In This Issue

• Spotlight: Celebrating Women’s History Month
• Success Story: Innovative EDA Programs Making the News!
• Highlights:

Spotlight: Celebrating Women’s History Month

By Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker This Women’s History Month, we celebrate the impact of women entrepreneurs and tech leaders. From Sheryl Sandberg to Daphne Koller to Natalie Massenet, women are shaping the digital landscape in the United States. Yet the overall statistics on female entrepreneurs are sobering. Women only make up 26 percent of the computing workforce. While women earn the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they hold only 12 percent of computer science degrees. Click here to read more.

Success Story: Innovative EDA Programs Making the News!

Under President Obama’s leadership, EDA has been innovating to reflect the current needs of the regions and communities we serve. For example, since the President took office the agency has accelerated work in support of regional cluster initiatives by reforming and improving programs to support bottom-up regional cluster-based approaches. Recently, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel published a ‘Perspectives’ article written by Dean Amhaus, president and CEO of The Water Council in Wisconsin entitled, “For economic development, the cluster approach works.” The article cites the growth of vigorous public-private partnerships that have resulted in the Water Council being recognized as a proven cluster initiative that is working to improve the competitiveness of existing industry. Click here to read more.

Highlights:

Obama Administration Announces $65.8 Million Available for Economic and Workforce Development in Coal-Impacted Communities

On behalf of the Obama Administration, EDA and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) on March 17, announced the availability of $65.8 million through the Obama Administration’s Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative to communities which have historically relied on the coal economy for economic stability to develop new strategies for economic growth and worker advancement. 

With this announcement, communities and regions that have been negatively impacted by changes in the coal economy -- including mining, coal fired power plants and related transportation, logistics and manufacturing supply chains -- can apply for resources to help strengthen their economies and workforces.  Funds are available for a range of activities, including:

• Developing projects which diversify local and regional economies, create jobs in new and/or existing industries, attract new sources of job-creating investment and provide a range of workforce services and skills training;
• Building partnerships to attract and invest in the economic future of coal-impacted communities;
• Increasing additional capacity and other technical assistance fostering long term economic growth and opportunity in coal-impacted communities.

Click here to read more.

2016 EDA National Conference

Register today for EDA’s National Conference, April 7-8, 2016, in Washington, D.C. Speakers will include: Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker Deputy Secretary of Commerce Bruce Andrews Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Jay Williams Deputy Secretary of Labor Christopher Lu U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (OH) Director of Office of Management and Budget, Shaun Donovan Deputy Assistant to the President, Jerry Abramson Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan Former Atlanta Mayor and current Chairman of the Board and CEO of Purpose Built Communities Shirley Franklin Karen Keogh, JP Morgan Chase Michael Burcham, President, CEO, The Nashville Entrepreneur Center John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Operation HOPE Andrew Yang, Founder & CEO, Venture for America

Angie Martinez named Regional Director of EDA’s Denver Regional Office 

Angie Martinez has been named as the Regional Director of EDA’s Denver Regional Office. Angie joined EDA in 2009 as Director of External Affairs where she has led the agency’s outreach to external stakeholders, congressional and intergovernmental offices and the media. Angie has been instrumental in building stronger partnerships among EDA stakeholders and elevating our agency within and outside the ferderal government. She assumes her new role effective April 17, 2016. She assumes her new role effective April 17, 2016. Congratulations Angie!

Assistant Secretary Williams joins SBA Administrator Contreras- Sweet in Flint Michigan to support the Flint community in their recovery efforts 

On February 25, Assistant Secretary Williams joined SBA Administrator Contreras- Sweet in Flint Michigan to announce additional SBA assistance for businesses and individuals affected by the ongoing water crisis there. During the visit, Assistant Secretary Williams also note EDA’s long history of supporting the Flint community and the agency’s commitment to working with federal partners to help move the city’s recovery efforts forward.

Click here to read more.

On March 7, Assistant Secretary Williams joined Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, and National League of Cities (NLC) Executive Director Clarence Anthony for the “President’s Cabinet Panel Discussion: Building Safer Neighborhoods” session of the NLC 2016 Congressional City Conference. In his remarks, Assistant Secretary Williams discussed EDA’s role in leading the federal economic development agenda and how the agency’s leadership, in turn, provides for safer neighborhoods. He also made a special announcement about a new EDA/NLC partnership that will strengthen the ability of our cities to tap into Federal economic development resources. 

Click here to read more.

Assistant Secretary Williams, EDA Policy Advisor Julie Wenah, and EDA Director of Public Affairs Breelyn Pete join a few members from the IMCP AgPlus community for a selfie at the 2016 San Joaquin Manufacturing Summit on March 3rd, in Fresno, California.

National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) Annual Report highlights the program’s initial success in spurring private-sector investment to support the development of manufacturing processes based on U.S. innovations.

The National Telecommunications & Information Administration’s (NTIA) BroadbandUSA program is partnering with dozens of cities & national groups to develop the Community Connectivity Initiative. In the coming weeks, NTIA will hold workshops and webinars to solicit further feedback and bring more stakeholders into the process. Learn more about the initiative, the webinar series, and how your community can become involved here.

Registration still open for the 2016 SelectUSA Investment Summit!  Register today!