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Friday, Mar 29th

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The face for economic development in Gallup-McKinley County

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In recognition of National Economic Development Week, key local organizations will be sharing their work and focus on our Gallup-McKinley County economy.

The Greater Gallup Economic Development Corporation (GGEDC) is the economic development organizations for the City of Gallup and McKinley County.  While ‘economic develop’ is a globally recognized term, “economic development program’ appears to have a wider and sometimes less consistent interpretation.

Economic Development Week kicks off on May 8, so this is an ideal time to share our interpretation. GGEDC’s mission is to “drive economic growth through building on local assets and strategic partnering to target attraction and recruitment of business and industrial employers.”

GGEDC’s approach to economic development is consistent with federal and international economic development organizations.  The U.S. Economic Development Administration says that economic development creates “the conditions for economic growth and improved quality of life by expanding the capacity of individuals, firms, and communities to maximize the use of their talents and skills to support innovation, lower transaction costs, and responsibly produce and trade valuable goods and services.”  The International Economic Development Council describes economic development in terms of objectives that most commonly includes the creation of jobs and wealth, and the improvement of quality of life.

The GGEDC definition is much simpler. At the most basic level, our definition of economic development is based on strategic objectives that center on creating and retaining jobs while stimulating investment in the Gallup-McKinley County area.

You can see the results with the expansions of companies such as Gallup Pipeline and Compliance Services, Panda Restaurant Group, and Pearson Hospitality Group – all of which are creating and retaining jobs and investing in Gallup-McKinley County.   You can see the impact that our initiatives such as the development of the Gallup Energy Logistics Park and strategic partnering including Energizing the Workforce, Gallup Executive Directors Alliance, and Economic Roundtables have on generating real momentum – providing a sense of hope that Gallup-McKinley County is on the cusp of an economic revival.

The goal of our projects and initiatives is jobs and investment.  Simply put, GGEDC leads economic growth, engages existing industry, connects companies to resources, and fosters networking opportunities to increase collective community capacity to create a prosperous Gallup-McKinley County.

GGEDC is guided by a private sector board with over 230 years of business experience and a highly professional and qualified staff. With the state and national economy facing real headwinds our job has become more challenging. However, we are confident with the strong foundation and programs in place that success is around the corner.

GGEDC is located at 102 W. Hill Avenue, Gallup, NM, 87301. Phone: 505-722-2980. Website: www.GallupEDC.com

By Patty Lundstrom

Executive Director, Greater Gallup EDC