Hello friends,

As the year comes to a close, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to the partners, supporters, and stakeholders who made 2024 an extraordinary year for regional economic development. In the spirit of the season, I am excited to share "12 Highlights of the Year"—a reflection of the achievements that demonstrate the power of authentic partnerships and collective impact in Lane County.

Now in our second year as a nonprofit, we are celebrating the shared successes across Lane County.   As you consider your end-of-year charitable giving, we invite you to support this vital work and join us in creating even greater impact in the year ahead.

Thank you for supporting a brighter economic future in Lane County!

Warm regards,

Matt Sayre 

Tailgate:  We love our Ducks! This annual business recruitment event included over 150 community leaders, business owners, and local officials who helped put our community’s web foot forward in September - hosting new businesses eager to grow or relocate to Lane County.   

Inaugural Bridge Lane in Oakridge:  We kicked off the first-ever Bridge Lane event in Oakridge bringing together 30 resource providers, educational and training partners, and employers ready to hire into rural communities across Lane County. Families soaked up the good vibes with food from Oakridge’s  Cowgirl Cookn, Kona Shaved Ice, balloon animals, free childcare, and the fan-favorite— a bounce house! Huge shoutout to the City of Oakridge for teaming up with us to make the gym a welcoming, fun, and hopeful spot for the community to connect.

Community Collaborative & Industry Luncheon: The dynamic inaugural luncheon united over 250 attendees from across Lane County in a sold-out gathering that featured a panel highlighting solutions in childcare, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing sectors. Participants left the luncheon empowered with actionable ideas inspired by the keynote theme of collective impact in economic development.

Website Launch: Our new website is quickly becoming the go-to digital destination advancing economic development throughout Lane County.  It's packed with essential resources, including tools for business recruitment and relocation, and offers a platform to make connections that will elevate your business and our community!

Latino Professionals Connect Relaunch: Revitalized in the wake of the pandemic, LPC made a triumphant return, reuniting over 250 Latino professionals through heartfelt networking events. Supported by Oregon Community Foundation, the gatherings did more than offer essential networking opportunities; they have cultivated a nurturing community atmosphere that has become instrumental in encouraging Latino professionals to plant roots and flourish within our region.

Community Spotlight at Eugene Emeralds: Thanks to Heritage Bank, Executive Director Matt Sayre had the opportunity to throw out the first pitch at PK Park. The CEDO team engaged with Emeralds fans to inform them of economic development work being done across Lane County in both the rural and metro areas.

Technology Sector Revitalization: The local tech sector is projected to grow jobs faster than any other industry in the next ten years. In 2024, CEDO, Technology Association of Oregon, and Lane Workforce Partnership convened the local tech industry to elevate shared challenges, address them by collective impact, and accelerate industry growth. Thanks to the convening, industry champions are shaping the future workforce, promotion, and community building initiatives to pave a road to success for tech companies in Lane County.

Shovel Ready Land: As part of CEDO’s Welcome initiative, we helped secure a $2,069,000 industrial lands infrastructure investment in the community of Coburg, Oregon. CEDO continues to work with local partners and Regional Solutions to support making this site “shovel ready” to grow 1,200 quality jobs.

Career Tours: Delivered 3 bus loads of talent to learn about careers in tech, bioscience, and healthcare with the goal of helping stop the “brain drain” and retain talent in our region! More than 100 students from University of Oregon, Bushnell University, and Lane Community College packed the buses to experience company culture at 9 diverse businesses.

Career Highlight Night: Over 55 local employers hit home runs by connecting directly with the community in a fun new way. Job seekers met with employers who were hiring at PK Park and then received free admission to the Eugene Emeralds game! This innovative version of a job fair was hosted by Lane Workforce Partnership, Worksource Oregon Lane, and CEDO.

Entrepreneur Events: Held quarterly, PubTalks and Entrepreneur Mixers, in partnership with Oregon Entrepreneurs Network and sponsored by Launch Oregon, drew over 170 attendees. Vibrant networking, educational panel presentations, and University of Oregon Innovation Spotlights, helped energize Lane County's entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

Sharing Insights Statewide: Throughout the year, CEDO was honored to be invited to present at multiple statewide conferences, showcasing Lane County's sector strategy work as a gold standard. The presentations highlighted our region’s innovative approaches and successful outcomes in regional economic development.

Collaborative EDO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and your donation is tax-deductible. Collaborative EDO is not a member-based organization, which means we exist to bring benefits to everyone in Lane County. We encourage you to support this important work by making a donation HERE.