GOED reports $1.4 billion in committed investment, emphasizes retention and workforce alignment
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Summary
GOED’s executive director and metrics lead reported roughly $1.4 billion in incentive‑backed investment and discussed a renewed focus on business retention, workforce programs across community colleges, and unemployment patterns in counties that may qualify for relaxed wage thresholds.
GOED Executive Director Tom Burns told the board on Nov. 12 that for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, the office reported roughly $1.4 billion in incentives tied to $1.4 billion in investment and the arrival of 16 new companies, which the director said translated to several hundred new jobs. Burns highlighted upcoming trade travel to Seoul and Tokyo, the statewide career mapping program’s expansion, Nevada Apex client growth and recent activity by the Nevada Film Office.
Steve Sheets, GOED’s metrics lead, presented quarter‑to‑date performance figures and said the office assisted 46 companies that committed roughly 1,552 jobs within two years and that the average assisted‑company wage year‑to‑date is $36.30. Sheets said GOED is shifting toward a stronger retention emphasis in its business development work and has tightened site‑visit counting methods to reflect physical visits more accurately; Sheets reported 30 site visits for the period and 21 assisted companies during the quarter across IT, logistics, manufacturing and other sectors.
Newly appointed Nevada Superintendent Dr. Victor Wakefield asked how those sector trends inform K‑12 and community college workforce preparation. Elaine Silverstone, GOED’s workforce development director, said GOED has funded 41 WIN programs across four community colleges during her tenure, supporting at least 65 employers and building capacity for more than 2,000 students over two years; she offered to follow up with more specific graduate estimates and program details to align secondary and post‑secondary pipelines to employer needs.
Sheets also reviewed GOED’s 7% unemployment rule, noting counties above the threshold (Esmeralda 7.6%, Mineral 10.1%, Nye 7.2%) that qualify for relaxed wage requirements under abatement rules. Director Burns added that a company called M2I has expressed interest in the Hawthorne Army Depot area and that such a project could supply roughly 280 jobs to Mineral County if realized.
The board asked clarifying questions on the figures Sheets presented and requested additional documentation to connect business pipeline metrics to concrete training and K‑12 outcomes.
Ending: GOED prioritized follow‑up: workforce program output data for superintendent Wakefield and continued attention to county unemployment and retention work; no further board action was recorded in the transcript.