IEGO’s first Corporate Council Convening facilitated a dialogue with business, government, and community leaders with remarks by Stewart Knox, Secretary, California Labor & Workforce Development Agency, along with presentations from the Center of Excellence and Brookings Institution.

IEGO Executive Director Matthew Mena welcomed everyone sharing IEGO’s priorities for the year including funding received from Governor Newsom directed to the Inland Empire as a California First collaborative to support economic development planning with an emphasis on career development projects ranging from capacity building to industry-specific programs and job training.

To share more on IEGO’s role as a Center for Excellence (COE), Mena introduced Andy Hall who helps lead the COE providing labor market information for community colleges and the region.

Knox’s presentation centered on the role of California’s Labor & Workforce Development Agency, noting that he emphasizes support for inland and rural communities because, as he stated, “We know that this is where businesses are going to grow, and we have strategies to help do that.”

While Knox also noted state budget challenges, he is committed to working with other state agencies to leverage resources and looks forward to collaborating with the 13 regions that comprise the California First collaboratives as they can help the state to better understand how best to direct dollars at the local level.

Save The Date: The next Corporate Council event will be held May 30, 2024 at the Ontario Convention Center. Contact info@iegocollaborative.com to learn more.