Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley
Website: http://www.economicalliance.org/
 As an economic development and marketing collaborative made up of
private and public investors, the Economic Alliance was originally
organized to grow and sustain the economic base of the San Fernando
Valley. In 2002, the Alliance launched Vision2020, a strategic visioning
and implementation plan to promote a sustainable future for the Valley.
The EA continues to foster relationships among public and private
entities to market the area, and strives to improve the quality of
life for residents of the five-city region.
Region Served: The entire San Fernando Valley five-city region,
which includes the cities of Calabasas, Burbank, Glendale, Los Angeles
and San Fernando, and some of the unincorporated portions of Los
Angeles County
Population: More than 1.7 million residents, which is 10% of the
population of Southern California
Size of Region: Over 350 square miles Strategic Partners: Valley
Industry & Commerce Association (VICA), United Chambers of Commerce
(UCC), Valley Economic Development Center (VEDC), Southland Regional
Association of Realtors, San Fernando Valley Conference & Visitor's
Bureau, Valley International Trade Association (VITA), Valley Leadership
Institute (VLI), Small Manufacturers Association of California
Established: 1994
Overview
The Economic Alliance has five major initiatives: Workforce and
Education Investment, Economic Development and Business Assistance,
Livable Communities, Virtual Library and Archive, and Regional Marketing
and Image Branding.
The Workforce and Education initiative seeks to enhance the valley's
workforce by improving education. Programs include workforce preparedness,
early literacy, the Manufacturing Technologies Lab, Project Grad,
and BIG BEN. The Economic Development & Business Assistance initiative
is intended to attract, recruit, retain and expand businesses and
jobs, with business assistance and job creation, the community college
Training Alliance, industry cluster analysis, and economic development.
The Livable Communities Council seeks to improve the quality of life
and sustainability of valley communities. Programs include the community
indicators, Vision2020, the Valley Almanac, community forums, and
Business Watch. The Regional Marketing and Image Branding Initiative
is focused on building and marketing a regional identity, including
the Valley of the Stars cross-marketing campaign. The Virtual Library
and Archive Initiative has developed and maintains the largest virtual
repository on on-line information and data concerning the Valley
region. It has become the "portal of knowledge" about life
and living in the area.
The Rightsizing Local Government forum in 2002 included best practices,
jurisdictional efficiency, and ideas about how to govern mature,
suburban communities. It was the first time the global panel of experts
convened on such a scale to discuss these issues. Over 200 business,
government and civic leaders attended.
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