Gov. Gregoire, business leaders endorse Department of Commerce priorities for jobs, economic growth

For Immediate Release: October 26, 2009

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire and state business leaders today endorsed a set of priorities developed by the Washington State Department of Commerce to focus on growing and improving jobs in our state. Commerce Director Rogers Weed shared the priorities which include ensuring the state�s competitiveness, addressing education and workforce gaps, facilitating more efficient regulation, and a focus on infrastructure investment.

�When we renamed Commerce and brought former Microsoft executive Rogers Weed on board last spring, the agency was given clear direction to focus on creating jobs and driving economic growth throughout the state,� Gregoire said. �The priorities Rogers has outlined are the right priorities at the right time. We must all work together - business, labor, community groups and citizens - on an economic development agenda that will accelerate us out of this national recession and prepare our communities and workforce to sustain a strong innovation economy for the future.�

�Government doesn�t create jobs, businesses do. About 80 percent of our state�s economy comes from private sector activity, so we must have a strong, mutually beneficial relationship between government and the business community if we are to succeed in our mission to grow and improve jobs throughout the state,� said Rogers Weed, Director of the Department of Commerce. �I�m grateful for the participation of thousands of our stakeholders who engaged over the past few months in helping us envision a new, more effective Department of Commerce. I look forward to continuing our good work together.�

Representatives from business and industry groups, local governments, utilities, community services, housing, non-profits, fellow state agencies, legislators, and others contributed input and feedback for the Commerce report due next week to Gov. Gregoire and the Legislature.

The report elaborates on four �global� priorities that impact every business in the state, and activities underway at Commerce including:

� Competitiveness and innovation.

� Education and workforce training.

� More efficient regulation.

� Infrastructure investment.

The Commerce plan also establishes four more targeted priority areas, including: community capacity, industry sector focus, rural focus, and small business assistance.

To learn more about the priority areas, visit: http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/commerce_priorities.pdf

Gregoire also announced that her Office of Regulatory Assistance will move its business solutions manager to Commerce. This brings ORA�s leadership of the ten-agency small business liaison team into Commerce, and places an even larger emphasis on small business growth. In addition, Commerce will look for ways to improve the state�s business portal, www.business.wa.gov.

The Governor has also directed ORA to work closely with Commerce and strengthen the relationships between Commerce and the natural resource agencies.

�Small business is an engine of economic growth. Moving the ORA small business functions to Commerce broadens support and reinvigorates the statewide focus on providing world class assistance to Washington�s businesses� said Faith Lumsden, director of the Office of Regulatory Assistance.

�The Department of Commerce priorities are focused on many of the areas we need to drive job growth in our regional economies, and we are pleased to be counted as a partner in the work ahead,� said Bob Drewel, executive director, Puget Sound Regional Council.

�We appreciate the work of Rogers in his effort to re-define the Washington State Department of Commerce, and, more importantly, to grow jobs and the economy,� said Don Brunell, president, Association of Washington Business. �We are encouraged by the work he and his team have done to date and appreciate their willingness to include input from businesses of all size and industry. While we are beginning to see encouraging signs of recovery, it will take time,� he said. �We look forward to working with Rogers and the agency in the months ahead.�

�Job creation needs to be Washington state's top priority. Establishing a state Department of Commerce focused on retaining existing jobs and attracting new ones is an important step. State businesses can get behind a smart, strategic effort that makes creation of jobs a primary focus of government,� said Steve Mullin, president, Washington Roundtable.

�States that are truly competitive in growing and attracting businesses and retaining a solid workforce are those that have a fully-engaged, focused, driven and well-managed department whose mission is to make their state highly competitive. In Washington, we have that now more than ever and at the helm, Rogers Weed, who will make that happen,� said Phil Bussey, president and CEO, Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce.

�We applaud the efforts of the new Department of Commerce to tap into their network of partner organizations in order to determine how Washington State can be more competitive. Their new business plan outlines how job growth and increased private investment can be achieved by focusing on education, efficient regulation and a sound infrastructure, and by close coordination with regional resources,� said Rich Hadley, president and CEO, Greater Spokane Incorporated.

�A more focused Department of Commerce will be better positioned to enhance Washington�s competitiveness and take advantage of the strong network of economic development professionals across the state,� said Carl Adrian, Tri-Cities Economic Development Corporation.

�It�s great to see the department of Commerce led by an experienced business leader who has focused the organization around a set of strategies that aim to further build our innovation based industries. We are in the midst of a fundamental transformation of our state economy and Commerce has placed its priorities in the right place to capitalize on our core strengths and biggest opportunities for growth --- particularly with respect to creating globally competitive knowledge and innovation-based industries,� said Ken Myer, president and CEO, Washington Technology Industry Association.

The Department of Commerce was created from the former Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED) in 2009 legislation which also directed the agency to deliver a plan to better serve the needs of businesses and narrow its focus on economic development. Commerce is preparing to deliver the complete plan, including options for reorganizing, to the Governor and Legislature on Nov. 1. The current draft plan and more information are available on the agency web site at www.commerce.wa.gov.