2016-17 Annual Report

2016-2017 was an exciting year for Riverside County’s economy, and EDA played a large role in making that happen; consider our role in: • helping diversify the economy, • supporting our small business community, and • growing entrepreneurship. A few standout accomplishments that I wish to highlight this year include: the successful attraction of the CARB facility to Riverside; a significant drop in unemployment fueled by business growth; and the launch of InnovationMonth, which brought together entrepreneurs and venture capitalists with the goal of financing promising new ideas. EDA is one of the largest agencies in the County with over 700 employees working together as a diverse and committed team that brings a great deal of value to the communities we serve. Take for instance: • our Housing Authority team, which reached a functional zero in homelessness amongst veterans, making Riverside county the first large county in the US to reach that milestone • our Workforce Development unit, who helped over 2,000 job seekers obtain a job this year; and helped 489 businesses with their recruitment and training needs • our Marketing group, who led the way to coordinate and celebrate events such as the Jacqueline Cochran Air Show and Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival both of which enjoy a great deal of public support • our Film Commission, whose efforts to bring film production to Riverside County far surpassed all goals by providing professional, expedited, concierge level service to the film industry • our Riverside County Library System, which is a network of 35 public libraries, 1 reference library, 2 bookmobiles and a city museum for the benefit and enrichment of our communities • our Community and Cultural Services Division, whose teammembers showcased their dedication to the public by coordinating and overseeing the activities of 22 County- owned parks as well as maintaining over 8 million square feet of public landscaping • the opening of our first Business Center located in downtown Riverside, whose goal is to help the small business community with access to capital and other technical assistance, as well as the launch of our first Small Business Development Center in the Coachella Valley in partnership with the Workforce Development Center • and last but not least, our Custodial, Maintenance, Aviation, Parking Services, Energy, Project Management, Administrative Services, and Real Estate divisions, whose work ensures that all of our county partners enjoy a great environment while providing excellent customer service in support of improved quality of life for our residents.

Robert Field Assistant CEO/EDA

A MESSAGE FROM THE ASSISTANT COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER