Blog Posts

July Newsletter

7/29/2025

AEDO Accreditation

Last month, we shared about the accreditation site visit as we worked to become an accredited economic development organization (AEDO). We received wonderful feedback, and we were just waiting for the committee review and vote.

If you're a board director, you already heard the good news, but I am delighted to share with everyone that we were approved and are now a fully accredited economic development organization. We are only the second in the state of California to achieve this and one of fewer than 80 in the entire country... There are over 6,000 EDOs in the country, so this is a big deal!

This was a team effort and took the work of our directors, members, and community stakeholders who took part in every step of this process, from our strategic planning sessions, the site visit, and the work that we all do together every day.

We have a press release drafted and ready, but we wanted to wait one more big thing before we send that out...read on to find out what that is!

Regional Brand Update

For those of you who have been a member of the EDC for a while, you are probably familiar with our attempts at branding and rebranding the region and the EDC. From Southwest Riverside County, Valley of Innovation, and more, we have struggled to clearly articulate who we are, where we are, and our value proposition.

It has been a priority of the organization for the past several years to finally land on a brand that can tell anyone in the world where we are and give us a way to market the region effectively.

For the past year, we have been working with the cities in the region, the County, site selectors, and local business leaders to hone this new brand. We are in the final stretch and are hard at work on updating the website, our emails, our social channels, letterhead, and everything else we do to reflect this new brand.

In the coming weeks, please watch for updates that will share our new email addresses, website, social handles, and logos. We'd also love to feature photos and videos of the region and your businesses. If you have high-resolution content that you'd like us to use, please email that to Connie at [email protected]

I want to thank everyone who has helped on this process. As anyone who has gone through a branding effort knows, it is so difficult to find logos and colors that resonate with everyone and that everyone feels authentically represents their piece of this beautifully diverse region.

With that said, I feel very excited to finaly have something that we can use to tell the world why this is an incredible place to live and do business. I hope you'll join us in sharing our excitment when it offically launches soon!

Once that is launched, we'll be sharing the news about our accreditation along with our new name and logo!

July is usually a quiet month for us, but it's proving to be a big one this year!

2025-2026 Memberships and Sponsorships

It's that time of year again. July marks the start of our new fiscal year, and when we send out invoices to all our members. This is also a time when I want to reiterate our appreciation for all of the support we receive from our members. Not only in financial support, but also in advocacy for the EDC throughout the state and collaboration on all the work that we do to support the region.

If you did not receive your invoice or would like to add a sponsorship or increase your membership level, please let me know.

Every dollar invested in the EDC is a dollar invested in the economic strength of the region.

Annual sponsorships are a key way we are able to extend and expand our business attraction efforts every year. From the FAM tour, trade missions, site visits, the board retreat, and more, sponsorships are a key resource for the EDC to expand our reach globally.

It is also a great way for your to highlight your business through increased visibility on our website, social media, and event materials throughout the year.

If you are interested in enhancing your membership and further supporting our economic development efforts for the region, please reach out today.

We'd like to thank SoCal Gas for being the first 2025-2026 Annual Sponsor!!

Join Neighborhood Healthcare for the State of Community Health

California Competes Tax Credit

The California Competes Tax Credit (CCTC) is an income tax credit available to businesses that plan to locate or expand in California and create quality, full-time jobs that might not otherwise be created by the applicant or any other business.
Application Periods: A total of $922,694,691 in California Competes Tax Credit is available for allocation in the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Applications for the California Competes Tax Credit will be accepted online at calcompetes.ca.gov during the following periods:

July 21, 2025, through August 11, 2025 ($308 million in tax credits available)
January 5, 2026, through January 26, 2026 ($308 million in tax credits available)
March 2, 2026, through March 16, 2026 ($306.6 million in tax credits available plus any remaining unallocated amounts from the previous application periods

GO-Biz is hosting informational webinars on the California Competes Tax Credit (CCTC).
For Businesses:
Learn how your business can apply for tax credits to support growth and job creation. The next webinar is scheduled for July 31st. Registration links and additional details are available here: Link.
For those that are not able to join, kindly review the California Competes Application Workshop FY25-26.

