Reading this newsletter is a good thing, having your news included is even better. Just send us your economic development news, including activities, events and anything else of interest in the five county area by the third week of each month. Send it directly to Layne at: layne@mcced.org

THANK YOU!!

MCEDD Staff

Amanda Remington
Executive Director

Eric Nerdin
Loan Program Manager

Sherry Wickert
Finance/Operations

Jessica Metta
Project Manager

Alina Aaron
Project/Mobility Manager

Pat Hoffman
Administrative Assistant

Layne Sylvester
Assistant Project Manager

MCEDD Board Members

Barbara Briggs, Chairperson
Hood River County

Rex Johnston, Vice Chairperson
Klickitat County

Cliff Jett, Secretary/Treasurer
Cities of Sherman County

Paul Pearce
Skamania County

Dan Ericksen
Wasco County

Michael Smith
Sherman County

Jan Brending
Cities of Klickitat County

Bill Dick
Cities of Wasco County

Don Stevens
Cities of Skamania County

Jane Beatty
Cities of Hood River County

Chuck Daughtry
Oregon Ports

Tony Bolstad
Washington Ports

Ray LaFond
Washington Chambers
of Commerce

Dr. Susan Wolff
Education Representative

Tonya Brumley
Oregon Chambers of Commerce

Harold Haake
Utilities Representative

Ken Bailey
Agriculture

Martin Campos-Davis
Minority Representative

Nancy White
Technology Representative

Dianne Storby
Healthcare Representative

Disclaimer

This newsletter is sponsored by MCEDD. The items contained herein are published as submitted and are provided for general information purposes only. This information is not advice. Readers should not rely solely on this information, but should make their own inquiries before making any decisions. MCEDD works to maintain up-to-date information from reliable sources; however, no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions or results of any actions based upon this information. If you have any questions regarding any of these items, contact the organizational representative of that source.

This newsletter may contain links to websites that are created and maintained by other organizations. MCEDD does not necessarily endorse the views expressed on these websites, nor does it guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information presented there. Furthermore, visitors should be aware that other sites linked from this newsletter may use persistent cookies that track visitor viewing habits.

Welcome to the MCEDD newsletter, featuring highlighted regional
activities that are of interest to the
five counties MCEDD serves.

MCEDD Loan Client Profile

Red Feather Mercantile

Red Feather Mercantile in downtown Hood River has grown into a successful retail store since its opening in 2003. Owners Dick and Linda Templeton have created a retail environment dedicated to the "New American West" lifestyle, which offers products, furniture and design services and much more.

The Templetons contacted Mid-Columbia Economic Development District in 2009 to discuss the potential for funding that could be used to position Red Feather Mercantile to grow in areas not previously fully tapped. Working with Eric Nerdin at MCEDD, a loan package was approved by the MCEDD Loan Administration Board to:

create two employment positions
Increase retail floor sales
leverage the retail space with complementary and interrelated partners

For more information on MCEDD's loan programs, contact Eric Nerdin, MCEDD Loan Fund Manager, at 541-296-2266.

As a service to the regional business community and as a strong part of our economic development strategy for the region, MCEDD manages several business loan programs that provide an accessible, affordable source of capital for projects that create and/or retain jobs.

MCEDD Board Meeting March 25

Full Board Meeting March 25, 2010 at 4 p.m.

The Mid-Columbia Economic Development District Board of Directors will hold their quarterly full Board meeting on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 4 p.m. in North Bonneville, Washington. The meeting will feature a presentation by Bruce Sorte, OSU Community Economist, in addition to regular business of the Board. The meeting is hosted by the Port of Skamania at the Discovery II building at 390 Evergreen Drive, North Bonneville, WA. The meeting will be followed by a tour of the facility. For more information, contact us at 541-296-2266.

MCEDD's meetings are open to the public. The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. If you have a disability that requires any special materials, services or assistance, please contact us at least 48 hours before the meeting by calling 541-296-2266.

