Business Oregon seeks operating funds, larger EDMS ask at March 13 subcommittee meeting

Co-chair Gomberg opened the March 13 Transportation and Economic Development Subcommittee meeting and invited Oregon Business Development Department Director Sapon Jeng to present the agency—s budget overview and operations requests.

For the record, Sapon Jeng, director of the Oregon Business Development Department (Business Oregon), said the governor—s recommended budget totals $2.1 billion for the next biennium. Jeng described a set of operations requests that include funding for strategic-plan implementation, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work, and support for the agency—s Economic Development Management System (EDMS).

Jeng said the agency is asking for roughly $350,000 to advance work tied to its three-year strategic plan and to implement its DEI commitments. "One particular priority that is really important to us is leadership development in Oregon's economic development…