Company, opened the summit with a moving speech.
“ Good morning friends!” he boomed.“ I think about the challenges ahead, and the opportunities, and I get pretty excited about what teamwork can achieve.”
Rural Jobs Summit Highlight Video https:// vimeo. com / 247347692
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