The Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference (SWAMC) is a non-profit regional economic development organization for Southwest Alaska. Agnew::Beck was hired to help SWAMC update the SWAMC Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). The CEDS, which is required by the Economic Development Administration (EDA), guides SWAMC’s efforts and provides staff with the background and direction they need for working with partners, allocating funding and prioritizing efforts that support economic development in the region. The document provides an overview of economic indicators and identifies projects and actions that will support economic development and increase regional wealth in Southwest Alaska. The CEDS aims to highlight the region’s economic development strengths, challenges and opportunities and proposes strategies and actions that enhance the economic development potential of Southwest Alaska. The CEDS is updated every five years; the 2014-2019 CEDS built upon the efforts of previous CEDS planning efforts. Many organizations, businesses and individuals contributed to the content and provided feedback on the CEDS, including the SWAMC Board, the SWAMC Business Council, participants at the SWAMC Annual Economic Summit and Business Meeting, and public comments received during a 30-day public review period. The CEDS (pdf available here) was completed in July 2014.
