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4
Community Council
Summary
2016 COMMUNITY COUNCIL
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President:
Roger Esparza
President-Elect:
Brian Anderson
Secretary:
Jan Corn
Treasurer:
Jeff Reynolds
Directors:
Kate Bobrow-Strain, Katherine Boehm, Ben Currin, Mike Denny, Katie
DePonty, Debbie Dumont, Bill Erickson, Alex Ewoniuk, Jessica Gilmore, Rick
Griffin, Dewight Hall, Cheri Heafy, Sergio Hernandez, Randy James, Chris Kontos,
Marie Prieto
Executive Director:
Mary Campbell
Study Coordinator:
Catherine Veninga
Assistant Study Coordinator:
Rachael Rapp
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Identifying strategies to invest in
education to drive economic growth
is especially important in our current
context of economic uncertainty.
Rapid technological change and
increasing global interdependence
challenge us to identify the types
of knowledge and skills that enable
individuals to engage in rewarding
employment now and in the future.
Reductions in public spending on ed-
ucation emphasize the importance of
ensuring that everyone in our region
has access to high-quality education
at all levels—from early learning to a
postsecondary degree or credential.
The relationship between educa-
tion and economic growth is complex
and dynamic. The framework that
organizes this report suggests that
investments in education drive eco-
nomic growth because they generate
increases in productivity. Increases in
productivity tend to generate higher
wages for individuals, increase profits
for corporations, and improve the
health and wealth of communities.
Investments in education are both
short-term and long-term. In the short
term, individuals may need a particular
skill set or credential to enter the labor
force immediately. Long-term invest-
ments seek to ensure that individuals
have a foundation that enables them
to “learn how to learn” so that they can
adapt to a changing workplace.
The question posed for this study
asks, “How can we strategically invest
in education as a way to drive eco-
nomic growth?” Over the course
of 17 weeks, the Study Committee
sought multiple perspectives to learn
about regional economic develop-
ment, employment trends, educa-
tional attainment, and learning. The
committee then spent an additional
nine weeks engaged in a consensus-
based process of reviewing findings,
generating conclusions, and develop-
ing recommendations.
Board
STEM teachers in the field. Photo
courtesy of Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory.