MEDIA RELEASE
June 11, 2014
(SAN PATRICIO COUNTY, TEXAS) - The San Patricio County Economic Development Corporation is seeking community input in an effort to identify and pursue projects related to economic development in each of the communities in San Patricio County.
The SPCEDC recently acquired federal Economic Development Administration grant funding for the purposes of (a) creating a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) and (b) conducting a feasibility study for a countywide workforce training center. In carrying out the criteria of the grant, the San Pat EDC is in the process of gathering information and data from the nine communities, local educational bodies and industries that exist within the county.
The SPCEDC is currently in the beginning stages of these studies. To ensure economic development strategies are crafted according to the desires of county residents, the EDC is working with city councils, chambers of commerce, school administrators, higher ed experts and industry leaders to facilitate Town Hall Meetings.During town hall meetings, the EDC will collect input and conduct surveys, for three purposes:
• Determining the feasibility of a San Patricio County Workforce Training Center
• Creation of a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy
• Creation of a data clearinghouse for San Patricio County
“The goal of the EDC is to create jobs, increase the tax base and promote the region,” said Executive Director Lynn Spencer.“Our view is that in order for individual communities to prosper, county leadership, stakeholders and citizens must work together to prioritize our needs, assess our strengths, address our weaknesses and capitalize on opportunities.”
Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)
The first step in developing a successful strategy is to compile as much information as possible.To better understand the needs of the county as whole, the EDC would like to survey residents of each of the nine communities in San Patricio County to determine the following:
• How to bring jobs into San Patricio County
• Priorities and desires of individual communities
• How to diversify the economic landscape
• The needs of our industries and member businesses
• How to plan for future growth
Training Center Feasibility Study
Despite a growing demand for skilled laborers, San Patricio County’s unemployment rate remains higher than regional and state levels. In addition to developing a CEDS, the San Patricio EDC has received EDA funding to conduct a feasibility study, to determine whether or not the county could collectively support and benefit from a workforce / vocational training center.
The EDC would like to survey residents for opinions about workforce training including: whether or not people want / need a training center, what kind of training residents would find helpful, what kind of skills local industries are searching for, where a training center should be located, etc.
“The quality of information we receive and success of our planning efforts depends on community input,” Spencer said. “We want to hear from the people. What can the EDC do to assist you in finding and securing career opportunities?How can the EDC best serve you?”
Meeting Information
The San Patricio EDC is making contact with each community to coordinate town hall meetings over the course of the next six months.Town Hall meetings are small-group based, community-oriented and interactive. Participants will have the opportunity to take an online survey, hold small-group discussions, and complete a SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities, threats) analysis for their city. In addition, there will be a panel of industry representatives from the county’s top employers including voestalpine, DuPont, Cheniere and others, discussing their labor force needs and the types of employees they seek. Volunteers will assist participants with the activities when needed, and help facilitate discussion. Those who take part in the online survey will be given a raffle ticket and entered into a drawing for door prizes in those communities in which door prizes are available.
GREGORY:Gregory’s Town Hall meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on September 23 at the Stephen F. Austin Elementary School. The meeting will be jointly hosted by the SPCEDC, the City of Gregory and GPISD. The EDC is currently working with community and business leaders to recruit volunteers and donations for food and raffle prizes for this event. If you are interested in serving on a steering committee or donating raffle prizes, or money to go towards raffle prizes for the Gregory Joint Town Hall meeting, contact the EDC at 777-2368 or Kristina Zambrano at .
Town hall meetings will also be conducted for the communities of Portland, Mathis, Ingleside, Ingleside on the Bay and Aransas Pass over the next several months.Taft, Odem and Sinton have already conducted their meetings, at which a 500 people participated and / or completed surveys.
For more information about facilitating a town hall meeting, participating as a volunteer on a steering committee, or donating funds for food and raffle prizes, contact Sarah Whetstone, Planner, San Patricio Economic Development Corporation by email at or by phone at 1 (361) 777 – 2368.
Executive Director Lynn Spencer is available for comment on the SPCEDC’s recent community planning and outreach activities. To set up a meeting or interview, contact Sarah Whetstone, Planner, San Patricio Economic Development Corporation by email at or by phone at 1 (361) 777 – 2368.