Economic Forecast and Interviews with Regions Top 100 Business Leaders to be the focus of May 19th Event

(San Bernardino, CA) Dr. John Husing, Chief Economist of the Inland Empire Economic Partnership and well known expert on the economy of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties will lead the State of Region Conference presented by the Inland Empire Economic Partnership on May 19th at the Doubletree Hotel in the City of Ontario from 11:30 until 1:30.

During the past year, Dr. Husing and executives of IEEP have met one-on-one with over 120 Inland Empire leaders for serious discussions about the short and long term employment, business, governmental, educational and quality of life issues inhibiting the prosperity of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. What they found was an overwhelming consensus that a region-wide strategy aimed at addressing these issues is desperately needed. They also found an absolute need for an organizational framework that can tap the best and brightest of local civic and business entrepreneurs to make sure
it is implemented.

On May 19th, Dr. Husing will present the numerous issues raised during these conversations as well as by his studies of our economy. He will further outline the multipronged strategies that interview participants have indicated are necessary for attacking them. Finally, he will discuss the implementing framework that has evolved during the course of these numerous discussions.

In essence, strategies aimed at four broad groups of challenges will be detailed. For businesses, it is their lack of a way to influence policies that are inhibiting the ability of California firms to created jobs. For local governments, it is their extreme budgetary difficulties and the likelihood that they may soon be unable to engage in economic development. For education, it is the need to scale-up worthwhile experiments so that the region can massively shift the success rates of young people and adult workers in obtaining advanced technical or academic training. For the non-profit sector, it is the absence of a sufficiently well-organized inland leadership network that state and national foundations are willing to fund.

Beyond the strategies, there will be a discussion of profound changes in IEEP’s organizational structure aimed at implementing the strategies. These will include an affiliated Inland Empire Business Council strictly made up of private sector firms. There will be a reconstituted Inland Empire Public Partners designed to lower the cost and increase coordination among public sector economic development efforts. An Inland Empire Educational Partnership led by two of the region’s most successful educational entrepreneurs, one from the academic world and one from private sector is being
negotiated. Finally, the non-profit Community Foundation has agreed to join the IEEP network and be responsible for undertaking the raising of funds for major quality of life efforts in the two county area.

“In this network, IEEP’s role will be to raise money to fund the network and its various strategies, plus to help convene each of the four major groups, coordinate their efforts, help with the development of strategies and pursue execution of them. “Dr. Husing has accepted the appointment as the Chief Economist of our Inland Empire Economic Center and is assisting in IEEP’s efforts” said Paul Granillo, President and CEO of IEEP. “Our intent is to move from talk to coordinated action on each of these fronts.”

The State of the Region and the IEEP Annual Meeting will be held Thursday, May 19th at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario. The event begins at noon. For more information go to: ieep.com or call Cari Mendez at 909 888-9011 ext. 204.