Making History

Sixty Regional Coalitions Building America’s Future and a Good Jobs Economy

By Jon Schnur

September 2, 2022

Later this morning at the White House, 60 extraordinary, bipartisan regional coalitions (selected by the U.S. Department of Commerce from 529 applicants) will be honored by President Biden, Secretary Gina Raimondo and others for their work. 

Photo credit: Economic Development Administration

Each region has a deep, broad coalition with a specific plan to help build America’s future and global competitiveness, strengthen their local economy, and create thousands of local jobs, with a focus on their underserved (including rural) communities. Initial media reports will highlight how much funding will be awarded to the one-third of the coalitions for which the Biden Administration had enough funding to provide in its $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC). You can tune in to the announcement at 11am Eastern Standard Time at whitehouse.gov/live.

But the real story started in all 60 regions with strong local and state leadership before this important grant competition began – and that can continue to drive an inclusive local good jobs economy and America’s global competitiveness long after it ends. For sure, this innovative federal grant competition and the funds announced today by President Biden and Secretary Raimondo will accelerate progress enormously. But Secretary Raimondo has emphatically said that all 60 are “investment worthy” – and the materials accompanying today’s announcement from Commerce and the Economic Development Administration rightly highlight all of them.

Each coalition has selected an economic sector based on local assets, but that may be squandered without strong local leadership and coalitions – and a new type of economic and workforce development including catalytic investments in research & development, technology, and skills training. For example, many of these regions can revitalize historically important but now shrinking local manufacturing sectors – and build high-demand fields and good jobs including in aerospace, clean energy, and natural resources, such as environmentally sustainable forestry. Each coalition recognizes that competitiveness and equity are inextricably linked – and are finding ways to help ensure that underserved communities and populations are poised to help lead, contribute and benefit.

As many of you know, the non-profit organization I lead, America Achieves, and our partners have had the opportunity to partner with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Administration in supporting the work of all 60 coalitions. At a conference this summer in Washington, DC, that we helped convene, federal agencies, foundations, and other coalitions heard the stories and plans in each region, which left us with immense hope for the vibrant futures and healthy economies and communities they can build. 

My “ask” is that we not only honor these 60 coalitions building jobs and hope – but find ways to support them concretely because they are national leaders and models of the future for regions everywhere. In many cases, governors, state legislatures, counties, and private partners have committed matching funds in the coalitions’ grant applications; each should provide funding regardless of whether their local region won a large grant. Federal agencies and foundations came to learn about all 60 this summer; each should find ways to channel other federal and philanthropic funds to support this work. Congress should substantially expand funding for this work. The Administration should incorporate insights from these 60 coalitions into the implementation of crucial funding to be awarded through the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the recently enacted CHIPS and Science Act. Employers are playing central roles – and more should join them to help lead and benefit from this work. 

To the leaders and coalitions who are building the future: we send a huge heartfelt thank you for all you have done and will do for your community and our country. You are the future and an inspiration to us and so many others across the country. And to all of you: consider learning more about each of their proposals here.

In the coming weeks, we will use the Catalyze Blog as a platform for these coalitions, including to help them tell their own stories. We are also exploring ways we can support the coalitions to tap additional sources of funding, including the recent federal initiatives I mentioned above, the remaining American Rescue Plan funding, and the philanthropic sector. 

In the meantime, we want to congratulate President Biden, Secretary Raimondo and the EDA, Congress, and especially all 60 of these extraordinary local coalitions building local good jobs economies and America’s economic competitiveness and future.

Jon Schnur is the Chief Executive Officer of America Achieves