Committee chair opens Fresno hearing, panels urge sustained state funding and local capacity for Central Valley economic mobility

The select committee on economic mobility and investment held an informational hearing at Fresno State to examine how state, federal and philanthropic resources can better support inclusive economic development in the San Joaquin Valley. The committee chair opened the session by summarizing recent local investments — including downtown and infrastructure funding — and framed the hearing as a chance to learn from funders, researchers and community organizations.

Chet Hewitt, president and CEO of the Sierra Health Foundation, described the foundation’s portfolio of health‑focused economic investments — the San Joaquin Valley Health Fund, an impact investment fund and the Community Economic Mobilization Initiative (CME). He said those efforts represent roughly $40,000,000 aimed at expanding financing for microbusinesses, strengthening nonprofit capacity and supporting workforce development, and argued that economic strategies anchored in health outcomes can produce broader gains in community well‑being.

Manuel Pastor, a sociology professor participating remotely, urged attention to inequality as a drag on long‑term job and wage growth and said the Central Valley’s role as a growing share of the state’s children means policies must prioritize job quality, wage floors and community capacity. “Inequality is the Achilles heel of the state,” he said, arguing that technical and power‑building capacity for community‑based organizations is essential for…