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Economic development director previews five‑year strategic plan; consultants, surveys and outreach detailed
Summary
Economic Development Director Johanna Nelson updated the commission on a 5‑year economic strategy: the effort began in February, involved WSP and Leland Consulting, collected about 1,000 community survey responses, engaged roughly 65 partner organizations, and aims for adoption in September with a set of seven to nine tasks to complete.
Johanna Nelson, director of the Economic Development and Creative Industries division, gave the commission a status update on a five‑year economic development strategic plan. She said the office began work in February, engaged WSP as the prime consultant with Leland Consulting as a subcontractor, and has organized roughly seven to nine tasks to complete the plan with a target for adoption in September.
Nelson said staff had reached out to more than 65 economic development organizations and partners and that a community survey received about 1,000 responses — figures Nelson used to justify the project's public engagement and data inputs. She also described work with Ernst & Young data analysis, targeted industry interviews, and coordination with the Santa Fe Forward land‑use effort to identify 'opportunity areas' and inform a final action plan.
Commissioners asked about how nodes/opportunity areas would be identified and whether traffic and land‑use code updates would be coordinated; Nelson and staff said they would incorporate land‑use and general plan teams, share the consultant draft when available, and welcome commissioner feedback. She also noted an ongoing trade port grant application around the airport as an example of parallel grant opportunities being pursued by the office.
Nelson closed by emphasizing public feedback opportunities and the plan's role in shaping investments and code updates: "Our work is really focused in making sure that our economy is thriving, we're diversified, we're strong, and we have equitable opportunities for our residents," she said.