Neighborhood Healthcare Annual Gala

EDC Board Meetings

Our next board meeting will be August 7th. We'll be welcoming Sania Kuriakos, Business Specialist with the California Department of Rehabilitation. She'll be sharing programs and opportunities for businesses to collaborate with the Department of Rehabilitation to find qualified, talented employees.

We hope to see you there!

Thank ou to our sponsors!

Contact Us

Connie Stopher, CEcD
Email: [email protected]
Office: 951-694-9800
Cell: 951-557-8040

Economic Development Coalition, P.O. Box 1388. Temecula, CA 92593
Site Address: 43200 Business Park Drive, Temecula, CA 92590, United States

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June Newsletter: Board Elections, Accreditation, and Site Visits

6/26/2025

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AEDO Accreditation

As we shared last month, the EDC was in the final stages of the process of becoming an accredited economic development organization, or AEDO. This accreditation is a prestigious distinction granted by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Currently, only about 70 organizations in North America and only 1 in California have achieved this distinction.

In early June, we were pleased to welcome the site visit team, which included Jaye O'Donnell from Mesa, Arizona, and Jerry Bologna from Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Jaye and Jerry have both provided wonderful feedback on their visit, and we should be receiving the final report any day now.

All told, they met with over 20 community stakeholders, toured all our communities, and came away with a great impression of the region and the work that is being done collaboratively in the region.

We want to thank everyone who participated, and Pechanga Resort and Casino and Carter Estate for their sponsorship of the visit.

L to R: Diane Strand, Connie Stopher, Ann Shaw, Jaye O'Donnell, Jerry Bologna, Adam Eventov

L to R: Jerry Bologna, Jason Tang, Kimberly Davidson, Connie Stopher, Jaye O'Donnell

Board Election Results

We would like to thank all who ran for both board seats and Executive Committee seats in this year's election.

We are happy to announce your 2025-2026 EDC Board of Directors

Platinum
Darlene Wetton- Southwest Healthcare
Armando Villa- City of Menifee
Aaron Adams- City of Temecula
Jason Simpson- City of Lake Elsinore
Kimberly Wright – Riverside County
Kimberly Davidson- City of Wildomar
Joseph Troya- Consolidated Contractors

Gold
Matthew Hyatt- MilliporeSigma
Ann Shaw- Abbott
Jonathan Jean-Marie- Loma Linda University Medical Center
Heather Holmes- Pechanga
Sammy Totah- Kaiser Permanente

Silver
Kiki Manti Engel- Reid & Hellyer, APC
Adam Eventov- SoCal Gas
Christina Henry- Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District
Roxanne Roundtree- Easter Municipal Water District

Bronze
Cheryl Fuchigami-Bost- Rady Children’s Hospital
Diane Strand- JDS Studios
Janice Mrkonjic- MSJC
Godfrey Gibbison- CSUSM

Non-Profit
Jonathon Montanez- TEDx Temecula
Michael Cano-Menifee VFW Post 1953

We are also excited to announce your 2025-2026 Executive Committee

Janice Mrkonjic- President
1^st VP- Godfrey Gibbison
2^nd VP- Matthew Hyatt
Secretary- Cheryl Fuchigami-Bost
Treasurer- Diane Strand
Past President- Adam Eventov

I would ike to thank our outgoing Board President, Adam Eventov, for his leadership this year. Thank you to our incoming Board President, Janice Mrkonjic, for taking the helm, and for all our incoming board and Executive Committee members for their service to the EDC!

Welcome Our Newest Members!

We are so excited to welcome Mission Hope as our newest members. Our non-profit community is so essential to the vitality of the region, and we are excited to expand our partnerships with Mission Hope and other non-profits in the community. Please give them a warm welcome!

EDC Summer Intern

The EDC was excited to partner with our local school districts to offer a regional internship program that provided internship opportunities to students from throughout the region. After several interviews, we were excited to offer Cole Behrens a summer position with the EDC. Cole recently graduated from Murrieta Valley High School. This fall, he will be attending Palomar College, majoring in Business Administration, with the intention of transferring to a UC school.

