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Friends:
On February 5, we proudly introduced the inaugural cohort of EDA’s Economic Recovery Corps (ERC). In the coming weeks, these 65 talented professionals will deploy to communities across the country for 2.5 years to advance regional projects, enhancing economic development capacity of under-resourced communities through their host organizations, including local governments, Economic Development Organizations, Tribes, local nonprofits, community development financial institutions, and Economic Development Districts.
We are excited for the start of this new initiative and inspired by the reception it has received. The fact that more than 500 organizations applied to host an ERC Fellow, and more than 1,400 individuals applied to serve as Fellows, highlights the significant enthusiasm for the ERC program. With the success of this first cohort serving as a proof of concept, we hope there will be an opportunity to scale the program in the future, providing more economic development resources to communities that need them most. Through coaching and training, the ERC program will develop a pipeline of skilled practitioners poised to advance more equitable economic development outcomes and help to lead the future of economic development.
I thank the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and its coalition of partner organizations who have undertaken the significant responsibility of developing and managing the ERC on behalf of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Please take a moment to learn more about the Economic Recovery Corps and find out which communities and local organizations have been matched with a talented ERC Fellow at economicrecoverycorps.org.
Sincerely yours,
Alejandra Y. Castillo
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development
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