Notes from the CEO
Education is a Cornerstone of Regional Economic Development
In today’s Sacramento Business Journal appears an opinion piece, authored by volunteer leaders of the Sacramento Metro Chamber, SACTO, SARTA and LEED, that is a direct result of LEED’s December 9, 2011 Convergence event, which focused on higher education. The event featured Chancellor Linda Katehi of UC Davis, President Alexander Gonzalez of Sacramento State University and Chancellor Brice Harris of the Los Rios Community College District.
I encourage all of you to read it and open a dialouge about this topic. I really do believe that education must be a top priority for business leaders and regional civic and economic development organizations in the Capital Region. This article firmly positions the need for adequate and appropriate support for public education, combined with policy reforms that promote entrepreneurism and business formation, as a critical component for regional economic prosperity.
My favorite quote from the piece reads as follows:
Too many of our policy makers make the mistake of thinking they only have two levers to pull when attempting to balance their budgets — cutting expenses and raising taxes. They forget they also have a very valuable accelerator at their disposal to grow our collective economic pie. By investing more in education and creating a regulatory and tax climate that promotes and encourages entrepreneurial activity and business formation, California can once again lead the nation in the competition for good jobs.
Read the entire article here. Do you agree? I’d love to hear your feedback.
James E. Beckwith
President & CEO
Five Star Bank
jbeckwith@fivestarbank.com
