Helping Communities Shine

Whether researching and implementing ways to shape a community's economic development plan or partnering to create ways to put people to work, CREC connects researchers and policymakers with:

• Data training
• Custom portfolios that aid regional competitiveness

Project Profile

Benchmarking the Arizona Commerce and Economic Development Commission

Arizona Commerce Authority
Start Date: Feb 2004 — End Date: Oct 2004

The Council for Community & Economic Research (C2ER) conducted a survey of the budget, governance structure, and incentive policies in all 50 states. C2ER staff compared how Arizona’s economic, workforce, tourism, and community development efforts are structured as compared with other states.

C2ER proposed a significant expansion in the state’s investment in economic development based on a comparison with peer states. The additional investment would help to ensure that Arizona remains competitive. C2ER also offered several alternatives for governing the agency. Arizona DOC leadership plans to use the study findings in their FY 2006 budget proposal as the state legislature debates the agency’s future.

About the Client

Arizona Commerce Authority

The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) is an aggressive new organization that has a laser focus on recruitment of quality companies and jobs for Arizona as well as the expansion of companies already here. The ACA, formerly the Arizona Department of Commerce, has been re-created as a streamlined, business-savvy organization focused on producing results that benefit businesses and the Arizona economy.