Business & Community Services Andrew Morse, Chief of Staff, and Interim Vice President for University Relations, introduced Rob Ogburn, Executive Director of Business and Community Services (BCS). He presented to the Board on the BCS Concept. BCS addresses central WA and statewide gaps working at a local level with communities, governments, and potential/existing businesses for: • Sustainable community and economic development. • Global and regional industry envisioning and strategic participation. • Business formation and competitive growth in national/international markets. Mr. Ogburn explained that the guiding principle in this work is being “stewards of place.” Showing up and being small is a way we can create meaningful community-defined outcomes. BCS organization in years one and two includes: • Industry 4.0 Center/Hogue, which includes training and tech commercialization will focus on Workforce development pathways, programs, & training. • IDEA Central, Innovation, Development, Economic Analysis includes applied research, data analysis and reports, community strategies development, and an innovation committee. • Center for Entrepreneurship includes training, workshops, and services for K-12, two-year colleges, and small/medium businesses. Mr. Ogburn reported that a BCS Advisory Council will be appointed to leverage BCS presence in CWU service communities to inform and explore expanded CWU presence and impact. Kittitas County Economic Development Plan VP Morse introduced Heidi Cerniwey, City Manager, City of Ellensburg, Kelle Vandenberg, Arts & Economic Development Manager, City of Ellensburg, and Cory Wright, County Commissioner, who were invited to update the Board on the Kittitas County Economic Development Plan. Cory Wright began by complimenting the trustees on the hire of President Wohlpart and the team he has brought together. He then explained that we had a Port of Kittitas County for about 20 years, Circa 1970s. He added that not much has changed in 50 years in terms of economic growth. There were similar challenges and similar solutions: • Large region, with proximity to urban areas • Manufacturing recruitment in key industries • Partnership with CWSC for technical research, workforce development, and support of emerging markets • Limited resources • Need for collaboration. In mid-2021, the City and County came together and participated in creating the Kittitas County Economic Development Strategic Plan. That engagement included interviews and round table discussions, a 24-member steering committee, and various workshops that led the group through discovery, opportunity, and ultimately, defined a strategic plan. The university was a big part of this. The Kittitas County Economic Development Strategic Plan was adopted in February 2023.
8 Board of Trustees Minutes February 15-16, 2024
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