What an incredible few days! The 2024 Redwood Coast Region Economic Summit was a fantastic gathering of over 160 community leaders, experts, and advocates from Humboldt, Del Norte, Mendocino, Lake, and Trinity Counties and we’re so grateful to everyone who made it happen. Here’s a quick recap:
Industry Leader Mixer - October 9th
We kicked off with an Industry Leader Mixer hosted by the Greater Eureka Chamber of Commerce. Local business owners gathered for the 2024 Economic Forecast for Businesses, a pre-summit event that explored future trends and emerging industries like offshore wind, port development, and fish farming.
Day 1 - October 10th: Keynotes & Evening Reception
The summit officially began on October 10, and we were thrilled to welcome attendees with inspiring keynotes:
Florence Parks, Executive Director at Big Brothers Big Sisters opened the day by sharing her insights on the long-term impact of mentoring, focusing on the importance of nurturing youth for a stronger future.
Dr. Robert Eyler, Professor of Economics at Sonoma State University returned to the summit with his signature expertise, delivering a data-driven presentation on the economic foundations of the Redwood Coast region.
The day concluded with a fantastic Evening Reception at Sequoia Park Zoo, where attendees had the chance to network while enjoying local beverages, appetizers from Evergreen Eatery, and an exclusive walk on the Redwood Skywalk. A big thank you to the zoo staff for hosting us!
Day 2 - October 11: Leadership & Policy Discussions
Day 2 began with a Leadership Breakfast featuring Bode Gower, a senior at Ukiah High School and founder of the Northern California Youth Policy Council. Bode spoke about including youth voices in policy-making, sparking a thoughtful discussion with attendees and students.
The day continued with sessions from Anthony Pipa, Senior Fellow, Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institute, who dove deeper into rural policy innovations.
Breakout Sessions: Innovative Workforce Panels
A huge thank you to all the facilitators, including Ric Leutwyler, Aerin Monroe, Megan Kenney, Montel Vanderhorck, Peggy Murphy, Heidi Moore-Guynup, and Angela Shull, who led engaging panels on diverse topics such as Food Justice, Agriculture and Climate Adaptation, Renewable Energy, Building Trades, Fire/Safety Practices, Non-Traditional Workforce Pipelines, and Healthcare. Your sessions allowed us to explore creative solutions to the region’s workforce challenges.
Special Thanks to Our Supporters
This summit would not have been possible without the dedication of so many:
Speakers & Panelists: Your expertise helped us navigate complex issues and sparked new ideas.
Planning Committee and Volunteers: Thank you to Stacey Caico, Nicole Flora, Gregg Foster, Katrina Kessen, Amanda Hickey, Leoni Fohr and Dianna Rios for making sure everything ran smoothly before and during the event. Thanks, also, to Melina McKenna from the Humboldt County Office of Economic Development, Maria Dahlin from NCO and Devin Flynn with Alisha Hammer, both from California Center for Rural Policy as well as Paul DeMark and Richard Seaman for being great volunteers at the event.Â
Cassaro's Catering: Your food was a highlight of the event! Thanks for keeping us fueled throughout both days. We’re still dreaming of those brownies.Â
Sponsors: We are deeply grateful to Vineyard Offshore, RWE, Redwood Region Rise, and all our sponsors, including College of the Redwoods, Verizon Wireless, Redwood Region Economic Development Commission, City of Eureka, Redwood Capital Bank, Tri Counties Bank, Economic Development & Financing Corporation (EDFC), Wells Fargo, and Coast Central Credit Union. Your support is vital to making community events like this happen and fostering a thriving local economy.
Looking Forward
The conversations at this year’s summit are just the beginning. We’re excited to carry this momentum forward and work together to build a stronger, more resilient Redwood Coast Region. Stay tuned for upcoming events and initiatives—there’s plenty more to come!
Thank you again for making the 2024 Redwood Coast Region Economic Summit a fantastic experience. We can’t wait to see you all next year in Lake County!
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