SWA Community
SAN DIEGO’S FUTURE
GROWTH DEPENDS
ON INCLUSION
S
an Diego Regional
Economic Development
Corporation (EDC)
serves local companies by providing them with the
access to critical partners to accelerate their growth prospects;
data and research to make well-informed decisions; the
advocacy to maximize their investment; and the positioning
needed to raise their profile and open new opportunities. Their
mission is aligned with Southwest Airlines’ dedication of serving
people and championing community. We are proud of our
A
long history of giving back and
empowering the communities
where our Employees and
Customers live and work. Partnering with EDC gives us an
opportunity to help shape our region’s future
and be part of something really great! Join us!
s a nonprofit
organization that
strives to maximize
San Diego’s economic
growth, San Diego Regional
Economic Development
Corporation (EDC) has focused
efforts on promoting inclusion
as an economic imperative.
Inclusion is about ensuring all members
of the economy have equal opportunity
to thrive here. Through a partnership
with Southwest Airlines, EDC conducts
an annual Best Practices Leadership
Trip with a group of key stakeholders
50 GBSAN.COM | NOVEMBER 2018
to visit peer metros
facing similar
challenges and
opportunities, in the
hopes of inspiring
fresh approaches to
San Diego’s economic
development strategy.
This year, EDC visited
Indianapolis to learn
about its collaborative
approaches to
inclusive growth and programs for talent
development.
Though the rise of San Diego’s
innovation economy has brought
much wealth and opportunity to the
Lidia S. Martinez
Manager, Community Affairs &
Grassroots Southwest Airlines
region, it has also led to widening
inequalities stemmed from changing skill
requirements, a fierce battle for talent,
and soaring cost of living that leaves
many San Diegans behind. It is currently
estimated that one million San Diegans
cannot make ends meet, which has
caused many residents (and companies)
to relocate elsewhere.
After spending much of 2017 working
alongside the Brookings Institution to
gain a deeper understanding of these
economic challenges, EDC launched its
Inclusive Growth initiative and convened
a steering committee of more than 40
of San Diego’s top employers to craft a
new approach to economic development.