What is the purpose of this project?

REDI is one of Los Alamos County’s Progress through Partnering initiatives, and is funded by increased gross receipts tax revenue from the change in Los Alamos National Laboratory’s contractor status. REDI’s geographic area includes Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Taos counties. Through a Regional Economic Development Strategic Plan, REDI will identify and begin to implement concrete economic development projects that will improve the economy and quality of life in the four-county region over the next 25 years.

Who is leading the effort?

The Regional Development Corporation (RDC) has been selected as the contractor for the project, and is partnering with the North Central NM Economic Development District (NCNMEDD). The core project team consists of RDC Executive Director Ed Burckle, NCNMEDD Executive Director Barbara Deaux and RDC Project Managers Monica Abeita and Scott Beckman.

What results has the REDI program produced?

Plans completed in recent months include:

• Regional Economic Development Initiative Strategic Plan
• Regional Economic Development Economic Development Services Plan Green Cluster Strategy for Northern New Mexico
• Technology Cluster Strategy for Northern New Mexico

As important as these roadmaps are to new business and job creation, REDI staff is keenly focused on implementing the recommendations that public sector partner communities and private sector businesses have said are of the highest priority including:

• Regional Broadband. REDI provided key support for eight applications potentially worth tens of millions of dollars of federal funding to bring broadband service to the entire region.
• Business-Friendly Policy. REDI efforts led to the amendment of the Local Economic Development ACT (LEDA) in 2009, allowing local governments to dedicate up to 10% of annual general fund expenditures on economic development projects.
• Economic Development Services, Attraction. REDI staff has formed strategic aliiances with the State’s lead business recruitment agency, the New Mexico Partnership, and the Community Economics Laboratory.
• Economic Development Services, Creation. REDI manages the LANL-funded Northern New Mexico Connect and Northern New Mexico Network Facilitation Initiative, helping to create dozens of new businesses each year..
• Green and Technology Cluster Strategy Implementation. Identified private sector leadership to partially fund (with public sector match) and champion Renewable Energy and Technology Cluster strategy implementation. REDI submitted a grant request to fund all four strategies.
• Value-Added Agriculture and Media Cluster Strategy Development. RDC won a Rural Business Opportunities Grant (RBOG) to develop a Value-Added Agriculture Cluster Strategy now in development. A Media Cluster Strategy will also be completed soon.
• State of the Region Conference and Economic Report Card. REDI developed baseline benchmarks to measure the accomplishments of our partnership over the long-term.

How does this benefit our regional community?

The public sector benefits from REDI because:

• Economic Regions are right-sized geography.
• REDI is helping the region compete for federal and other grant funds for economic development that no one else is seeking.
• Combined resources enhance national appeal.
• Economic development inputs such as infrastructure, workforce, and public policy require regional solutions and capacities.
• Strategic plan alignment eliminates needless competition and duplication.
• Shared Economic Development services are cost-effective.
• Economic Development investments create new businesses, jobs, and tax revenues.

The private sector benefits from REDI because:

• Economic Development programs protect corporate investments in the region.
• Economic diversification keeps tax rates low.
• Education and workforce programs improve the quality of the labor pool.
• Corporate voice in regional economic development policy and visibility as community-oriented leader.
• REDI provides companies with timely information and valuable contacts.
• Cluster initiatives strengthen competitive advantages.

Who will be involved in REDI?

Los Alamos County has signed cooperative agreements with seven county and city governments in the four-county region for Progress through Partnering initiatives. One of these initiatives is the REDI program.

Everyone in the community has a stake in its economic success. In addition to local governments, key stakeholders include economic development and workforce development organizations, chambers of commerce, unions, institutions of higher education, major private sector entities, school districts and federal and state agencies.

REDI staff is meeting with stakeholders from all of these groups to formalize a public-private partnership among these groups to continue the work that has been undertaken. For further information about REDI Membership, contact Ed Burckle, Scott Beckman, or Monica Abeita.