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A blueprint for profession creation and economic recovery in Southwest Washington and Clark country keyed to technology research, renewable energy, industrial berth evolving and a regional approach to advancing was unveiled in Vancouver on Wednesday. But those credit charge of persuasive the initiative forward say it may take years.

Population growth, which drove the region's economy in the past, is "fundamentally changed," Bart Phillips, honcho of the Columbia River Economic Development Council, told an turnout of several hundred during a membership lunch at the Hilton Vancouver Washington.

"The downturn is here in spades," Phillips said. "It's heathen now the nearly 30,000 people out of work. The economic driver going forward over the near five to seven years will not be a return to population growth, but instead it will be career growth."

Facing the worst downturn over the early 1980s when the unfolding council was champion organized, its bludgeon set out this fall to identify economic and business trends in the region and recommend ways to advance economic retrieval. To that end, council staff hosted 14 separate industry and business focus sessions that brought 85 kinsfolk together in derisory discussion groups.

"We were looking whereas too many opportunities to participate in serving the county forward," said Kelly McDonald, development council makin's chairman. "In the past we've left much of this bag to the staff. We stand together that we avidity to be more engaged as an organization in what's rush on. To that work out we're going to aid the talents on this board."

McDonald spoken the council expects to push on its basic job recruitment and lobbying efforts in the explicate Legislature on good of energy besides industry, but it also will focus on five further initiatives. Those include a renewed emphasis on development of an innovation technology center and business park on the Washington represent University Vancouver campus. The belt would nurture a larger cluster of tech employers here in authority to semiconductor again other tech traverse and development.

First step

Two years ago, the university won funding to accommodate an electrical engineering material in Vancouver and also strengthen indubitable affinity with the Washington Technology Center in Seattle. Land on the north edge of the Salmon Creek WSUV campus was designated an innovation zone, seen as a first step toward developing a research-oriented business park.

The council also intends to push for a deeper passage to land-use management geared to job growth, moderately than population growth. That effort bequeath require an inventory of the region's industrial land base again dialogue seeing how nonpareil to mention that accommodate for development.

The council expects to publician a summit of elected officials and others from throughout Southwest Washington early coming up year to consider a broader and additional collaborative marketing and job-recruitment strategy through the region.

It also will observe the creation of a private equity wealth to support foremost advancement projects of the region's businesses imprint the face of a decline in inborn bank lending.

Phillips vocal the council part will consult with progress on the vim at early every quarter.

"We can't affect the macro economic orbit that we're in, but we can involve how we recover … not so much when, but how," he said. "Right now, we're down and it looks like a recovery will act for slow, but valid will be a retaliated effort."

Eric Fuller, a petition real estate broker, was encouraged by the CREDC plan.

"This is going to impersonate fruitful on all fronts … cache the support of the members, this will move forward," Fuller said.

John McKibbin, a developer and invalid Clark County commissioner, maxim challenges from the capital side.

"Money for innovation besides land for jobs are two issues," McKibbin said. "But we've got a afire organization that obligation deliver."

2009 record

Despite a weak economy that slowed economic reinforcing in Clark County, the council boasted of seven recruitment successes in the past year that brought a combined $72 million in business development and 167 direct jobs to the area.

"The dotage 2008 and 2009 were the slowest of the ended decade for the council," Phillips said. "While the fundamentals of economic development remain, we need to become more innovative if we want to exhibit as competitive due to feasible coming out the other side."

The development council operated this year with a issue of $850,000, a figure that commit drop to $803,000 notoriety 2010.