Cole will be helping us revamp our website, with social media outreach, and gear up for our new brand launch later this summer. Please give Cole a warm welcome!

Neighborhood Healthcare Annual Gala

BIZTECH Connect Coming to TVE2

Foreign Trade Zone Assistance

Tour new Neighborhood Healthcare Site in Menifee

EDC Board Meetings

We are dark in July. Our next board meeting will be August 7th. We'll be welcoming Sania Kuriakos, Business Specialist with the California Department of Rehabilitation. She'll be sharing programs and opportunities for businesses to collaborate with the Department of Rehabilitation to find qualified, talented employees.

We hope to see you there!

Thank ou to our sponsors!

Contact Us

Connie Stopher, CEcD
Email: [email protected]
Office: 951-694-9800
Cell: 951-557-8040

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May Newsletter: Business Attraction, Elections, and New Members

5/29/2025

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EDC at SelectUSA 2025

EDC Executive Director, Connie Stopher, once again had the pleasure of participating in the Governor's Office of Economic Development (Go-Biz)'s delegation to SelectUSA. SelectUSA is an annual conference put on by the U.S. Department of Commerce. This annual conference brings in thousands of international business representatives that are actively working ot bring business to the United States.

This year's California delegation was the biggest ever. The amount of interest in the California booth and in bringing business to the U.S. was very positive to see.

While at SelectUSA, Connie was featured in a news story about why California is such an attractive place for business investment.

EDC Executive Director "Kani Stoffer" shares why California is a great place to do business.

Left: Connie at the Mexican Cultural Institute. Right: Connie with Ambassador Shiegeo Yamada of Japan

2025 SelectUSA California Delegation

While businesses did share concerns about tariffs, immigration hurdles, and rising costs, there was undoubtedly a significant interest in locating in California. From the lifestyle, access to customers, and capital, it was where people wanted to be.

Several follow-up meetings have already occurred, and we're working closely with our partners in the region to help bring as many businesses to the region as we can.

The EDC would like to thank Go-Biz for coordinating another wonderful event and for all our regional partners who were in attendance.

Last Call for Nominations!

Interested in serving on the EDC Board of Directors? Submit your nominations to Connie by May 31st. Board Directors serve a term of 3 years, and the following seats are up for renewal:

Gold Board Seats X 2
Silver Board Seats X 2
Bronze Board Seats X 1
Non-Profit Board Seat X 1

Each year, we also elect our Executive Committee:
President, 1st VP, 2nd VP, Secretary, and Treasurer.

If you are interested in serving on the Executive Committee, please submit your nomination.

I'd like to thank our current Board President, Adam Eventov for his leadership this year, and for all our Board Directors for your service to the EDC!

Welcome Our Newest Members!

We are so excited to welcome SDS Homes Construction, Caisteal Builders, Inc., and Azusa Pacific as our newest members. The EDC continues to grow, take on new challenges, and new initiatives to serve the region, and that's all due to our incredible membership. Please be sure to give our newest members a big welcome at our next meeting!

EDC Organizational Accreditation

Many of you have been a part of the work that has gone into our efforts to become accredited by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). This would be a prestigious recognition as only 1 other organization in California is accredited, and of over 6,000 organizations in the U.S, only about 78 are accredited.

We are in the final steps and will be hosting a site visit for the review committee in early June. We'll be excited to share the results at our June 13th board meeting.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank every member and board director who have participated in the many strategic planning meetings that have lead to this final stage.

Neighborhood Healthcare Annual Gala

Neighborhood Groundbreaking

EDC Board Meetings

Our next board meeting is being held on June 13th. Please note that this is not our regulalry scheduled date. We will be looking to approve our new fiscal year's budget, and voting in new board members. Please be sure to attend! If you have not received an invite or would like to bring a guest, please email me: [email protected]. We'd love to have a great turnout and welcome any new guests.

