July 2019
The Secret Sauce
By: Amy Holloway, President and CEO

Every Avalanche newsletter includes a section in which we celebrate our clients, highlighting economic development accomplishments in communities we have served. There is never a shortage of stories (and, we are only catching a small portion of the good news that is out there).

A recent win that I’ve been thinking about is Trident Technical College’s announcement that it will open a campus in Dorchester County, South Carolina. Having a higher education campus in the county has been part of Dorchester County’s economic development strategy for several years, which makes this an especially exciting victory. For us at Avalanche, this is a high five moment. Since 2004, we have facilitated three five-year strategies for the Charleston region and are deeply committed to their success. 

I asked Hank Taylor, Chairman of Dorchester County Economic Development, to reflect on the three top factors that led to their success with landing Trident Tech. His response is a valuable lesson for any community trying to spark positive change: 

Avalanche on the Road
See the Avalanche team at IEDC's 2019 Annual Conference on October 13 - 15 in Indianapolis. If you'd like to connect with any member of the Avalanche team at the conference please let us know, We would love to see you!
We're looking forward to seeing our Oklahoma friends at the Governor's Economic Development & Workforce Summit ! Amy will be delivering a keynote speech, Bring on the Change!, during the August 13th luncheon.
Celebrating our Clients
Workforce forum urges business leaders to help "bring sexy back" - Business leaders and community stakeholders attended an "Understand Hampton Roads" forum in Hampton Roads, VA where they discussed the findings of Avalanche and CAEL 's Talent Alignment Strategy for the region. Community leaders strategized about how to attract and retain talent in the region, where jobs are growing faster than the workforce.

Sonoma County housing construction fund formed by Silicon Valley trust, Santa Rosa chamber - The Sonoma County Housing Trust, a public/private partnership between the Santa Rosa Chamber and Housing Trust Silicon Valley, was created to finance affordable housing development in the Sonoma County region. The Trust will focus its $10 million in funds on multi-family developments in transit-oriented, urban areas. Increasing the affordable housing stock was a key recommendation for the region in our 2018 strategic plan, and we're thrilled to see the region making such incredible progress on this issue!

Trident Tech to open a Dorchester County campus by 2020 - Dorchester County, SC, will be home to a new Trident Tech campus in the near future. Dorchester County, in the Charleston region, has been hard at work for several years to bring a post-secondary educational institution to the region. The campus is expected to open in January 2020.

Economic strategist lauds Pflugerville for 'staying ahead' - Amy Holloway gave a presentation at the Business Pfirst Breakfast hosted by the Pflugerville Community Development Corporation about Pflugerville's growth and how they can stay competitive in the future. Pflugerville has the highest racial diversity in the Austin region, has experienced fast population and job growth, and is home to a strong 3D printing sector, all factors that make Pflugerville a great place for businesses.
Avalanche in Action
July 2019 sizzled! Tony and Chris rocked out at ACCE's Annual Conference in Long Beach, CA. Tony moderated a panel on Natural Disaster Response, Recovery, and Resiliency, where his three panelists - Jesse Torres from the Biltmore Group, Andrea Nunn from the LA Area Chamber, and Ali Sahabi with Optimum Seismic - discussed how communities can prepare for natural disasters. Next, our team led a strategy workshop in Pflugerville, TX, and Amy spoke about economic development trends to a sold-out audience at PCDC 's Business Pfirst Quarterly breakfast. Finally, Jennifer and Marian traveled to beautiful Bryan County, GA , to kick off a marketing strategy. We are looking forward to turning up the heat even more in August.
The Future Of Featured Post: Three Key Themes That Should Drive Your Workforce Strategy
In an overview of recent research, this article identifies three key themes that will affect the future of work.

Research analyzed by Smart Cities Dive finds that automation will have a huge effect on the labor market, but exactly how it will play out is still unknown. Smart Cities Dive offers three key themes that should drive strategies for job creation in the future.

Avalanche's curated news website, The Future Of, shares what we see as the most relevant news to our profession with YOU. The Future Of is designed for busy thought leaders and change makers in our field who are continuously curious but do not have enough time to cull through messy mass media to find meaningful news. Contact us for subscription information.
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Avalanche Consulting: Research, Marketing, Strategy
Avalanche Consulting   is the nation's premier economic development strategist. We are the best in the business at translating complex information into strategies, marketing messages, and motivation for action. We are deeply driven to make a positive impact and seek clients who are equally inspired to energize their economies. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Avalanche was established in 2005 and has assisted more than 150 communities across the US and abroad. 
Headlight Illuminates Data on Your Community
Headlight Data   is Avalanche's award-winning online data system that enables economic and workforce development organizations to produce data-intensive websites on their region's economy and workforce, allowing them to better serve prospects, site selectors, and their community. Data can be aggregated into one central website or embedded into your organization's existing website.

Avalanche Consulting, Inc. | (512) 917-3815 |
amy@avalancheconsulting.com | www.avalancheconsulting.com