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Committee refers $120,000 ARPA award to regional aerospace sustainability group
Summary
The committee voted to refer a $120,000 ARPA request from the Arizona Alliance (presented as an aerospace/aviation organizational sustainability effort) to the full council for second reading; presenters cited job creation and capital investment metrics and asked for county support to stabilize the organization’s operations.
The Cuyahoga County Economic Development & Planning Committee on Jan. 27 favorably referred Resolution 20250004, recommending a sum not to exceed $120,000 from District 2 ARPA funds to the Arizona Alliance for organizational sustainability and capacity building.
Rishu Mahalaha, introduced as executive director, said the organization has been working to grow the aerospace and aviation economy around the county airport and NASA Glenn Research Center. Mahalaha presented metrics listing roughly 1,600 jobs created or retained, about $43 million in payroll and $73 million in capital investment attributable to the initiative’s regional work, and said the Alliance seeks funds to diversify revenue (private sector, philanthropy, federal grants) and to pursue federal funding opportunities.
Councilman Miller framed the request as building on recent momentum and partnerships with regional economic development institutions; Miller moved to refer the resolution to full council for second reading and the committee approved the referral.
Mahalaha and council members discussed performance targets; presenters said the Alliance will measure success by organizational sustainability (funding diversification), job metrics and industry engagement. The referral sends the measure to the full council, where the required three readings must be completed before a final award.
