Juneau Economic Development Council NEWS | October 13, 2014

Juneau Senior Housing & Services Demand Study Released - Presentation tomorrow!

JEDC has released the Juneau Senior Housing and Senior Services Demand Study completed by Agnew::Beck Consulting and Northern Economics last week. The report estimates current gaps and forecasts the demand for housing and services needed by Juneau's seniors in the coming decades. The study's goals were to estimate the number of Juneau residents that need and are likely to move into assisted living if it were available, as well as educate the public about senior housing and services available in Juneau, waiting lists, costs, barriers to development, projected needs, and business opportunities to serve Juneau's retirees and elderly.

An overview of the report and updates on other Juneau housing initiatives will be hosted by JEDC on October 15 at 3:00PM at KTOO's @360 room at 360 Egan Drive in Juneau.

The six-month project determined the market demand for senior assisted living in Juneau supports an additional 56 units or beds today, with market demand for total beds projected to be 380 by 2042. Analytical factors included State of Alaska population projections, the current use of senior housing and supportive services by age ranges, personal and household income data for Juneau, cost sensitivity analysis, the results of a 2010 Senior Survey completed by the Juneau Commission on Aging, and real-time preference polling at a community workshop held in Juneau in July 2014.

Some of the report's key findings are:

State of Alaska population projections show Juneau's 85+ year old residents increasing from 285 in 2014 to 1,383 in 2042.
91% of Juneau's current 85+ population use support services or reside in housing designed for the elderly.
The active wait list at the 48-bed Juneau Pioneer Home was 97 in May, with over 1500 on the inactive list.
All independent senior housing facilities have wait lists.
Juneau is estimated to have over 1,000 senior residents with Alzheimer's disease by 2042.

The report was commissioned by Senior Citizens Support Services, Inc. as part of its efforts to bring senior assisted living to Juneau, with financial support by the City and Borough of Juneau, the Alaska Mental Health Trust and with project management provided by JEDC.

See the full report here.

Juneau Welcomes Public Electric Vehicle Charging Station!

Juneau has an electric car charging station now installed at Eagle Beach. JEDC held a check presentation ceremony and demonstration at Eagle Beach to recognize and thank the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) for donating $5,000, making the installation possible.

The purchase and installation of charging stations in Juneau is part of the Electric Vehicle Initiative under the work of the Renewable Energy Cluster Working Group. Funding for the charging stations comes from a grant awarded to the Juneau Community Foundation, in partnership with CBJ and JEDC. Juneau Hydropower, IBEW, AEL&P, The Leighty Foundation, Stanley Ford, and the Juneau Community Foundation all stepped up to match the grant. Those working on the EV initiative hope that accessibility to charging stations will encourage more Juneauites to choose electric cars. Charging stations are also scheduled to be installed at Eaglecrest Ski Area, Marine Parking Garage, UAS, and eventually, the new Mendenhall Valley Library.

A member of the Thunder Mountain High School Robotics Club dressed up as a LEGO character to help set the mood at the Juneau FIRST LEGO League Kick Off.

Upcoming STEM Activities!

FIRSTŽ teams around the state are gearing up for another season of building, programming, and solving problems. This year's Jr. FIRST LEGO League (ages 6-8) and FIRST LEGO League (ages 9-14) teams will be developing creative ways to improve how we learn in the "Think Tank" and "World Class" challenge. Our high school teams are getting in the game too, engineering solutions to this year's "Cascade Effect" game.

With 18 events around the state, JEDC will need a volunteer crew of over 500 people to help celebrate the hard work of these teams. Want to get involved at an event in your area? Check out this year's schedule and help us celebrate the Alaska's next generation of scientists and engineers!

JEDC is extremely grateful to our lead STEM sponsors:

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE STILL AVAILABLE! Contact rsoza@jedc.org for more information.

The 2014 edition of the Juneau & Southeast Alaska Economic Indicators and Outlook report is now available for download on the JEDC website.

This publication was developed by JEDC with support from the City & Borough of Juneau and corporate partners. Through this and other research publications, JEDC hopes to increase awareness and engage citizens in local and regional economic issues. We are happy to present an overview to your organization, please call Eva at (907) 523-2339.

Featured Indicator:

Where Juneau Works

JEDC's featured indicator from the 2014 Juneau & Southeast Alaska Economic Indicators Report is Where Juneau Works. Fishing along with arts, entertainment and recreation are industry sectors in which the majority of participants are self-employed. Consequently, they are sectors of Juneau's economy that are not fully represented in earnings data tracked by the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. To get a complete picture of the diversity of Juneau's workforce, the employed and self-employed job count has been combined in the figure below.

Overall, the fishing industry contributes four percent of jobs, and Juneau's dependence on state government now decreases, from 23 percent of all jobs to 20 percent of employment. The largest four sectors, state government, local and tribal government, retail trade, health care and social services, together employ 49 percent of Juneau's workforce.