Contact Us

Connie Stopher, CEcD
Email: [email protected]
Office: 951-694-9800
Cell: 951-557-8040

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March 2025 Newsletter: Tariffs, Trade Shows, and What is on the Horizon

4/1/2025

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Site Selectors Guild Annual Conference

Site Selectors Guild is one of our staple events that we attend every year. Not only are we there to continue to foster relationships with some of the nation's top site selectors and shine a light on why our region is a great choice for businesses looking to expand and relocate, but it helps us stay on top of the ever-changing business landscape.

There was a lot of talk about tariffs, the outlook for international investment, and what businesses' biggest needs are (people, sites, and power). The consensus on tariffs and international investment ... was that there wasn't one. Some are seeing projects move forward, some are seeing them put on hold, and some are seeing them pause and consider other global locations. What does this mean for us and California in general? - We need to continue to work to change the narrative on what it's like to do business in California.

I had several conversations with site selectors that reinforced this point. California has A LOT going for it, but one thing it doesn't have going for it is the perception that it's hard to do business and is more expensive. As we've debunked, we're very competitive when it comes to the cost of doing business, are home to very business-friendly communities, and have access to top talent and university graduates. And the big takeaway is that we need to continue to shout from the rooftops.

I was glad to be joined by our regional partners from Lake Elsinore, Riverside County, and Team California there to drive this point home.

I'll be sharing more about these takeaways and feedback at our May board meeting.

I hope to see you there!- Connie Stopher, EDC Executive Director

Employer Needs Assessment Survey

We are taking input for a couple more weeks on our employer needs assessment. Your input will provide insight on what you're looking for in summer interns. We'll continue to grow this internship program in partnership with our local school districts and employers. Click here to access the survey.

MSCJ Online Apprenticeship Program

Join MSCJ on April 30th! For the OpenClassrooms Kickoff Event, where you'll learn about this innovative program. Plus, they'll share key findings from a new regional report on apprenticeships, offering valuable insights into workforce trends and opportunities in our region.
Register Here!

April is Innovation Month

Each April, partners across Riverside County collaborate to highlight and elevate innovation across the county. Don't miss the Quick Pitch happening in Wildomar on April 10th!

Businesses interested in participating can register using the QR code below.

Neighborhood Healthcare Facility Tours

Neighborhood Healthcare is offering tours of two of their local facilities in March. PACE Murrieta tours are available on April 15th from 11:30 to 12:15; Menifee Health Center tours are available on April 16th from 12:15 to 1:00. Please note that all tours are by appointment only. To book your tour, please email Bryan Chavez.

IAMC Membership

Membership in IAMC is very coveted and comes with a long waiting list. But, after around 3 years of waiting, we are glad to announce that we have been accepted to the Industrial Asset Management Council.

This will aid in our mission to reach top global companies looking to grow and highlight this region's competitive advantage for business.

Our membership comes with the ability to bring partners to conferences. If any partners are interested in learning more, please reach out to Connie: [email protected]

EDC Board Meetings

We cancelled our April board meeting to allow our members time to attend the other events happening that day. Our next meeting will be May 1st, hosted by Neighborhood Healthcare. Stay tuned for more details.

Contact Us

Connie Stopher, CEcD
Email: [email protected]
Office: 951-694-9800
Cell: 951-557-8040

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February Newsletter

2/27/2025

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Trade Mission to Mexico

EDC Executive Director Connie Stopher was in Mexico City this week with the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), meeting with Mexican companies actively working to expand to the United States. Mexico represents one of the largest trading partners and biggest growth segments of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the U.S.

Connie was joined by representatives from Riverside County, UCR, and SDSU. She had the unique opportunity to speak on a panel and also to represent one of ten regions offered the opportunity to pitch their community to businesses across Mexico. This event is put on by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the State Department as an extension of the annual event in D.C. Connie will be sharing more about the event at the March Board meeting.

Employer Needs Assessment Survey

We're committed to helping our local employers build out their talent pipelines of the future. To do this, we need to hear from you! Please take a moment to fill out our Employer Needs Assessment Survey. Your input will provide insight on what you're looking for in summer interns. We'll continue to grow this internship program in partnership with our local school districts and employers. Click here to access the survey.

