Momentum: TREO's Newsletter

What's Different About This Plan?
In my twenty-plus years running economic development groups, I have learned that the greatest cities and regions have a common vision and an action plan to achieve that vision. When I arrived in Tucson and began learning about our region’s issues and concerns, I realized quickly that we’re a diverse community with many worthwhile programs and activities. Better coordination, communication and agreement to what we are trying to achieve is needed. We cannot operate this way any longer if we truly want to compete in a global economy and win our fair share of prosperity. We cannot simply produce great marketing and hope our cuts and bruises don’t show. We must improve our product: we’re selling Tucson for all of us.

Now, we have TREO's Economic Blueprint, a community-developed vision for building an economically vibrant, competitive and sustainable economic engine in Southern Arizona. The “Power of Five” are critical gears that all must fit tightly, turn in unison, and hum economically in order for us to move forward, period. And move forward we will. This is not just a report on what we can do. Learn more about how you can be involved and how TREO will lead this process of Blueprint implementation.

What’s different? Quite simply, four very important factors: 1) 6,000 community voices in the process, resulting in a plan we can all implement together; 2) a complete up-to-date economic analysis that tells us what we’re good at and what we can focus on to leverage our strengths and improve; 3) a brand-new “Annual Community Report Card” which will begin to track and report annually on indicators of Tucson’s economic health and progress in Blueprint implementation; 4) and, probably most important of all: timing.

Tucson is at a tipping point of becoming a large metropolitan region who just cannot afford to wait any longer. We have the capacity and resources to create a sound, vibrant, healthy and stable economy. It's there if we are willing to work for it.

Securing Our Future Now:
March 28, Fox Theatre

Mayor Robert Walkup and Tomas Leon, President of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at TREO's Economic Blueprint Rollout event.


Achieving a Competitive Economy
TREO's Economic Blueprint and it's five strategic thrust areas - The Power of Five - are a guiding vision for Tucson to strategically plan for the future of this fast-growing community. The plan includes specific, action-oriented strategies for each of the five thrust areas, all of those strategies sharing a common purpose of contributing to a vibrant economy. The five thrust areas are:
 High-Skilled/High-Wage Jobs
 Educational Excellence
 Urban Renaissance
 Livable Communities
 Collaborative Governance & Stewardship.

Read more about TREO's Economic Blueprint and Power of Five.


Economic Blueprint Implementation: What happens next?
TREO's Economic Blueprint provides the Tucson region with an economic vision for the future, in addition to a framework for implementation. Although each of the Power of Five gears detail action-oriented strategies, there is much work to be done throughout the community to determine exactly how these strategies will be carried out in concert with other efforts. The next steps include creating a mechanism, engaging stakeholders further, developing action plans, and securing financial resources (as necessary).

What's Next?
We know the community is ready to act. Since the March 28^th Blueprint rollout and the Regional Town Hall, TREO, SALC and other groups have been working hard to develop a plan that will mobilize the community in each of the five strategic areas. Look for an announcement soon about a structure and mechanism that will move the Power of Five forward.

More details will be forthcoming. Read the press release announcing TREO's plans to travel to Portland. Click here to read what was learned from the Austin Leadership Exchange Trip in 2006.


AAED Awards Report 
BJ Smith was named the 2007 Workforce Practitioner of the Year by the Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED) May 3 at an annual awards ceremony held this year in Lake Havasu City, AZ. Read the press release. 


International News 
Southern Arizona International Program
In the Tucson region numerous organizations engage in international business development. TREO has taken a giant step toward coordinating the region's international trade, foreign direct investment, and other international efforts by serving as a one-stop shop to coordinate all international activities in the Tucson region. Click here for a listing of partners that have all agreed that TREO can serve a critical role in coordinating these efforts.