Columbia Gorge Transportation Summit

Registration now open!

Registration is now open for the Columbia Gorge Transportation Summit. The Summit is scheduled for April 22, 2010 in White Salmon, WA. Click here for more information and to register.

The 2010 Columbia Gorge Transportation Summit is hosted by the MCEDD Board in partnership with our sponsors and coordinating committee. MCEDD provides regional support services, with a focus on coordinating transportation options.

MCEDD Wins Outstanding District Award

Mid-Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD) won the 2010 Outstanding Special District Program Achievement award, presented by the Special Districts Association of Oregon. The award recognizes innovative projects and programs, outstanding safety, public information, public involvement in a district decision making process, and outstanding achievement.

The Special Districts Association of Oregon's Awards Program gives recognition to member districts for accomplishments which allow them to provide better service to the public and honors individuals who have greatly contributed to the success of their organization. MCEDD was recognized for work with the Columbia Gorge Bi-State Renewable Energy Zone.

Gorge Technology Alliance Meeting

The Leading Edge of Technology in Orchard Management

The Gorge Technology Alliance will host a presentation by Clark Seavert, an agricultural economist focused on technology adoption in orchards. Clark is part of a nationwide group working on a 4-year project to develop, test, deploy, and commercialize various systems to improve orchard management, streamline major operations such as harvest, and reduce growers' costs.

This is the second event in the GTA's Leading Edge of Technology Speakers Series and is open to the public and free thanks to a Google grant supporting this series.

Event Details:
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
7:00 p.m. presentation
Columbia Center for the Arts (215 Cascade Ave in Hood River)

For more information, visit http://www.crgta.org

MCEDD provides project management services for the Gorge Technology Alliance. Contact Jessica Metta at 541-296-2266 for additional information.

NADO Legislative Priorities

The National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) has posted their 2010 legislative priorities in support of promoting regional approaches to advancing America's local communities. The legislative priorities can be found at: http://www.nado.org/uploaded_files/priorities10.pdf

MCEDD is part of a national network of 369 economic development districts designated and funded by the US Economic Development Administration. We are also a member of NADO.

Missed the GTA meeting? Watch it here!

The Gorge Technology Alliance meeting with Bill Weihl, Google Green Energy Czar, was a great event. But don't worry if you couldn't make it - thanks to John Hardham with Light Wave Communications, you can watch the one-hour presentation online! Just click here to watch the presentation.

MCEDD provides project management services for the Gorge Technology Alliance. Contact Jessica Metta at 541-296-2266 for additional information.

Gorge Angel Conference

Mark your calendars for the conference: April 27, 2010

Register now for the Gorge Angel Conference- scheduled for April 27, 2010 at the Best Western Hood River Inn. This event matches the Columbia Gorge's brightest emerging companies with qualified investors. Watch companies compete for an investment prize of at least $100,000, courtesy of the Gorge Angel Investor Network (GAIN3, LLC). To register and for more information, click here.

	ChooseWashington Website Launched
The Washington State Department of Commerce recently launched the newly redesigned ChooseWashington.com web site. The new ChooseWashington.com site elevates efforts to showcase Washington's competitiveness and industry sector strengths. It serves as a primary marketing and business development tool supporting our efforts to retain, expand and recruit companies to Washington.

National Health Report

A new national report by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ranks the health of each county in every state. The report is the first annual "health checkup" ranking counties using such criteria as the length and quality of life of county residents as well as health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors and physical environment. This is the first time people will be able to see how the overall health of their county compares to others in the state. Click here to view the entire online report for each state.

	Strategic Plan for Oregon's Port System
The final draft of the Ports 2010-A New Strategic Business Plan for Oregon's Port System is available for review on the Business Oregon Infrastructure Finance Authority (IFA) website. To view the plan, click here. The plan will be presented to the Business Development Commission for their consideration on May 7.