Welcome Hamann Companies

We would like to welcome new Bronze member Hamann Companies to the EDC. We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together in our region! To learn more about Hamann Companies, click here.

Menifee Named 2025 Best City by Inland Empire Magazine

The City of Menifee was recently voted Best City in the Inland Empire by the readers of Inland Empire Magazine. We'd like to congratulate the city on this exciting achievement! To read about this award, click here.

State of the Region 2025 Economic Report

The 2025 State of the Region was held February 18th at the Ontario Convention Center. The theme was "Five Years Later, Four Years Ahead" and the event was presented by the Inland Empire Economic Partnership and San Antonio Regional Hospital. Click here to read the report by keynote speaker Manfred Keil, Chief Economist for Inland Empire Economic Partnership.

Neighborhood Healthcare Facility Tours

Neighborhood Healthcare is offering tours of two of their local facilities in March. PACE Murrieta tours are available on March 18th from 11:30 to 12:15; Menifee Health Center tours are available on March 19th from 12:15 to 1:00. Please note that all tours are by appointment only. To book your tour, please email Bryan Chavez.

Temecula Traffic Advisory

The City of Temecula has issued the following traffic advisory:

The month-long closure of the Winchester Rd loop-ramp going northbound onto the I-15 began on February 18th. Along with this full ramp closure, contractors will need to install traffic control barriers and striping, resulting in the full closure of Winchester Rd loop ramp until March 14, 2025. For more information, click here.

PV Circonomy Featured in PV Magazine

Menifee's PV Circonomy was recently featured in an article in PV Magazine highlighting their innovative PV panel recycling tech. To read the full article, click here.

March Board Meeting

Our next Board meeting will be held on March 6th at 9am at the TVE2. As a reminder, this will be a working meeting to help us reach our organizational goals as we charge into the fourth quarter of our fiscal year. We look forward to seeing and working with you!

Contact Us

Connie Stopher, CEcD
Email: [email protected]
Office: 951-694-9800
Cell: 951-557-8040

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January Newsletter

1/27/2025

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2025 Membership Goals

We value our members and all that you do to make our work possible!

Thank you to each and every one of our members! Not a member yet? Well, 2025 is the year to get involved and support your community through economic development. To learn more about membership, email Connie at [email protected].

We love to see new faces at our meetings and discover what we can achieve for the region together. To register a guest, please contact Deana at [email protected].

UC Riverside Inland SoCal Accelerate Hub

The Inland SoCal Accelerate Hub is a dynamic initiative designed to unify and bolster the efforts of entrepreneurial support organizations, accelerators, and incubators within the Inland Southern California region.

The EDC was recently appointed to UC Riverside's I-HUB coordination committee.

To attend the next meeting on February 4th, email Connie [email protected]

MSJC Partnering for Progress

MSJC Career Services & Experiential Learning is hosting a Partnering for Progress discussion on February 11th at the Temecula Campus. Community leaders, nonprofit organizations, and community-based organizations are invited to attend. The event will kick off with a breakfast at 9 AM. To register, use the QR code in the flyer below.

City of Lake Elsinore Commercial Real Estate Broker Appreciation Breakfast

The City of Lake Elsinore's Office of Economic Development is hosting a Commercial Real Estate Broker Appreciation Breakfast on February 5th at Launch Pointe. You'll learn about the City, new and upcoming projects, and valuable opportunities including pocket-listings. To register, please contact the Lake Elsinore Economic Development Team.

CSUSM CNA Program in Temecula

CSUSM Temecula is now offering a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Program. With over 1.4 million annual openings in the United States, the demand for skilled nursing assistants is rapidly growing.

Based at the CSUSM Temecula campus, the ten-week program offers flexible scheduling with both traditional and evening formats. This hybrid program combines online and in-person learning, providing a comprehensive and convenient educational experience. The first CNA cohort will launch in Spring 2025 and applications will open soon. Those who are interested in the program can attend an online orientation session on February 4th or 5th from 5:00 - 6:00 PM. For more information, click here.

