Tacoma Anchor Network tells EDC it is coordinating procurement, hiring and a safety collaborative

A city presentation to the Economic Development Committee described the Tacoma Anchor Network, a collaborative of large, place-based institutions that seeks to leverage collective purchasing and hiring power to benefit the local economy.

"By coming together, we leverage our collective spending power and hiring power to figure out how we can maximize positive impact on the local economy," the presenter said, describing a steering committee of anchor representatives, working groups for local procurement and hiring, and shared staffing. The network reports that Tacoma Community College recently hired a full-time staff person to support both the network and the Tacoma Community Safety Collaborative; the University of Washington Tacoma is leading data integration and hotspot analysis for the safety work.

The presenter outlined measurable aims such as aligning procurement data across partners to identify local spend and reducing procurement barriers so local vendors can compete more easily for institutional contracts. Anchor-led efforts highlighted included a local-hiring certification program at Bates and ongoing work with Tacoma Housing Authority on targeted safety improvements in Salishan. The presenter emphasized both the potential leverage of anchor institutions and operational challenges such as time constraints, data alignment difficulties and budget sustainability.

Council members expressed interest in engaging with the network and asked about how organizations join, membership dues, and the relationship between the anchor network and JMAC. The presenter said membership is by conversation with anchor staff, contributions are on a sliding scale and the network has room to grow in private-sector and philanthropic participation.

No formal action was taken; the committee received the update and several members expressed interest in further coordination with the anchor network.