EXECUTIVE UPDATE /August 30, 2005

The Business Retention and Expansion Visitation Program (BREV) has visited over 80 primary employers since March of this year. The purpose of the visits is to gauge satisfaction with the local business climate and provide assistance on issues of importance to the companies’ local operations. To date, the BREV program has assisted companies on 64 issues, ranging from workforce training and attraction to local regulation. To find out more about the program, please visit the BREV website at www.coloradosprings.org/BREVNews.aspx.
Local Support for Referenda C and D continues to grow. In addition to the Colorado Springs Mayor, Lionel Rivera, and the Colorado Springs City Council, the Cities of Fountain and Manitou Springs have recently passed resolutions in support of Referenda C and D. The education community is also voicing strong support for the referenda from Hank Brown, CU President, and Joseph Garcia, PPCC President, to our local school boards with Districts 11, 2, 12 and 14 having already endorsed the initiatives. Some of the strongest local support for the referenda is coming from the business community where, not only have all the major business groups, including the EDC, endorsed the referenda, but also businesses that do not normally get involved in local issues coming out in support of Referenda C and D, such as Intel and Kaiser Permanente. The state coalition, now at well over 600 organizations is also continuing to grow as more people ask the question - "What kind of Colorado do we want to live in?" For more information on the Citizen’s Coalition for “YES” on Referenda C & D, contact Annie Oatman-Gardner at Ccyescandd@aol.com or Mike Kazmierski at mjkazmierski@csedc.org.
The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS), now the fastest growing university in the state and among the fastest growing in the nation, was recently tied for 8th in rankings by U.S. News and World Report of Top Public Western Universities offering mostly master’s and bachelor’s degrees. The university is a major local economic anchor with an annual impact of $203 million. www.uccs.edc
Colorado’s population, while continuing to grow, has slowed over the past five years by more than half, falling to an annualized growth of 1.2% during the past year, or roughly 55,000 additional residents. For the past year, approximately one out of every three new residents in Colorado moved here from another state. (Source: Colorado Business Review.)
City Manager Lorne Kramer will be the keynote speaker at the EDC monthly luncheon on Thursday, September 22, at The Broadmoor, Colorado Hall. Call (719) 471-8183 for more information.
Save the Date: The Future of Colorado - The Economic Vitality Group is pleased to present internationally recognized strategic economist Ed Barlow for a discussion on preparing the Pikes Peak Region for the future. Mr. Barlow will share the influences which affect personal, professional, organizational and community wealth creation. The event will be held on Wednesday, October 12, from 8 – 11 a.m. at the Sheraton Hotel on Circle Drive. Visit www.creatingthefuture.com for more information.
The Pikes Peak Workforce Center, in conjunction with “Colorado Celebrates Workforce Development Month,” will host a Workforce Development Month Symposium for business owners and managers on Tuesday, September 13, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. In addition, a job fair will be held on September 28th for job seekers. For more information go to www.ppwfc.org.
The 2005 Colorado Springs Business Symposium, sponsored by Holland & Hart and The Colorado Springs Business Journal, will be held Tuesday, September 27, at the Antlers Hilton. EDC’s Executive Vice President for Marketing, John Cassiani, will be the keynote speaker. For further information, contact Pauli Ingwersen at 719-475-6487 or pingwersen@hollandhart.com.
Nominations for Business Citizen of the Year are being sought by The Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce. Contact Jen Furda (719) 575-4313 for a nomination form.
Silver Key will hold its annual golf tournament fundraiser September 19 at The Country Club of Colorado. Classic Homes is the major sponsor of the event. For sponsorship opportunities or to register, contact Lori Nolen (719) 632-1521 x 105.