The CEPCO Board of Directors met on December 2^nd of 2010, looking to the upcoming year for CEPCO.  President/CEO Bob Linscheid presented the 2011-2012 goals for CEPCO to the board.  This document can be downloaded here.  Some highlights from the presentation include:

• Initiatives focus on long-term, sustainable results, aimed at building Chico's competitive advantage. These will seek to:
• GROW our region's own businesses and economy.
• BUILD our region's Talent Base.
• PARTNERSHIPS within the region to lead to investment.
• CEPCO will develop three major initiatives: Investment, Cluster Development, and Talent Mobilization Strategy. 
• The Job Creation Committee has been re-branded as the Chico Innovation Council.  The Council will serve as an advisory body to the iHub and Innovation Lab programs as well as continuing its prior mission.
• In 2011 the Ag Council will be re-deployed.  Food manufacturing and agricultural production represents a large portion of the local economy and has the potential for significant growth and technological advancement.  The Council will reinforce CEPCO's commitment to Agri-Business and will work in concordance with the Chico Innovation Council and other CEPCO committees.

• Enloe has also done a very good job filling its need for physicians.  Physician recruitment was highlighted as a major emphasis to combat a potential shortfall of 40-60 physicians in years to come.  The economic impact of recruiting physicians to Chico and retaining them is substantial.

 Perhaps more than any single issue, Talent will dominate the immediate horizon for CEPCO.  Linscheid stressed that the importance of developing and retaining local talent "cannot be underestimated."  CEPCO will be forming short duration task forces to implement strategy. Rick Hubbard (CSU Chico) and Linda Zorn (Butte College) will be leading the charge on this topic.  There is more interest now than ever in partnership development between the public and private sectors, and CEPCO will be at the forefront with these initiatives.

President Linscheid proposed the Board endorse reforming the City Commissions appointment system.  Linscheid recommended endorsing a plan proposed by councilman-elect Mark Sorensen for City Council members to appoint Commission seats.  This would make City committee seats, such as on the Architectural Review Board and the Planning Commission appointed by City Council members themselves.  The appointees would then serve "at the pleasure" of the Council members, making them directly responsible for the activities of their appointees and the appointees answerable to their Council sponsors.  Long-time City of Chico employee Fred Davis stated that "the present system stinks."  A long, drawn-out and frequently "humiliating" process, several board members expressed concern that the system weeds out potentially good candidates. Jim Morgan (Associate Dean, College of Business) lamented that while the current system of citizens volunteering themselves for service on the Commissions and then being confirmed after questioning before the council was open and democratic, it has not been effective in achieving positive results.  Fred Davis motioned the board accept Linscheid's proposal to endorse the "Sorensen Plan", Tim Tittle seconded, and the motion carried unopposed.  The City Council recently took up the issue and CEPCO will be keeping tabs on the process.

The Chico Innovation Council (formerly Job Creation Committee) met on November 19^th with a number of our collaborating organizations including Chico State, Butte College, Chico Unified School District, California Faculty Association, Academic Professional of California, Valley Contractors Exchange, Chico Chamber of Commerce to expand its ongoing efforts in the community relative to Talent Mobilization Strategy and our plans for 2011.    

In the words of technology consultant and CSU Chico faculty member Rick Hubbard, the Council will work to bridge the gap between demand for workers with particular skill sets and the graduates coming out of our local educational institutions. 

Dean Mike Ward (CSU Chico College of Engineering, Computer Science and Construction Management) gave an update on the ongoing Sonoma State and Chico State Business and Engineering Initiative.  "We're better off working together than separately," stated Ward.  The collaboration is centered around the differing strengths of each school, with particular emphasis on computer graphics, animation, and engineering.  Rick Hubbard chimed in that the project was aimed at building "wet-ware", techie talk for quality human workers, and providing opportunities to bring skills and ideas to market more effectively than each school could on its own.

Educational development was a prime point of discussion.  Dean Ward reiterated that math, science and critical thinking skills are vital to all of the skill-sets innovators are seeking and companies in Chico need.  Quite simply, the better students are at these skills, the more likely they are to succeed.  He emphasized the need to reach out to young women at an early age, informing them of the opportunities math and sciences present them. Linda Zorn of Butte College reminded everyone that even though technology has changed the way we conceptualize math, students "still need to be able to understand the concepts behind their hand-held devices."  Ed Hohberg of Landacorp stated "one of the benefits of math isn't knowing calculus - it's a thought process, creative thinking, using a critical process."  He added that students "need to be able to learn the technology of tomorrow" because businesses really only know what they need at the moment.  It's up to students to equip themselves with the ability and passion to learn.  As Bob Linscheid put it, "we need to promote creativity and increase its role in the community, creativity fuels innovation."  The Chico Innovation Council will seek to implement policies and recommend action steps to instill this value for learning, adaptability, and critical thinking into our community. 

Particular steps under consideration in 2011:

• Increase efforts to offer externships to local professors and high school teachers.  Relevant and forward looking courses should be taught with real-world economic implications.
• Cooperate and Collaborate with the Chico Chamber of Commerce Education Committee to enhance student involvement with and awareness of local business, particularly in the innovation and sustainability sectors. 
• Increase opportunities for students (K-12, JC, University) and alumni to tour local business facilities.  Promote field trips!  Get students and faculty out in the field exposing them to local businesses, innovators, and educational opportunities.
 
• K-12 engagement must include the rapidly increasing home-schooled demographic, an under-recruited yet impactful group of students.Stress should be given to getting parents involved in their children's education, getting them to be positive examples of passionate learning for their children. 
 
• Refocus on Innovation as a means to build our economy
• Develop a relationship between business and agriculture
• Support development of ideas that yield a positive economic outcome
• Continue to work with the University, Golden Capital Network and other partners on the Innovation Lab as part of the North State iHub program.

The Chico Innovation Council, chaired by Courtney Nelson of Bidwell Insurance, will reconvene on Thursday January 6, 7:30 a.m. in the Chamber Conference room to discuss the 2011 agenda including the promotion of manufacturing space at the Chico Municipal Airport and a proposal to participate in the Aviation Industry Trade Show in February.