Greater Prescott Regional Economic Partnership (GPREP) board president Steve Rutherford has a resident in the Quad Cities area for 35 years. During that time, he has observed major physical, economic and political changes in the region.
One change he does not like?
“I absolutely hate it when I see people leaving this area because they don’t have job opportunities appropriate to their abilities and interests. We’ve got to quit exporting our kids and our young adults. Instead we need to create an economic climate where they can find jobs at a living wage, buy homes and be comfortable.”
It is that attitude that motivated Rutherford to take the role of leading the recently created 19-voting-member board of directors for GPREP.
“The GPREP mission is clear – attracting quality businesses, capital investment and quality jobs to the Greater Prescott region,” he said. “The strong leaders we have on the board can make that happen.”
Board membership represents each municipality in the Quad Cities area – Chino Valley, Prescott, Prescott Valley and Dewey-Humboldt – and Yavapai County.
Membership goes beyond that.
The board is carefully structured to have 19 influential leaders from business and commercial enterprises, area colleges and universities, medical and health care institutions, Yavapai Prescott tribal presence, public utilities, financial institutions, and elected and appointed governmental representatives.
What is GPREP Going to Do?
Once the primary mission was defined eight months ago, GPREP leadership began identifying processes and strategies to develop a vibrant and sustainable regional economic development plan.
Among services to be provided will be compilation and dissemination of the following kinds of data inclusive of all municipalities:
- Workforce data and demographics,
- Available site and building specifications,
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS) property listings,
- State economic development data,
- Greater Prescott region area maps,
- Current site selection assistance.
To make this happen, the board hired Denise Steiger as interim executive director. Before accepting the job, she had been executive director for the Wickenburg Regional Economic Development Partnership for almost five years. Steiger and her husband relocated and she immediately began work several months ago to create an operating structure for GPREP.
Steiger works in donated office space provided by the Northern Arizona University-Yavapai branch, located in the building immediately adjacent to the Prescott Valley Public Library.
Among her first steps taken: filing legal papers to incorporate GPREP as a private non-profit 501 (c) 6 corporation dedicated to enhancement of the regional economy.
Worth noting is that Steiger’s years of experience prior to GPREP included being the
founder and past president of the Arizona Development Team.
A graduate of Indiana University, Steiger’s other professional experience includes national and international economic development work for several major engineering and design firms.
Steiger views her main responsibility as implementing the board’s desire “…to create a regional identity to help local companies expand, and to attract new quality businesses and foster capital investment in the region.”
She explained that the GPREP partners had developed and funded, through contributions from private and public organizations, a budget of $300,000.
“We’ll use those funds prudently. Our comprehensive website was online at the end of July. The Business Action Team has developed its protocol. An incubator program at Yavapai College is moving forward, and the quarterly newsletter has been written,” she explained.
“We also want to create a national image that the greater Prescott area is one of the best in Arizona for companies and organizations to expand their business,” she said.
“I’m not naïve. It will take time to change perceptions. But we want everyone to realize that what’s positive development in one of our communities benefits all the others. More jobs equals more money and more opportunity for everyone.”
Support for GPREP is Enthusiastic Throughout Region
A wholehearted endorsement of GPREP came from Rowle Simmons. Currently the Yavapai County Supervisor board chair, Simmons accepted an appointment to the GPREP board.
“I’m extremely proud that all five county supervisors are in full support of GPREP. It speaks well for them that they voted unanimously to give fiscal support to the organization.”
Simmons emphasized that the supervisors want to provide meaningful and positive support in propelling the economy forward for the county.
“Regional cooperation is extremely critical for the future not just of the Quad Cities area but the entire county. As Prescott mayor, I was a total advocate for the Central Arizona Partnership, and now, I’m a committed advocate for GPREP,” he said.
Simmons, the Prescott mayor from 2001 to 2007, has been a business owner for more than 37 years.
Another mayor, Terry Nolan, is serving his second term in the Town of Dewey-Humboldt. He said, “GPREP has been a long time coming. But I feel now that instead of having conflicts among our communities about who gets what, we’re all going to gain some great benefits. Anything that creates jobs and helps the tax base, I’m for.”
Also pledging GPREP allegiance is Larry Tarkowski, longtime Prescott Valley town manager. “It is time that the Quad Cities communities compete for jobs against other regions and states rather than among ourselves. GPREP is evidence of successful collaboration between private business and government. Beneficiaries of this kind of forward thinking leadership will be those who benefit from better paying jobs.”
He continued, “The legacy of this organization will be workforce development, job growth and incubation of startup businesses.”
Chino Valley Town Manager Robert E. Smith has similar beliefs. “Regional support for all these communities is the wave of the future. GPREP can take us where an individual community can’t go – into strong, potent research, marketing and recruiting that will bring new growth. We must cooperate and move forward. We can’t just sit back and hold down the fort.”
Smith has been Chino Valley town manager for about 30 months. He says he senses a slow but stable comeback from the dire days of the 2008 Great Recession.
City of Prescott Director of Economic Initiatives Jeff Burt said, “The number one job for GPREP is to market the greater Prescott region to business. That is essential in order to better compete for new capital investment and jobs with other metro areas inside and outside Arizona. The process utilized by corporate site selection firms requires that before a community or county can win, the region has to be selected. That’s what GPREP can help do.”
Burt is echoed by Greg Fister, economic development manager for Prescott Valley. “I don’t think the value of GPREP’s creation can be overstated. Cooperation among all area governments and the private sector to achieve this common goal is really vital to the area’s future. We wholeheartedly support the effort. The private sector really stepped up to act as a catalyst. Getting everybody on board to attract companies that provide [well]-paying jobs will result in a better quality of life for everyone.”
Board member Gary Marks, Prescott Valley Economic Development Foundation director, applauds the formation of GPREP. “I see nothing but opportunity ahead for all our communities.” QCBN
For more information, contact GPREP Executive Director Steiger at 928-772-4883 or [email protected]; or visit the website at www.gprepaz.org.
By Ray Newton
Quad Cities Business News
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