Thrive Inland SoCal

Thrive Inland SoCal Catalyst Grant awardees will be announced in early February, followed by an appeals process. The third round of Catalyst Funding will be opening shortly thereafter. For more information about the grant opportunities, visit Thrive Inland SoCal.

Please stay tuned for future meeting dates. For questions, please reach out to Connie at [email protected].

Neighborhood Healthcare Facility Tours

Neighborhood Healthcare is offering tours of two of their local facilities in February. PACE Murrieta tours are available on February 18th from 11:30 to 12:15; Menifee Health Center tours are available on February 19th from 12:15 to 1:00. Please note that all tours are by appointment only. To book your tour, please email Bryan Chavez.

February Board Meeting

Our next Board meeting will be held on February 6th at 9am at the TVE2. We will be welcoming the University of California Riverside to speak about their new I-HUB program. We hope that you'll join us. If you'd like to bring a guest, please contact Deana at [email protected].

Contact Us

Connie Stopher, CEcD
Email: [email protected]
Office: 951-694-9800
Cell: 951-557-8040

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December Newsletter

1/2/2025

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Happy New Year!

2024 was a terrific year for the EDC. We would like to thank our members and sponsors for your unwavering support. All that we do is made possible through your generosity, starting with your membership dues and your time dedicated to attending meetings, assisting on projects, advocating for the EDC, and supporting our region in so many ways.

We look forward to serving Southwest Riverside County further in 2025. Have a happy and successful new year!

Temecula Traffic Advisory

The City of Temecula has issued the following traffic advisory for the coming months:

I-15/French Valley Parkway Improvements: FULL ROAD CLOSURES ON WINCHESTER ROAD ON-RAMPS

Please be advised that the Winchester Road on-ramps will be fully closed for extended periods in the coming New Year. These closures are necessary to construct essential connections to the newly added lanes.

Please note the following closures and plan your travel accordingly:

Straight Ramp, West Bound Winchester going North Bound on the I-15: COMPLETELY CLOSED JANUARY 12 through FEBRUARY 14, 2025
Loop Ramp, East Bound on Winchester going North Bound on the I-15: COMPLETELY CLOSED FEBRUARY 18 through MARCH 14, 2025
Both the Loop Ramp and the Straight Ramp: 55-Hour Weekend Full Closure – DATE TBD

For more Information, click here.

SoCal OASIS Climate Action Conference

UC Riverside invites you attend the upcoming 2025 SoCal OASIS ™ Climate Action Conference, hosted by Office of Technology Partnerships! The event will include a mix of climate tech entrepreneurs, policymakers, investors and banks, and anyone who is interested in discussing entrepreneurship in the climate action space. Breakfast and lunch will be provided to all attendees, and the event is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.

Higher Education Coalition Meeting

The South West Riverside County Higher Education Coalition serves the local community through a unique partnership between MSJC and CSU San Marcos. This partnership was formed to establish a permanent CSU San Marcos campus in the Temecula Valley, providing local students with a variety of higher education options. The next Higher Education Coalition meeting will be held Tuesday, January 21st at 1pm at the Murrieta Library. For more information, click here.

Sponsorship Opportunities

The New Year means renewed budgets and opportunities to support local organizations like the EDC! If you can consider becoming an EDC Annual Sponsor or increasing your membership level, January is a great time to do so.

Sponsorship opportunities for 2025 are still available! For additional information, please contact Connie at [email protected].

Thank you to Southwest Healthcare and Menifee VFW Post 1956 for already committing to their annual sponsorship!

Thrive Inland SoCal Updates

The third round of Catalyst Funding will be opening after the first of the year. For more information about the grant opportunities, visit Thrive Inland SoCal.

Also, please stay tuned for future meeting dates. For questions, please reach out to Connie at [email protected].

January Board Meeting

Our next Board meeting will be held on January 9th at 9am at the TVE2. Our speakers will be Jeremy Goldman and Troy Nguyen from Southern California Edison. We hope that you'll join us. If you'd like to bring a guest, please contact Deana at [email protected].

