Thursday was quite a day. I Spent most of the day with the Colorado River Leadership class at our final session, then spent the early evening presenting our home buyer workshop at Bullhead Laughlin Realty. Good times!
Colorado River Leadership Class
“Economic Development Day”, the final session of the nine month program, was fantastic. We started the day in Bullhead City where we hopped on a bus and headed for Kingman.
Our first stop was at the Kingman Airport Authority with Director of Economic Development, Bob Riley. Did you know that 33 million people live within a 350 mile radius from Kingman?
The Kingman Airport Authority seems to have a clear picture of who they are, and not only who their clients are, but also who they are not. They dub themselves “Northwest Arizona’s Business Center.” Considering that they are home to more than 70 businesses with over 2,000 employees, I think they’ve earned the title. Their proximity to I-40, air, and rail, makes them a great location for industry.
A little behind schedule, our time at our next stop, Mohave County Economic Development Dept, was kinda short. Jonas Peterson, Economic Development Director, gave us a short presentation followed by Q & A. There are lot of services to help new and potential new businesses in Mohave County.
Services and incentives range from tax credits, to loans, to assistance with things like employee recruiting and site selection. I get the feeling these things are under-utilized. Big takeaway from this brief visit: Major economic development potential in Mohave County for solar and renewable energy.
The exact spot between Bullhead City and Kingman in which the A/C stopped working is unclear. What is clear is that 20 people on a school bus from Kingman to Lake Havasu City in late May makes for a interesting trip.
We spent a couple of hours with Gary Kellogg, President/CEO of Lake Havasu Partnership for Economic Development, learning about their efforts to attract new businesses and support business expansion. Like the Kingman Airport Authority, these folks are working hard to remain focused on branding and marketing to their client base. They don’t try to be all things to all people.
Judging by the new business park, shopping mall (Shops at Lake Havasu), and several other projects in the works, they do a pretty good job. Spend an hour chatting with Gary and you’ll learn it’s no accident.
By now it’s pushing 100 degrees as we head back to Bullhead City. An hour later, we arrive at the Bullhead Regional Economic Development Authority office. Brad Hoover, a local developer and retired police chief, gave us some thoughts on leadership which I enjoyed. It was no canned speech or PowerPoint, just some words of wisdom from a guy that has been around the block.
Our last speaker was Nancy Mongeau, Vice President of Program Development for Legacy Foundation. Amazing. These folks do great things to support improved health care throughout Arizona. They have donated MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in the Bullhead City area alone. Check out (and support) Backpack for Buddies, their program that puts a backpack with school supplies and health care/hygiene items into the hands into thousands of children. Amazing.
This day was an awesome opportunity to get a peak into the inner workings of economic development in Mohave County. I just can’t imagine circumstances that would have allowed me to see a fraction of these things if I hadn’t been part of the Colorado River Leadership program. Thanks to the Colorado River Women’s Council, and a special thanks to Olivia McCormick, our leader through this series. Thanks also to the rest of the students in the class. This was a really, really cool experience.
On a final note, please consider supporting our class project, Operation: Desert Stage. This project will bring a portable community stage to Bullhead City which will be made available to schools, community organizations, businesses, etc. Thanks.
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