Cultivate a clear vision for Mat-Su’s economic future

When I stayed at home with my three small children (as well as all their little buddies who came to play), and the Shamrock guy who came to pump our septic made mention of my “home day care,” I wondered why in the world I had ever bothered to get a master’s degree.

Upon returning home from his stimulating and fulfilling career day of teaching and coaching, my husband would console me with humor by saying my job outside the home was to “stimulate the economy.” Much to his chagrin, I began to see purpose in shopping around town and realized I could still have an impact on my little corner of the world (while also enjoying the admiration of all the “older” ladies in Safeway with big smiles on their faces remarking about how full my hands were and admonishing me to enjoy this season of life because it would fly by before I knew it).

They were right on point about the time zipping by, and the diaper days are long gone in our household, but I have never let go of the positive view of spending money wisely in my community and having a desire to see the businesses in our community thrive.

Over the 21 years I have lived in the Valley, my grasp of the potential within the Mat-Su has expanded to the point that I am now on the Mat-Su Borough Economic Development Advisory Council. The Economic Development Strategic Plan completed in 2010 has been waiting for implementation and is now in an active phase with Don Dyer, the Mat-Su Borough Economic Development director, at the helm of the endeavor. He has been in his job for six months, and the advisory council is ready to move forward under his leadership.

As chairwoman, I will keep the Valley updated as we begin implementation of the plan. Our mission statement is: “To improve the business climate in the Mat-Su and increase the number of living wage jobs.” This mission statement will be our “True North” as we roll up our sleeves and head into the semi-charted waters of progress in our beautiful borough, always mindful the beauty we are blessed to be surrounded by is something we are responsible for to protect and maintain.

Part of our industry is tourism and recreation, and if we damage our greatest assets, it will alter the main thing we have going for us. Balancing preservation of the environment while developing its resources is tricky business, but we are committed to doing just that.

To support ourselves and have the energy sources we need to sustain our lifestyle, we need to explore what resources we have in this area. Our task is to determine how this can be done in a timely manner, but with utmost regard for the beauty and health of our Valley.

Our population in the Mat-Su is projected to double in the next 10 years, and we have to look ahead to prepare for that growth. Obviously, this includes the development of infrastructure, as well as natural resources and products we can offer to the local, state, national and global markets.

To give you a framework for the strategic building of our economy, let me share the vision statement of the Mat-Su Borough Economic Development Plan, its five goals and the seven strategies to implement these goals:

Mat-Su Economic Development Plan

Vision: The Mat-Su Borough is the premier destination for quality development and jobs in Alaska.

Goals

1. Position Mat-Su for sustainable economic growth and vitality.

2. Build capacity to conduct economic development within the borough.

3. Expand Mat-Su’s economic development infrastructure.

4. Attract, retain, and engage talent.

5. Raise awareness of economic development opportunities.

Economic Development Strategies

1. Establish a university-medical district within the borough.

2. Build greater awareness of Mat-Su as a destination for new investment among employers in Anchorage.

3. Establish a new Borough-wide partnership to support economic development in Mat-Su.

4. Bring business, workforce training, and education communities closer together.

5. Continue investing in the tourism infrastructure and marketing of Mat-Su.

6. Continue developing multimodal transportation infrastructure at Port Mackenzie.

7. Continue to update the Mat-Su Borough planning code.

The above outline is only 137 words, but the actual strategic plan is more than 100 pages long and has guidelines for us to attain and measure our progress. In future columns, I will tell you about that progress with the plan and other new ventures such as a budding industry that will produce an amazing payoff, both individually for investors and for the overall economy. It will increase the beauty of our region and give us a new identity for the Valley.

Doesn’t something like “Valley treasure” sound a whole lot better than the other moniker? I originally came from a place with the nickname “Armpit of the U.S.” with a license plate slogan of “The Garden State.” Although New Jersey has gorgeous farmland with impeccable horse farms and sandy beaches on the Atlantic, its reputation in the nation has readily been the derogatory one and the butt of many jokes on TV and in movies.

I hope for so much more for us as we mold the view of our identity as a region and how we convey that image beyond our Valley. Let’s generate outside interest and prepare to welcome new businesses to our area that will fit in with our landscape and development standards, while providing family wage jobs for our community.

Please join me in the excitement of possibility as we travel the journey of economic development for the Mat-Su Valley. Tune in next month for the EDAC update. And young moms, keep shopping. Just stay within your budget and keep it local as much as possible.

Kim Ford is chairwoman of the Mat-Su Borough Economic Development Advisory Council.