EDASC's Leadership Skagit prime example of capacity building

Economic development can take many forms, and for Economic Development Week, May 4-8, we’ll be sharing some of the ways in which EDASC applies economic development practices to the needs of businesses and the community.

EDASC is proud of its longest running program, Leadership Skagit, which graduated its first class in 2004. It is a prime example of capacity building.

Since the beginning, EDASC has partnered with Skagit Valley College to provide top-level curriculum. Leadership Skagit is the only leadership development program in the state to offer college credit. 

With more than 600 program graduates over 22 years, it’s not hard to find Leadership Skagit alumni working and volunteering in every sector of the county. Participants come away with a strong professional network, which both native Skagitonians and those newer to the community have found invaluable, whether for making new business connections or collaborating on a civic project.

“After recently moving to Skagit County, I quickly benefited from the connections I made through my Leadership Skagit cohort,” said EDASC Deputy Director Ken Huste. “Economic development is fundamentally about connecting businesses and organizations with the right people and resources, and Leadership Skagit immediately immersed me in an incredible local network. It gave me a head start on building relationships that might otherwise have taken months – or even years – to develop.”

The program’s “Challenge Days” focus on different sectors of the community, from ecology to healthcare to the arts. Economic Vitality Day highlights the breadth of the county’s economic activity, including small businesses (nearly 99% of all businesses are small businesses in Skagit County), global innovators and synergistic partnerships. 

EDASC plays an important role in Economic Vitality Day, with EDASC CEO John Sternlicht sharing with the class facets of local economic development and how EDASC serves the business community. Other economic development partners, such as the Port of Skagit and chambers of commerce also participate in the learning day.

EDASC plays an important role in every Leadership program day as EDASC’s Community Relations Associate Gina Eakin manages the administration and operations for the program and is integral in all aspects of planning and executing the program. She is also a graduate of the program.