The Jefferson County Economic Development Council is delighted to present its 2026-2027 Strategic Plan. Developed in consultation with local governments, businesses, and community stakeholders, the Strategic Plan clarifies how the EDC will focus its efforts to deliver measurable results for Jefferson County.
Deliverables:
1. Execute Economic Development Events for Jefferson County:
- Workforce Development Summit (Q3 2026, contingent on Recompete funding)
- Jefferson County EDC Annual Meeting (Q3 2026, Q3 2027)
2. Contribute to a more cohesive approach to economic development in Jefferson County by enhancing collaboration amongst government stakeholders:
- Build local government relationships by attending and presenting at ICG and Public Sector Cabinet meetings (ongoing, 2026-2027).
-Identify obstacles to economic development and make recommendations to local government and public sector entities. (ongoing, 2026-2027).
- Build relationships with legislative, state, and federal officials (ongoing, 2026-2027).
3. Convene local businesses and industries:
- Support a task force to identify and convene private sector representatives, assess demand and feasibility, and make recommendation on restarting the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce (Q4 2026).
- Identify alternate mechanisms to engage with and channel the voice of local businesses and industries (Q3 2026, ongoing).
Deliverables:
1. Orient new businesses to the regulatory and governmental landscape of Jefferson County: scope EDC role, capture lessons learned, and begin offering service (Q3 2026).
2. Publish white paper benchmarking other Washington counties’ approaches to attracting new jobs and investments with recommendations for local government (Q3 2026).
3. Identify key physical locations for new economic development and potential obstacles to development. Make recommendations to local government stakeholders and promote private sector investments in these areas (Q4 2026).
Deliverables:
1. New EDC website content scoped (Q1 2026) and published (Q4 2026) that builds Jefferson County’s brand and provides off-the-shelf resources to local businesses.
2. Publish white paper benchmarking other Washington counties’ approaches to attracting new jobs and investments with recommendations for local government (repeat) (Q4 2026).
3. Support ICG-led production and implementation of new Economic Development Framework for Jefferson County (Q3 2027, contingent on funding).
Deliverables:
1. Scalable business advisor program with both generalized and contextually relevant training in place (e.g. succession planning) to serve businesses of all sizes across Jefferson and Clallam Counties (Q2 2026, contingent on Recompete funding).
2. Workforce Development capability scoped and operational to support human capital development in Jefferson County (Q4 2026, contingent on Recompete funding).
3. Support access to capital for local businesses by providing primary administrative and technical support for the Jefferson County Local Investor Opportunity Network (LION) (ongoing).
To deliver on this plan, we are also investing in our own organizational capacity. This includes:
- Retaining professional staff with appropriate benefits and development opportunities
- Strengthening governance and board leadership
- Improving internal systems, technology, and operations