Minutes 11-01-2011 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Department Update for Orange County Board of Commissioners • Hello, I'm Steve Brantley, with Orange County Economic Development. Thank you for this opportunity to speak, and tell you about the activities our department and staff have been doing, and, our plans going into 2012. • And, I'd like to personally thank the Board and County Manager for your confidence to allow me to be here in this role. It's an honor. • I'm very proud to be here, understand your expectations, and, am having fun promoting Orange County. • The information in my report covers each area of the DepartmenYs operations, and the data was contributed by each member of Orange County's Economic Development office. We are all getting to know each other and are forming a great team. Key Economic Development Activities in the Department O Agricultural Economic Development O Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau &Arts Commission updates O Business Retention & Recruitment O Support Activities O Planning DepartmenYs Collaboration with Economic Development • Our activities are diverse and cover a number of tasks to include romotin , , P 9 agricultural initiatives, attracting tourism & conventions, supporting the arts, and running a small business loan program for entrepreneurial start-ups. • We're conducting general support activities, like makin a new web site, ma s and 9 P collateral marketing materials that showcase Orange County as a desirable business destination. • We're also working to develop and improve our liaison with other economic development stakeholders in Hillsborough, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Mebane and at UNC, to hopefully create a seamless team effort. • And, of course, we're pursuing business retention and recruitment. In this area, your Planning Department has partnered with us with great support, using their expertise to bring the 3 EDD sites closer to a "shovel ready" status. � Orange County's Economic Development Representatives ■ Here is a list of staff members and their roles in the Department, beginning with the Hillsborough office. Economic Develo ment & Business Recruitment eve ran ey, �rec or Dottie Schmitt, Economic Development Specialist Yvonne Scarlett, Administrative Assistant A ricultural Economic Develo ment � oa ane s, gricu ural Economic Development Coordinator Matthew Roybal, Manager, Piedmont Food&Agricultural Processing Center LPFAP) ■ The successful Grand Opening was held on October 21St, 2011 and received extensive local media coverage. ■ Tobacco Trust (a ma�or grant funder) is having their December Board meeting in the PFAP Board room. ■ At PFAP, mentorship development is a very useful feature that provides a tangible result, such as the `Jack Tapp model.