Search Profile - Solano EDC President & CEO
About Solano County
Solano
County is the perfect location for companies seeking space to expand and scale
their operations while staying close-in to the Bay Area and Sacramento markets
and minutes from Napa.
Solano
County is located on I-80, the major transportation corridor. Solano County is known for its manufacturing
strength, one of the largest in the north state in advanced manufacturing, food
and beverage and bio-tech companies.
With
seven incorporated cities, four with waterfront cities, Solano County offers exceptional
value to these scaling businesses:
1. 21
business and industrial parks with over
6,700 acres, overs 1,000 Tier 1 shovel ready sites;
2. 2.0
million sq. ft. of available industrial, flex and warehouse space;
3. One
of the strongest manufacturing bases of advanced materials, biotech and food
& beverage, $4 billion industry;
4. 1.3
million workers within a 40-mile labor shed;
5. 107,000
out-commuting per day with high
occupational quotation in manufacturing and administration;
6. Employees
earn high rating of productivity from manufacturing firms – 4 out of scale of 1-5 with 5 being the
highest;
7. 15-20%
less operating cost than San Jose or San Francisco- with industrial space up to 40% less operating cost;
8. Sacramento
and Bay Area markets and resources within a 50 mile radius – 1-80 plus 5 other corridors;
9. Affordable
diverse lifestyles – housing cost average
50% less than Bay Area;
10. A
team of professionals to assist a business with a speedy location and access to
key resources for a smooth transition.
About Solano Economic Development
Corporation
The Solano Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is a
public-private, nonprofit, dedicated to the economic growth of Solano County –
scaling local traded sector industries, attracting new jobs and investment and
maintaining competitive advantages for both existing and new businesses.
Working
alongside private and public sector partners, the EDC provides confidential
location assistance to new businesses seeking to locate in Solano County.
Pulling from the large and diverse portfolio of buildings and sites throughout
the county, the EDC will prepare a comprehensive package of space
opportunities, workforce and other resources that will assist the business in
their decision process. The EDC will connect businesses with key contacts at
cities to facilitate location and permitting, workforce development and
education, financing, as well as local, state and federal incentive programs,
such as energy savings.
The
Solano EDC with leading businesses, County of Solano, Cities of Benicia, Dixon,
Fairfield, Rio Vista, Suisun City, Vacaville, Vallejo, Travis Air Force Base,
education, community organizations and foundations, all are working together to
foster, support and drive positive change and economic growth.
During
2016, the Solano EDC guided the development of a countywide economic
development planning effort, Moving Solano Forward II, www.movingsolanoforwardii.com. That body of work
has resulted in the development of many tools and a roadmap for implementation of
four interlinking initiatives, which are described more fully below:
Marketing
and Business Attraction;
Business
Retention;
Maintaining
Competitiveness; and
Creating
a Resource Hub.
Moving
Solano Forward II and those involved, have set a clear path to transform the
EDC, grow key sectors that drive the $19.65 billion local economy and address
industry challenges, such as workforce.
There are well-defined outcomes for short-and long-term impact and metrics
that can measure and demonstrate real-time progress.
Strategic Areas of Focus
Marketing and Business Attraction: Increase lead generation by creating and
launching a unified business attraction campaign focused on key industry
targets.
Business Retention: Coordinate Business Retention efforts through
the Economic Development Task Force, host program software and marketing Solano
Business First! as a key message and program in Solano County, and support key
Solano industry groups.
Competitiveness: Work on products, assets, policies and
tools that will ensure Solano County maintains its’ Competitive Advantage.
Resource Hub: Maintain a resource hub that includes a
virtual one-stop clearinghouse where businesses can access data, research,
industry reports, economic indicators and link to local resources and
assistance (website).
The Position
General
This is a highly visible position which calls for a strong
and dynamic spokesperson with a high level of confidence, who can address
various constituencies at all levels in a thoughtful and genuine manner. He/she will be a motivator, team leader and
builder, who can provide a forum where the public and private sector can
complement each other and create synergistic opportunities. The successful candidate will embrace a
collaborative approach with the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors,
the Board of Directors and staff to foster open and honest communication.
This
is an extremely hands-on role, requiring an experienced executive who enjoys
working alongside staff and leading from the front, building relationships with
businesses and municipalities, and building a high-performance organization
that is collaborative and partners with complementary organizations.
Communication
The CEO will be responsible for
communicating to a wide range of constituents including the Board of Directors,
public, business leaders and employees.
The CEO must be a proficient writer and a capable speaker. He/she must
be at ease presenting information to all levels and must be able to communicate
ideas, principles, and strategies in a clear and concise manner.
