Message from the Mayor: It's time to JumpStart 2012 With a New Denver Jobs Plan

Today I launched JumpStart 2012, a new strategic plan for creating jobs and growing Denver’s economy by focusing on world-class opportunities for Denver’s businesses, residents and neighborhoods.

To create a sustainable Denver, we must find new ways to strengthen the local market. Through JumpStart 2012, we will be revving up Denver’s economic engine to drive private sector growth and job creation throughout the City.

The JumpStart 2012 strategic plan identifies major, immediate steps the Denver Office of Economic Development will take this year to bolster business development, community lending and investment and workforce development.

With this strategy, we are charting a new, more targeted, course for economic development in Denver, one that will provide more accountability and better customer service. JumpStart 2012 goes beyond infrastructure and buildings – it’s a pathway to strong families, integrated communities and self-sufficiency.

JumpStart 2012 outlines seven pillars of initiatives, goals and partners that we will collaborate with to implement the plan.

These pillars are:

· Business Retention – Retain and strengthen Denver-based companies.

· Small Business Advocacy – Create an environment to help small business thrive through collaboration between public, private and nonprofit sectors.

· Business Recruitment – Increase the number and quality of companies that relocate to Denver.

· Sustainable Neighborhood Development – Drive strategic investment in neighborhoods hardest hit by the recession to develop eco-friendly affordable housing and sustainable economic development.

· Business Lending – Make the Business Lending Program a key tool for advancing economic development strategy.

· Key Strategic Projects – Execute strategic projects and small business opportunity initiatives to maximize the positive economic impact on the City of Denver.

· Workforce Development – Establish Denver as the city with the most highly skilled and productive workforce.

Also today, I received a set of recommendations from Tom Clark, CEO of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp., and a volunteer team of regional economic development professionals to improve the Denver Office of Economic Development. These suggestions will help us sharpen the OED’s tools and more efficiently execute the agency’s strategies.

To build on the JumpStart 2012 foundation, I will also work with the OED to develop a long-term economic strategy that we will roll-out this year to guide the City’s priorities and work for years to come.

CLICK HERE to read the full JumpStart 2012 report.

I look forward to continuing to work with you to strengthen our local business environment and deliver a world-class city where everyone matters.

Respectfully,

Michael B. Hancock

Mayor