Build & Grow Relationships

The best policies are based on data-driven research, using engaged, diverse stakeholders and by fostering thought that motivates people to think regionally. It is a process that CREC has done successfully since 2009, and it has helped expand our client base and grow communities. Clients vary from single municipalities and private-sector firms:

• Cities • Think tanks
• States • National organizations

Client Profile

Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA)

OEA is the DoD’s field organization responsible for supporting state and local governments to respond to major defense program changes.

OEA assists the military services to:

  • Develop enduring relationships with states and communities
  • Create compatible land use procedures in partnership with local communities, allowing military services to conduct realistic testing and training
  • Engage local community leaders to ensure services are available to military personnel and their families

OEA assists states and communities to:

  • Use technical and financial assistance to plan and develop local adjustment strategies
  • Engage the private sector in order to plan and undertake community economic development and base redevelopment
  • Work with military departments in support of DoD missions

Website: www.oea.gov

Project Catalogue

Assessing and Evaluating the Defense Industry Resiliency Program (IRP)
Start Date: Nov 2015 — End Date: Jun 2020

CREC and EntreWorks Consulting provided technical assistance for the OEA by assessing and evaluating the design and effects of OEA’s Defense Industry Resiliency Program (IRP) and the assistance that its grantees provide to defense-dependent communities, workers, and businesses.  CREC and EntreWorks worked closely with OEA management and personnel to conduct a comprehensive effort that integrates […]

Project Updates

Collaborating with the Manufacturing Extension Partnership National Network to Reach the Defense Supply Chain Webinar
January 9, 2020

CREC hosted the second webinar in its cybersecurity series to discuss the DoD’s effort to leverage the network of Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers to build awareness among defense suppliers about cybersecurity requirements and compliance. Through an inter-agency agreement (between NIST and DoD), the DoD’s Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSDR&E) […]

OEA Support for Defense Supply Chains Feedback Webinar
December 20, 2019

OEA engaged the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) and Entreworks Consulting to review various efforts funded by the OEA Industry Resilience program to strengthen the manufacturing supply chains and strengthen the defense industrial base in your regions and states. This webinar included a briefing on the paper developed outlining these activities, OEA Support for Defense Supply Chains: Many Successes and Lessons Learned, followed by an opportunity for discussion and comments. 

New NDIA Report Explores Cyber Threats and Responses in the Defense Industry
November 24, 2019

CREC hosted a webinar to discuss the National Defense Industry Association’s recent paper “Beyond Obfuscation: The Defense Industry’s Position within Federal Cybersecurity Policy” (https://www.ndia.org/policy/cyber/2019-cybersecurity-report). This report examines recent cyberbreaches, the evolving regulatory environment governing cybersecurity, and analyzes a survey of 300 defense suppliers and their experiences with cybersecurity. Furthermore, the report provides recommendations for government and industry based on their findings.

OEA Industry Resilience Grants Project Wisconsin Site Visit
March 18, 2019

As part of the OEA Industry Resilience Grants project (Formerly OEA – Defense Industry Adjustment), Cathy Katona and Mereb Hagos conducted a site visit to Fond de Lac and Oshkosh Wisconsin to meet with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (ECWRPC) to close out their OEA grant. They […]

CREC Staff Meets with NYSTAR
March 18, 2019

As part of the OEA Industry Resilience Grants project (Formerly OEA – Defense Industry Adjustment), Mark Troppe and Lee Winkler traveled to Albany New York, to meet with the Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), who manages the state’s MEP centers. The group discussed NYSTAR’s efforts to work with the regional […]

OEA Webinar: Cybersecurity Requirements for Defense Contractors
April 27, 2018

The Department of Defense’s Cybersecurity requirements were a hot topic at the recent DIA Learning Community Convening in Arlington, VA. The deadline for compliance has passed but many suppliers are still uncertain how to meet the requirements. DOD requirements for cybersecurity are far-reaching and impact suppliers at all tiers in the supply chain. This OEA-DIA […]