business backgrounder | economy
AWB Takes Action on Rural Jobs
Task Force launches long-term strategy to revitalize rural areas .
Andrew Lenderman
Rural Washington lags urban areas in economic growth and job creation . That ’ s why AWB started the rural jobs conversation last year , hosting two summits and creating the Rural Jobs Task Force , chaired by Alex McGregor . The task force is working to find solutions and remove barriers to success .
At A Glance
AWB started the statewide discussion about rural jobs in 2017 by hosting two summits on the issue .
One of the outcomes was creation of a Rural Jobs Task Force made up of leaders from agriculture , telecommunications , manufacturing , ports , economic development councils and other sectors .
The task force guided development of a rural jobs agenda , which was adopted by the AWB board in January .
Nearly 250 Washington employers , legislators and community leaders gathered for AWB ’ s Rural Jobs Summit in Moses Lake last October and walked away with a practical plan to boost the economy in small towns across the state . The goal is to bring new jobs
“ What a great opportunity for us to develop a cohesive strategy to help foster a rebound in the natural resource world , vital to us all and to our futures .”
— Alex McGregor , chair , Rural Jobs Task Force
and vitality to northeast Washington , the Olympic Peninsula and other parts of the state that have not experienced the same economic growth as urban centers .
Alex McGregor , president of The McGregor Company , opened the summit with a moving speech .
“ Good morning friends !” he boomed . “ I think about the challenges ahead , and the opportunities , and I get pretty excited about what teamwork can achieve .”
Rural Jobs Summit Highlight Video https :// vimeo . com / 247347692
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