Leadership
The requisite characteristics of an
effective leader at the Solano EDC include the following:
§ Ability to
develop long and short-range strategic plans to promote the vision and mission.
§ Demonstrated
experience in designing and implementing local, regional, and national
marketing campaigns.
§ Understanding
of the defined industry sectors including trends, risks and opportunities.
§ Capability
to excite and unite the diverse membership and to promote Solano County and its
industries. The CEO must be a listener and
a thoughtful participant in discussions that concern the members and the County
as a whole.
§ Passion to
lead discussion about important local and regional issues.
§ Initiative
to drive strong operating results and determination to manage the EDC to
achieve a positive bottom line.
Primary Duties:
§ Implement
and manage the economic development program and initiatives as outlined in the
Moving Solano Forward II Roadmap. Strategic
Areas of Focus listed above.
§ Ensure there
is a continual focus on maintaining the presence of the County’s single largest
industry-Travis Air Force Base.
§ Responsible
for the overall management of the EDC, including regulatory and legal
compliance as well as financial and operational success of the
organization.
§ Responsible
for planning, managing, directing, overseeing, and coordinating the activities
of the organization and its programs.
§ Responsible
for managing and reporting on all contracts and/or memorandum of understandings
with public and private organizations.
§ Manage, with
the Board of Directors, an investor funding strategy.
§ Implement
business attraction initiatives that will result in leads and locations, jobs
and investments, particularly in the trade sectors of Food/Beverage, Advanced
Materials and BioTech/BioMedical.
§ Manage the
Solano County Economic Development brand.
§ Perform a
variety of complex professional functions related to the coordination,
implementation, and monitoring of Business Development and EDC programs and
special projects.
§ Manage
communications, including Website and social media.
§ Perform
and/or direct economic and other studies, needs assessments, research,
financial analysis, as well as negotiation and preparation of contracts.
§ Present and
translate technical economic reports and analyses.
§ Develop and
manage organizational budget.
§ Work
effectively with various groups, including high-level individuals.
§ Coordinate
constituent relations and community outreach functions.
Behavioral
Competencies
Drive for Results
§ Accountability
to do what is appropriate for the long-term best interests of all stakeholders.
§ Determination
to set and pursue aggressive goals.
§ Focus to
apply energy on achieving short and long-term results.
§ Desire to
inspire stakeholders at all levels to achieve outstanding collaboration that
produces measurable positive outcomes through others.
§ Social and
communication skills to build consensus internally, relate constructively with
public and private partners and other industry leaders. Ability to act
decisively and unilaterally. (Needs to
possess the judgment to know when to employ which method.)
Championing
Change
§ Initiative
to identify new opportunities and champion new initiatives.
§ Ability to
be innovative, adaptable and solutions-oriented.
§ Capacity to
manage change. (Adapts personal strategies and methods to achieve change.)
§ Ability to
motivate, inspire and unite diverse groups at all levels.
Personal
Characteristics
He/she will demonstrate diplomacy and excellent judgment, with the
ability to operate effectively across the organization. Additionally, the desirable candidate should
possess the following personal characteristics:
§ Passionate
about doing the right and ethical things in the right and ethical ways
§ Balanced ego
§ Respectful
and fair
§ Polished and
comfortable in all environments
§ Strong
interpersonal skills; can easily connect with a variety of audiences
§ Smart,
articulate and comfortable responding on his/her feet
§ Listens
well, synthesizes information and effectively engages in dialogues
§ Flexible in
a changing environment
§ Membership-focused
§ Pragmatic
approach to conducting business
§ Comfortable
traveling extensively
§ Ability to
empower employees by delegating authority and accountability
§ Effectively
manage multiple projects
Knowledge of:
§ Ability to use computerized
databases for project management; proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel,
PowerPoint and LinkedIn
§ Skilled in marketing, site selection
analysis, incentives and deal structuring
§ Understanding of California and local
incentive programs
§ Knowledge, skills and experience in
supervising and managing personnel
§ Thorough understanding of economic
principles
Experience:
§ The ideal candidate will possess at
minimum, five years of increasingly responsible economic development related
experience and a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline. Advanced degree is desirable. International/Foreign
Direct Investment experience is valuable. Proven track record of successful
recruitment, and conversion of project locations, and expansion of existing
firms.
For more information about this exciting opportunity and Solano
Economic Development Corporation, qualified candidates should send a cover
letter and resume to Louise Walker, Chair of Solano EDC, lwalker@thatsmybank.com
