Columbia River Economic Development Council briefs Clark County on $1.7B in wins, Apex program and land‑study rollout

My name is Eric Holmes, and I am serving as the interim president of the Columbia River Economic Development Council, Holmes said as he opened the presentation to the Clark County Council on Nov. 5, 2025.

CREDC described itself as the state‑designated associate development organization (ADO) for Clark County and the surrounding region, working as a public‑private connector to recruit businesses, retain and expand existing employers, and provide programs and policy input. Abby Russell, CREDC policy committee chair and operations manager at the Port of Richland, said the organization coordinates with the Washington Department of Commerce and serves Clark, Cowlitz and Skamania counties.

CREDC officials told the council the organization has recorded several multi‑year wins and measurable results. Over the last four years, CREDC reported it attracted about $1.68 billion in capital investment, about 3,900 jobs and 42 project wins; recent projects include nearly $300 million in capital investment since 2021. CREDC also cited marketing work such as the “Just North” campaign and said its activity generates indirect business‑to‑business activity. CREDC staff summarized a 2024 breakdown of recruitments versus expansions and said they expect continued emphasis on retention and expansion of firms already located in the county.

Clint Hendrix, CREDC vice president of business development, and other presenters described CREDC’s 2024 fiscal snapshot and funding mix. CREDC said revenue is roughly split among public investment, private investment and program income (including events and grants), with personnel making up the largest share of expenses. CREDC told the council Clark County accounts for “a little more than 8%” of its total public investment and that the organization has about 150 investors, but the county’s specific dollar contribution was not specified during the briefing.

CREDC staff also described the Apex Accelerator program, which CREDC said is partially funded through the U.S. Department of Defense and state sources and is designed to help businesses—especially small, minority‑, women‑ and veteran‑owned firms—compete for government contracts. CREDC said Apex helped local businesses secure more than $24 million in government contracts this year so far and hosted local events, including an Oct. 7 meet‑the‑contractors event at Clark College focused on the Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) project.

On land use and planning, CREDC confirmed it had produced an updated employment/land study that it has delivered to the county. “We actually are gonna be we have delivered it to the county and, Jerry Marshall, you probably caught a glimpse of it. There will be a more formal rollout of, the plan over the next 4 weeks, looking at getting it to our, Cornerstone Investors First, which means the county,” Eric Holmes said. CREDC said the work includes an interactive GIS mapping tool that will accompany the report.

Councilor Kelsey Young asked for clearer, more proactive communication about the land study and said she had not seen the report. “I I don't think I have even seen the report yet,” Young said, and asked for a work session or one‑on‑one briefings so council members can make use of the study in future comprehensive‑plan discussions. CREDC’s interim president acknowledged that multiple investors had raised similar concerns and said staff are working to improve regular outreach to cornerstone partners.

Councilors also asked about CREDC’s relationship with Workforce Southwest Washington. CREDC representatives said they share office space with the workforce development council, work closely on talent‑building initiatives, and support training for both college‑bound and trade career pathways so existing residents can access new jobs arising from recruitment and retention efforts.

There were no formal actions, motions or votes taken during the work session. CREDC reiterated it had no specific funding request at the meeting and thanked council leadership and staff for the county’s ongoing investment and partnership. Holmes asked council members to expect the full land‑study report and an interactive mapping link in their inboxes as part of the forthcoming rollout.

What’s next: CREDC said it will formally roll out the land study to cornerstone investors, including the county, in the next four weeks and will continue to pursue recruitment, retention, Apex coordination and investor outreach. The council signaled interest in further briefings on employment lands and on aligning comp‑plan work with CREDC’s findings.