Contact Us

Connie Stopher, CEcD
Email: [email protected]
Office: 951-694-9800
Cell: 951-557-8040

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November Newsletter

12/2/2024

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Giving Tuesday

December 3rd, 2024 is Giving Tuesday. Each year, Giving Tuesday provides the opportunity to extend your generosity to local and global nonprofit organizations. Your contributions have the power to build community, promote kindness, and transform our world through helping others. If you’re interested in contributing to the EDC, click here. Your support allows us to continue serving our region and fostering a stronger economy for all. We truly appreciate it!

We also want to encourage you to consider our nonprofit members in your giving this year. You can see a full list of our nonprofit members who do a tremendous amount of good in our communities on our website.

SoCal OASIS Pitch Competition

UC Riverside is hosting its second annual SoCal OASIS Pitch Challenge on December 4th at the Riverside Convention Center. This free event is an opportunity for entrepreneurs in the sustainability tech space to compete for $150,000 in awards. For more information, click here.

Thrive Inland SoCal Updates

Thank you to all who applied for round two of the Catalyst grants. They are currently being reviewed. Round three is slated to open in early 2025. For more information about the grant opportunity, please visit Thrive Inland SoCal.

For questions, please reach out to Connie at [email protected].

Welcome Temecula Valley Community Events

We would like to welcome new 501c6 member Temecula Valley Community Events to the EDC! Investing in Economic Development is crucial to the growth of our region. We value your support!

Riverside County Economic Summit

The Riverside County Office of Economic Development invites you to attend the 2024 Economic Summit on December 5th at the Riverside Convention Center. The program will include insights into housing, transportation, and the economic future of Riverside County. For additional information and to register, click here.

Reminder: No December Board Meeting

As a reminder, we will go dark in December. Our next Board meeting will be held on January 9th at the TVE2. We hope that you'll join us. If you'd like to bring a guest, please contact Deana at [email protected].

Contact Us

Connie Stopher, CEcD
Email: [email protected]
Office: 951-694-9800
Cell: 951-557-8040

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October Newsletter

10/31/2024

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FAM Tour Recap

Three years ago, the EDC hosted its first FAM tour. It has quickly become one of our signature annual events. This tour is designed to highlight the region to site selectors who are tasked with helping companies find locations globally.

Six site selectors specializing in industries such as aerospace, cleantech, life sciences, and manufacturing joined us for the two-day event showcasing our region and all it has to offer.

These site selectors came from Dallas, Chicago, Austin, North Carolina, and Florida to learn more about the business opportunities here in the region.

We'd like to thank our community partners who help make this a great event every year. At the end of the tour, each site selector commented on how pleasantly surprised they were by the region. They expressed that we bucked every narrative that's out there about California. They said they clearly saw how business-friendly and cost-competitive we are, and what a welcoming, forward-thinking region we have, with such talented municipal teams. That is exactly the result we're hoping for in these tours.

Special thanks to our sponsors SoCal Gas, The Toll Roads, Stryder Transportation, and Carter Estate Winery and Resort.

Welcome Legacy Bank

We'd like to welcome new Silver level member Legacy Bank to the EDC! Investing in Economic Development is crucial to the growth of our region. We value your support!

Thrive SoCal Updates

The second round of Thrive Catalyst Funding closed on October 18th. We'd like to announce that the EDC is the official regional convener for the Southwest and Western Riverside County branch of Thrive. We're working to establish a timeline for implementing the regional economic plan that was developed this year. We will be announcing dates for upcoming Thrive community meetings soon. For questions, please reach out to Connie at [email protected].

IECF Community Resources

Thank you to Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) CEO Michelle Decker for joining us at our October Board Meeting. IECF is working to do a tremendous amount of good in our region, and we really appreciate her time and engagement in our meeting. During our roundtable discussion, Michelle shared a few resources that may be of interest to you. First, for those affected by wildfires, IECF has a wildfire recovery fund. Michelle also shared their Friends of Veterans Fund to help veterans in our region.

