Edison State puts focus on economic development
Mar 19, 2009
Team of community leaders form to help drive economic development in Lee County
The ability of Southwest Florida to compete in today’s Innovation Economy is well grounded and ready to take off here according to local education and business leaders.
At a recent meeting hosted by Edison State College President Dr. Kenneth Walker, a group of 20 representatives from education and business gathered to discuss economic development and specifically, how Lee County can effectively compete in this new economy when it comes to attracting new and diverse businesses.
“Economic Development is everyone’s responsibility,” said Jim Moore, executive director of the Lee County Economic Development Office (EDO). “I need the intellectual capital of every individual at this table to help diversify the economy of Lee County so we don’t have to worry down the road about our economy ending up again, where it is today.”
Following presentations from Moore, Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp, Enterprise Florida Vice President of Business Development Brenda Workman, Dr. Robert R. Jones, Lee Campus President of Edison State College and Dr. Wilson Brashaw, President of FGCU, three key factors were identified as pivotal to succeeding in an Innovation Economy, which is defined as an economy driven by the emergence of new ideas to fulfill customer needs: 1) an integrated K-20 education system with high schools, colleges and universities serving as feeders for innovation and the pipeline for a qualified workforce, 2) a robust community of innovative small businesses driving new product ideas and delivery of services, and 3) a community of engaged education, business and civic leaders.
While representatives at the meeting agreed Southwest Florida all ready has these key assets, three overriding issues have historically, and continue, to challenge this area when it comes to attracting new businesses and industries.
· Lee County continues to suffer from a “lack of identity.”
· This “lack of identity” results in our area’s inability to attract prospective businesses due to the fact that Lee County is not on the radar screen with key national site selectors.
· OTTED (the (state) Office of Tourism and Economic Development) should speed up the funding cycle for economic development incentives. The process as it stands now takes too long to move a prospect through the funding process. Lee County is at risk of missing the window of opportunity to attract new businesses if this process is not re-engineered to work more efficiently and with greater speed.
While the Economic Development Office is aggressively pursuing a new course of positioning Lee County as a business destination, it will ultimately be the availability of a qualified workforce, an unparalleled lifestyle and a bottom line business decision that determines whether or not a business locates here.
“We all have a critical role to play in our economic development efforts and it’s crucial we become actively involved,” said Walker. “Our team at Edison State College, in partnership with our colleagues at FGCU and the Lee County K-12 system, are committed to doing all that we can, as fast as we can, to develop not only the workforce of the future, but the workforce required by new and expanding businesses today.”
Representatives at the meeting will convene again within the next 90 days for a status update and resource assessment. It was agreed going forward an emphasis will be placed on identifying potential business leads for attracting new business to the area and, insuring our community’s educational assets in terms of workforce development and training, flexibility, and innovation are well known and readily shared with prospective businesses during site visits.
Edison State College serves more than 20,000 students in five counties through campuses in Lee, Collier, and Charlotte counties, a center in Hendry and Glades counties and on-line. For more information, please contact the Lee Campus Public Information Office, Pamela Nulman, APR , at 239.489.9207, or via email: pnulman@edison.edu.
Last Updated: March 19, 2009
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