Source: Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, 2013 Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; US Census Bureau, 2012 Non-Employer Statistics, US Coast Guard FOIA

2015 Innovation Summit- Save the Date!

The 4th annual Innovation Summit, January 28-29, 2015, will be held at Centennial Hall. Start off your new year with new ideas-- this two day conference is unique because it brings Alaskan business leaders, organizations, educational institutions and policymakers together in a forum to share, collaborate and create innovative solutions to shared economic concerns in our region. Summit attendees will benefit from networking opportunities while creating opportunity for innovation within our regional economic community.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, or would like to more information on exhibition booths, contact Kristin McTague at kmctague@jedc.org or call (907)523-2323.

Registration will be available soon: http://www.jedc.org/innovation

JEDC headed to Iceland with Seafood Processors

The Alaska Division of Economic Development (DED) and JEDC is co-organizing a Trade Mission trip to Iceland from October 18-23. The trip is a result of the 2014 Innovation Summit, which brought guest speaker Thor Sigfusson, Manager and Founding Director of the Iceland Ocean Cluster, to Juneau to speak about value-added seafood products and the thriving Ocean Products Cluster in Iceland. The connections made at the Summit with members of the SE Alaska Oceans Product Cluster and the strong interest in capturing more value from our ocean harvests, prompted the State to work with JEDC on organizing this trade mission. Eleven representatives of diverse firms working in the Oceans Sector in Alaska will be led by Matt Catterson of the Alaska DED and Brian Holst of JEDC.

Downtown Revitalization

The Willoughby District group met for a quarterly Stakeholder Meeting. JEDC facilitates these meetings in order to work towards implementing the CBJ Willoughby District Plan and encouraging development by sharing information about activities in the district. The meeting featured Tyler Myers sharing plans on Foodland IGA's remodel plans, and Rorie Watt, CBJ Engineering, who discussed progress of Juneau's Seawalk, as well as plans for the Whale Sculpture. Winners of the Storefront Star Award were introduced to the group and sponsors were thanked for their support.

Other downtown revitalization efforts include the Winter Windows. JEDC is collaborating with CBJ, the Alaska Committee, the Downtown Business Association, Tourism Best Management Practices, and Princess Cruises to help keep Downtown Juneau attractive all year round. Representatives from these organizations hit the streets reminding seasonal business owners to leave a display in their window. Not only is it required by city code to leave window displays that offer year-round interest, it also makes downtown Juneau feel safer and more comfortable. JEDC is planning a return walk this winter to take pictures of the displays and highlight the best winter windows.

Juneau Economic Plan To Be Discussed at Town Meetings

JEDC Investor Spotlight!

JEDC's featured investor is the University of Alaska Southeast, Alaska's go-to university for future educators, business owners and administrators both on-campus and on-line. UAS is also known for world class climate change research and marine mammal studies, and home to the Alaska Center for Mine training and other vocational-technical programs. We thank UAS for supporting JEDC as a Gold Level Investor. Whether you want to run a business, teach in a classroom, or immerse yourself in glacial or ocean research, UAS has the major for you. Academics and adventure await! To learn more, go to http://www.uas.alaska.edu/.

JEDC Welcomes New Employee Kristin McTague!

JEDC is pleased to welcome Kristin McTague to her new position as Events & Communications Officer. Kristin recently moved back to Juneau after 17 years of moving from coast to coast, due to her husband's job with the Coast Guard. Kristin worked in the field of Development for the University of Baltimore, UC Berkeley School of Public Health, and for the Little Sisters of the Poor (in Baltimore), then after taking a few years off to raise her two daughters, she worked at the private day school where both her daughters attended. In April 2014, her husband, Brian, retired after serving 22 years with the United States Coast Guard. They packed all of their household goods and arrived in Juneau a few weeks before school started.

A graduate of the University of Montana, Kristin holds a BA in Political Science and Communications. She received her Masters of Arts and Teaching from the University of Alaska Southeast (and she completed her student teaching at JDHS!) In her free time, she enjoys running, teaching Pilates classes, and spending time with her family. Kristin's main focus for the next several months will be helping JEDC plan the 4th annual Innovation Summit. We are very excited to have her with us.

Current Board of Directors Openings

The Juneau Economic Development Council has annual openings on its Board of Directors. JEDC Board members are recommended to the CBJ Assembly by the current JEDC Board and then appointed by the CBJ Assembly based upon their experience and expertise in fields relating to economic development, including but not limited to large and small business, entrepreneurship, mining, ocean products, tourism, research, banking and finance, engineering and construction, and government.

For an appointment of three years starting on/about November 2014, there are three seats available: Two open seats and one seat reserved for a person representing a non-profit environmental organization. Interested persons should send a letter of interest to JEDC Executive Director, Brian Holst, bholst@jedc.org, or call 523-2333 for more information.

Applicants will need to complete an application form which can be downloaded here, and also submit a brief letter of qualifications. Applications can be sent to the City Clerk or to JEDC. The deadline for applying is Monday, October 27. Interested candidates should plan on participating in interviews with current members of the JEDC Board on Wednesday, October 29, starting at 8AM.