Workshops and Trainings

WindPower for Communities: April 6, 2010
On April 6, 2010, Northwest SEED will host a wind workshop at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center in The Dalles for landowners interested in wind development.To register, or for more information, click here.
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Effective Board Member Training: March 17, 2010

TACS is hosting a training on March 17 from 4 to 7:30 in Portland for nonprofits exploring the most common challenges for nonprofit boards of directors. The training will be presented by Carol Cheney, TACS Associate Consultant, and will cover:

Board basics, Legal, ethical, and financial responsibilities, Board practices to watch out for, and Making meetings more productive. Click here for more information.
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Washington State Economy Webinar: March 18, 2010
This free webinar will be held on Thursday, March 18 from 7:30-9:00am. Dr. Arun Raha, Executive Director, Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council at the Confluence Technology Center will be speaking on current and predicted state of Washington's economy and will specifically address the following:
.   When is the recovery predicted to fully take hold?
.   When will employment expand?
.   What industries are predicted to lead to recovery?
The link to the webinar can be found at www.ncwedd.com.

Grant Highlights:

Beginning Farmer/Rancher Development Program
Funds are available to new and established local and regional training, education, outreach and technical assistance initiatives that address the needs of beginning farmers and ranchers in the following areas.The recipient must be a collaborative, State, tribal, local, or regionally-based network or partnership of public or private entities. Due April 6, 2010. For more information, click here.
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2010 Farmers Market Grant Program (FMPP)
Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan has announced that $5 million in funding for the 2010 Farmers Market Grant Program (FMPP) is being earmarked for First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign program. For more information, click here or contact Carmen Humphrey, Program Manager, Farmers Market Promotion Program, AMS, phone (202) 694-4000. Due April 15, 2010.
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Bollinger Foundation Seeks Nominations for Scholarships
The Bollinger Foundation, created to provide financial assistance to families of economic development, community development, and public housing workers, is seeking nominations for this year's awards. Specifically, assistance is available to families who have lost a parent or guardian where the deceased or surviving parent or guardian worked in the field of public housing, community development, or economic development. Click here for more information and an online nomination form. The deadline for nominations is May 14, 2010.

By the Numbers - January 2010

Calendar of Events

March 2010

March 16 - MCEDD Loan Administration Board Meeting, 8 a.m., MCEDD office, The Dalles, Oregon.
March 16 - Gorge Technology Alliance monthly meeting, 6 p.m., Columbia Center for the Arts
March 18 - Wasco County Economic Development Commission meeting, 10 a.m., Columbia Gorge Community College
March 25 - MCEDD Full Board Meeting, 4 p.m., North Bonneville, Washington.
March 30- Transportation Summit planning meeting, 1:00 p.m., Hood River Library.

April 2010

April 2- CGBREZ working group, 10:00 a.m., Port of Hood River, Hood River, Oregon.
April 6- MCEDD Loan Administration Board meeting, 8 a.m., MCEDD office, The Dalles, Oregon.
April 7- MCEDD Executive Committee Meeting, 4 p.m.
April 10- Columbia Gorge Job Fair
April 20- MCEDD Loan Administration Board meeting, 8 a.m., MCEDD office, The Dalles, Oregon.
April 21- Oregon Investment Board Meeting, 10 a.m., Port of Hood River.
April 22- Columbia Gorge Transportation Summit, Pioneer Center, White Salmon, Washington.
April 27- Gorge Angel Conference, Best Western, Hood River, Oregon.

MCEDD serves Klickitat, Skamania, Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman counties. We promote the creation of family-wage jobs, the diversification of the economic base, and the growth, development and retention of business and industry within the five-county district.

You are welcome to pass along this newsletter to anyone who may be interested in regional economic development news in the Mid-Columbia area. Past editions of the newsletter are posted on the MCEDD website. To SUBSCRIBE to the newsletter, please send your name and email address to layne@mcedd.org.