The 2015 California Economic Summit concluded in Ontario in November but the important work will keep rolling all year long. That’s the word from the 400 private, public and civic leaders from diverse regions across California who came to the Summit, some of whom are featured in the wrap-up video above.
In a survey of the hundreds who attended, 96 percent of respondents agreed that the Summit is focused on the right set of priorities for supporting sustainable prosperity in California and 88 percent percent of those surveyed said they made a commitment at the Summit to help advance the goals of the Summit.
- To support state policies that will orient community colleges to prepare Californians for quality jobs and support regional coordination among colleges and employers.
- To work with the California Legislature in 2016 to promote increased production and find ways to reduce costs for both market-rate and affordable housing
- To use Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts, which have long been advanced by the Summit, to fund regional water management that will conserve, capture, and reuse water.
On the first day of the Summit, the California State Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy, (JEDE) held a hearing on the state’s role in building an inclusive economy, chaired by Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella), featured in the wrap-up video above.
Holding the event in the Inland Empire was an important milestone for the regions-based Economic Summit. The region, with 4.3 million people, is bigger than Oregon but often is overlooked in the behemoth of the greater Los Angeles area.
Like other regions of California, the Inland Empire also felt the effects of the recession more than coastal parts of the state while experiencing a slower recovery, creating “two Californias” and a prosperity gap.
“What we achieved at the Summit this week can help narrow that gap,” said Paul Granillo, president and CEO of the Inland Empire Economic Partnership and co-chair of the Summit Steering Committee.
The California Economic Summit is co-presented by California Forward and the California Stewardship Network.