City of Temecula Veterans Appreciation Breakfast

Temecula will be hosting a Veterans Appreciation Breakfast on November 19th at 8am at the City Hall Conference Center. This event will feature elected officials as well as some of the community’s valuable veteran resources, including the Temecula Vet Center, Riverside County Veterans Services, and the Veterans Business Outreach Center. The event is free, but registration is required, and capacity is limited. To register, please call (951) 694-6480 ext. 4266 or click here.

November Board Meeting

Our next Board meeting will be held November 7th at the TVE2 in Temecula. Our speaker will be Jackie Schott of Neighborhood Healthcare. We hope that you'll join us. If you'd like to bring a guest, please contact Deana at [email protected].

Contact Us

Connie Stopher, CEcD
Email: [email protected]
Office: 951-694-9800
Cell: 951-557-8040

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September Newsletter

9/30/2024

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IAMC Fall Forum Recap

Our Executive Director, Connie Stopher CEcD, recently represented the Economic Development Coalition at the Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC) Fall Forum in Quebec. This was the EDC's first time attending the Forum, and there's a reason why. IAMC aims to cultivate an atmosphere where there's equal representation from corporate groups, economic developers, and service providers, which they accomplish by limiting membership. The EDC has been on the waitlist for nearly three years. We're getting closer to the top of the list, and luckily, IAMC allows organizations to attend one conference as a non-member.

Connie was present alongside fellow Team California members representing communities across the state. She shared the following about her experiences: "This can be a tough room to get into as you can tell, but once you're there, you're among a relatively small group of economic developers and executive representatives from Fortune 100 companies. I'm glad that the EDC was able to be there to represent the region and show what we have to offer to these companies."

South Coast Air Quality Public Workshop

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) has scheduled a Public Workshop to present and solicit information and suggestions from the public regarding Proposed Amended Rule 1111 - Reduction of NOx Emissions from Natural Gas-Fired Furnaces (PAR 1111) and Proposed Amended Rule 1121 - Reduction of NOx Emissions from Small Natural Gas-Fired Water Heaters (PAR 1121), which are scheduled for a Public Hearing before the South Coast AQMD Governing Board on December 6, 2024 (subject to change).

The Public Workshop is scheduled for:

Thursday, October 3, 2024
10:00 AM (PT)

Join Zoom Webinar Meeting:

https://scaqmd.zoom.us/j/97271436016 [scaqmd.zoom.us]

Zoom Webinar ID: 972 7143 6016

Teleconference Dial In: (669) 900-6833

This workshop occurs at the same time as our October board meeting. If you're able to have someone from your staff attend or can join after our meeting, that would be great.

This potential regulation will have significant impacts, not only on businesses, but homeowners as well. It will also affect our recruitment efforts. We encourage you to participate in the sessions and share your thoughts on how this could affect businesses and residents.

For more information, please visit South Coast AQMD.

Thrive Catalyst Funding: Round 2 Underway

The second round of Thrive Catalyst Funding began on September 24th and is available for application through October 18th. Thrive Inland SoCal is offering a technical assistance workshop to help potential applicants navigate the application process, meet criteria, and enhance proposals to maximize the chances of securing Catalyst Funding. The workshop will be held via Zoom on October 9th from 1 to 3 pm. Click here to register.

For questions, please reach out to Connie at [email protected].

2024 State of Riverside County

The 2024 State of Riverside County will be held on Thursday, October 24th from 7 to 10am at Pechanga Resort and Casino. The event program will focus on current year updates as well as future projects and goals. To register, click here.

Fall FAM Tour

Our 2024 Temecula Valley FAM Tour will take place on October 28-29th and is set to be our biggest ever!

Thank you to our sponsors SoCal Gas, The Toll Roads, Carter Estate Winery and Resort, and Stryder Transportation. Sponsorships are still available! If you're interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact Connie at [email protected].

October Board Meeting

Our next Board meeting will be held October 3rd at the TVE2 in Temecula. Our speaker will be Michelle Decker, CEO of the Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF). We hope that you'll join us. If you'd like to bring a guest, please contact Deana at [email protected].