Mid Columbia Economic Development District strives to promote the creation of family-wage jobs, the diversification of the economic base, and the growth, development and retention of business and industry in Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Klickitat and Skamania Counties
MCEDD is organized as a government non-profit in Oregon as an ORS-190 and in Washington through RCW 39.34.010.
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March 25, 2021 – You’re invited to participate in updating the region’s economic development strategy! Click here to register for the full series.
The community is invited to participate as partners begin the regular updating of the Regional Economic Development Strategy for the Columbia River Gorge. Led by Mid-Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD), the strategy will outline a five-year plan for the regional economic development covering Hood River, Wasco and Sherman counties in Oregon and Skamania and Klickitat counties in Washington. This strategy is updated every five years and serves as a guide to understand the local economy, strengthen partnerships, and improve overall quality of life.
Monthly meetings will be held starting in March to bring together participants from around the region to identify economic development strategies based on current trends and areas best suited for growth to sustain and diversify the region’s economy, reduce unemployment and create family wage jobs. Information gathered at the monthly events will be pulled together with data and research to develop the final plan, the Mid-Columbia Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for 2022-2027. MCEDD coordinates implementation of the regional strategy in partnership with local stakeholders.
The first of the monthly events will be Wednesday, March 31st, 8:30am to 10:30am using Zoom. This session will be focused on COVID-19 impacts and what resilience looks like for the region going forward. In total, there will be seven sessions to develop a draft plan, with a specific focus on equitable economic outcomes and resilience. These sessions will be public, and attendance is encouraged across the five-county region.
The schedule is as follows, with sessions beginning promptly at 8:30 AM:
March 31, 2021: Economic Impacts of COVID-19, Resiliency: Present assessment of economic impacts of COVID-19 and set resiliency tone.
April 28, 2021: Demographics and Data: More overarching economic data looking at longer-term trends to help us plan for the future.
May 26, 2021: Sector Focus Areas, including more in-depth industry cluster analysis and discussion of sector resilience.
June 30, 2021: Analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
July 28, 2021: Vision and Goals
September 1, 2021: Strategies
October 6, 2021: Measuring Success, and Implementation
November 5, 2021: Annual Gorge Economic Symposium, with draft presented.
Everyone is invited to participate in one or all of the sessions. To register for the sessions, please click here: https://forms.gle/wVNQGsheMurgV4xc7
MCEDD has been developing and implementing a regional economic development strategy since its formation in 1969 in order to meet its mission to 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. To learn more about MCEDD or this planning process, visit https://www.mcedd.org/strategy/our-region/ or contact Jane Allen at jane@mcedd.org.
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November 7, 2019 – The annual Columbia Gorge Economic Symposium hosted by Mid-Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD) took place on November 1, 2019 at the Fort Dalles Readiness Center. Presentations from the keynote speaker, regional economists and MCEDD’s Executive Director, Amanda Hoey, are available here.
This year the annual, half –day event included a focus on 50 years of economic opportunity in the Gorge in celebration of MCEDD’s 50th Anniversary. David Anderson, the CEO of NW Natural, served as the event’s keynote speaker. Barbara Briggs moderated a panel of local business leaders from key industries in the Gorge. The panel addressed critical components of the regional economy from the last 50 years and discussed issues to explore to support the next 50 years in the Mid-Columbia. Panelists included:
Paul Jones, WyEast Timber Services
Megan Thompson, Cascade Cherry Growers/Sage Fruit Company
Jeanne Carver, Imperial Stock Ranch
Rudy Kellner, pFriem Family Brewers
David Windsor, Cardinal Glass Industries, Inc.
Mike Graham, Real Carbon
Nicole Bassett, The Renewal Workshop
Regional economists Scott Bailey (Washington) and Dallas Fridley (Oregon) took a look at economic and employment trends at the regional and county level, covering Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Klickitat and Skamania counties.
The 2020 Columbia Gorge Economic Symposium is slated for Friday, November 6th.
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Symposium Attendees arrive at Fort Dalles Readiness Center
Keynote Speaker David Anderson, CEO NW Natural
2019 Columbia Gorge Economic Symposium
Amanda Hoey, MCEDD Executive Director
2019 Symposium Industry Panel
2019 Columbia Gorge Economic Symposium
Board chair Bill Schmitt and immediate past Board chair Ken Bailey
Amanda Hoey recognizes Harold Hakke for hours of service
MCEDD Board Members, Past and Present
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