So, What Do You (Your Friendly Local Economic Developer) Actually Do?
Hi! If we haven’t had a chance to meet yet, I’m Melissa Garcia. I’m excited to be part of the Economic Development team in Norfolk and to continue getting to know the people and businesses that make this place special.
If you asked me over coffee what we do in our office, I’d probably tell you that we spend a lot of our time trying to help make our community a better place to live, work, and do business. That sounds pretty broad, and honestly, it is. Some days we talk with a business owner who wants to expand, other days we’re working with a company who is thinking about bringing a new business to town. We might be looking at available buildings, talking about workforce needs, helping someone find resources, or sitting in a meeting with a bunch of people trying to figure out how to make a project work. A big part of our job is connecting people and helping turn good ideas into something that actually happens.
But here’s the part I think people sometimes miss: economic development isn't just about getting a new business to town. While that is a critical piece of the puzzle, it’s about what that new investment can mean for everyone else, too. If a company opens and creates jobs, those employees are buying groceries, going out to eat, getting their cars serviced, buying houses, and spending money at other local businesses. The contractor who builds the new facility may hire local workers. The coffee shop down the street may get more customers. And as the local economy grows, there can be more resources to invest in things like streets, parks, housing, schools, and other community improvements. You don't have to work for the new company to benefit from the economic activity it creates. Good news, right?
Even though the work is largely behind the scenes, it’s really rewarding work because it’s building the foundation that allow us as a community to grow. We aren’t just thinking about the next business that might open or the next project that might get built. We’re thinking about what those things mean for the people who already live here and for the people who might want to live here someday. Can someone find a good job without having to move away? Can a local business stay open and eventually expand? Can a young person come home after college and find an opportunity? Can a family afford to buy a house and feel good about putting down roots? Economic development is really about creating those kinds of opportunities. Sometimes the work is very visible, and sometimes nobody knows it happened, but when we do it well, the benefits reach a lot further than the business we started with.
Curious about some of those efforts? We will be sharing more about the different pillars of economic development, recent efforts in those areas, and the data we use to measure the impact of the work. Be sure to stay tuned by following us on Facebook Norfolk Area Economic Development Council.
So grab your favorite cup of coffee and stay tuned for more!
