Opportunity to Help Shape the Future of Economic Vitality for Applegate Valley: Public Meeting to Be Held March 2, 2017

Jacksonville, Ore. March 2, 2017 – An Economic Vitality Roadmap meeting will be held on Thursday, March 2, from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at the Applegate Valley Fire Training Center, 1095 Upper Applegate Road. The meeting is open to the public and everyone who is passionate about helping Applegate Valley achieve economic vitality is encouraged to participate.

Through a series of focus groups, community meetings, and surveys, the community has identified three key areas on which to focus their efforts. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend the meeting and participate in the work to further define and plan the following initiatives:

• Intra-Applegate Valley business support system
• Sustainable, intergenerational learning network
• Incorporation of Applegate Valley values into an overarching brand

There will be updates from the teams working on these initiatives, and the meeting will feature two expert speakers, Colleen Padilla and Carr Biggerstaff. Finally, the meeting will end with a look into what is next on the Roadmap to success for the community of Applegate Valley.

Colleen Padilla is the Executive Director of SOREDI (Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development Inc.), a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the long-term prosperity of Jackson and Josephine Counties. Colleen will share how SOREDI resources may serve AV small businesses.

Carr Biggerstaff, from Biggerstaff VBA (Virtual Business Assistance), works with small businesses to find and implement the right solutions to solve their business challenges. Carr will speak “virtually” from Newberg, Oregon and will share how he has helped Newberg create a small virtual business resource center.

Economic Vitality Roadmap is a program of Rural Development Initiatives (RDI) that takes rural communities through a three-part process to create an action-oriented roadmap to economic success. The process includes an assessment, identification of key initiatives, and implementation. Through Roadmaps and other Rural Economic Vitality services, RDI’s staff helps rural communities take the road to community vitality.