On November 3rd, over one hundred business and community leaders from throughout Kitsap County gathered at the Kiana Lodge to explore the dynamics of “Regionalism” and its impact on economic opportunities in Kitsap, including the future of advanced manufacturing in our region and specifically Boeing’s 737 MAX. You might be wondering, “How’d that came about — what’s Kitsap got to do with Boeing?” Well, it didn’t just drop out of the clear blue sky…
Earlier this year, the Kitsap Economic Development Alliance (KEDA), joined with the leadership of the Port of Bremerton and the community to explore new opportunities in the aerospace industry. Discussions centered on how the Port of Bremerton and the South Kitsap Industrial Area (SKIA) could support the State’s Department of Commerce and Washington Aerospace Partnership’s efforts to prepare our State to compete for and win the largest advanced manufacturing economic development opportunity in the Country. That initiative — dubbed “Pegasus Project” — is about insuring Washington State is selected to be home to the next generation of Boeing’s most prolific airplane — the 737 MAX — an opportunity that translates into tens of thousands of well paying jobs for generations!
Months of brainstorming gave birth to the Kitsap Aerospace Alliance (KAA) — an affiliation of business leaders and elected officials from throughout Kitsap County. Their efforts positioned Kitsap to participate in the Pegasus Project, and to develop strategies for our Port, businesses, K-12 schools, Olympic College, and our local workforce, to play a greater role in the future of our region’s world renowned aerospace industry (from design to production to supply chain support). Under the bold leadership of: Port Commissioners Larry Stokes, Bill Mahan, Roger Zabinski and CEO Cary Bozeman; County Commissioners Josh Brown, Charlotte Garrido, and Rob Gelder; Mayors Patty Lent, Lary Coppola, and Becky Erickson; and, Business leaders Scott Bosch, Steve Rice, David Overton, Russell Steele, Jim Carmichael, Elliot Gregg, Chad Solvie, Julie Tappero and the Kingston Stakeholders, the Kitsap community came together, collaborated together, and together invested $45,500 in support of the Pegasus Project, while creating a vision for Kitsap’s future in aerospace.
KEDA, in conjunction with KAA, convened the November 3rd event to examine Kitsap County’s demographics, economy, market parameters, and competitiveness; as well as to take a closer look at opportunities that emanate from being part of a larger regional economy when it comes to developing markets, attracting investment, creating jobs, and competing globally. As we examine Kitsap’s many strengths and economic resources, we reaffirm our understanding of, and appreciation for, Kitsap County’s role in contributing to a strong, robust and competitive regional economy. Those strengths and core assets are reflected in the following facts:
It is evident that Kitsap County contributes a great deal to the Puget Sound regional economic competitiveness — including its ability to compete for and win the 737 MAX project.
The “Dean” of economic development economists, Michael Porter, defines “Regionalism” as being composed of coordinated, integrated economic development tactics executed pursuant to a comprehensive economic development strategy for a geographically contiguous region.
A central component of economic regionalism is a focus on collaboration by NGOs, governments, and businesses in multiple jurisdictions within a region to jointly plan for, capitalize, develop, share, and leverage clusters of talent, information, institutions, technologies, infrastructures, and academic and expertise. “Economic Regionalism” connotes an understanding of how infrastructure and capital assets — human, financial, entrepreneurial, innovation, and social political capital — are developed, shared, transferred, and deployed for a leveraged, enhanced economic ROI throughout our region. This is in essence, the prime objective of “The Prosperity Partnership” regional economic strategy adopted by the Central Puget Sound Economic Development District (CPS-EDQ)in ‘05.
Today, our region is in the process of recreating a next generation economic strategy to renew our commitment to foster further collaboration among, and between, the hundreds of communities within the four County CPS (Snohomish, King, Pierce and Kitsap) to develop a skilled workforce, attract investment, and create jobs and economic opportunities throughout the Region. We must work together to strengthen our Region’s competiveness and advance our “Brand” as a region where world class talent produces world class products, innovation, disruptive technologies, and more likely than not gives birth to — “The Next Big Thing” … the 737 MAX, all the while playing an indispensable role in securing our Nation’s Defense!
