Mid-Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD) is composed of five counties bordering the Columbia River: Hood River, Wasco and Sherman counties in Oregon and Skamania and Klickitat counties in Washington.These five counties established MCEDD in 1969. The founding members realized that the sharing of a common workforce, common geography and common demographics bound together their economic fates. By joining together they benefit through better access to economic development loans and grants, pooled technical assistance, marketing, and administrative resources and a regional approach to economic development efforts.
Today MCEDD retains the distinction of being the only regionally-focused economic development agency in the Mid-Columbia,and therefore, the agency most appropriate to serve as lead agency for the Economic Development Administration. MCEDD is organized as a government non-profit in Oregon as an ORS-190 and in Washington as a RCW 39.34.010.
A 21 member board of directors governs MCEDD with a representative from each of the five counties of the district, the cities of each county, the ports, chambersof commerce and seven private sector Representatives.