To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Economic Development Collaborative
Staff Name and Phone Number: Ethan Brown (707) 565-7170
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Economic Development Collaborative Advisory Boards
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a Resolution to dissolve the Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) Advisory Board and the Creative Sonoma Advisory Board.
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Executive Summary:
The Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) and Creative Sonoma Advisory Boards were established to provide community expertise, guidance, and additional capacity for the County’s economic and creative development efforts. Since then, EDC’s staffing, programs, and organizational structure have grown significantly, and the County’s transition to a Chief Executive Officer model now provides more direct executive oversight and strategic guidance.
The EDC Advisory Board also substantially overlaps with the Economic Development Board Foundation (EDBF), an independent nonprofit created to support EDC initiatives. Historically, the same individuals have served on both boards, creating unclear and duplicative roles.
Following a broader evaluation conducted with an organizational consultant and advisory board members, staff recommend dissolving both the EDC and Creative Sonoma advisory boards. The EDBF will continue as a supporting partner, while EDC may convene short-term working groups and advisory committees when focused community input or subject-matter expertise is needed.
Discussion:
Background and Evolution of EDC
The EDC Advisory Board was established when the department had limited staffing and internal economic development expertise. For many years, EDC’s day-to-day work was primarily managed by its director. During that period, an appointed advisory body provided valuable additional capacity by helping shape programs, serving as an ambassador to the business community, and advising the County on economic development priorities.
That model began to change following the Board of Supervisors’ 2011 approval of the Economic Development and Jobs Plan. In 2012, EDC added 2.5 full-time equivalent management-level positions to expand its direct work with businesses and the community. These positions supported business retention and expansion, market intelligence and business assistance, and assistance to entrepreneurs navigating regulatory requirements and accessing outside resources.
EDC’s responsibilities continued to grow in subsequent years. Its services now include support for underserved and Spanish-speaking businesses, workforce development assistance, expanded economic research, Creative Sonoma’s work to strengthen the creative economy, and support for Countywide priorities through EDC’s Special Projects division.
As EDC developed greater professional capacity, responsibility for managing its programs and operations increasingly shifted to departmental staff and County leadership. The County’s transition to a Chief Executive Officer model has further clarified this responsibility by providing EDC with direct executive oversight, strategic guidance, and coordination with other County departments.
Although members of the EDC Advisory Board remain supportive of the department’s mission and work, the evolution of the department has made the board’s role less clear. Members advise staff but do not have responsibility for managing the department or directing its programs.
A similar issue has developed with the Creative Sonoma Advisory Board, which was established in 2015 to help incubate Creative Sonoma as a new division in the department, as well as establish its role as the County’s official arts agency. Originally envisioned to become a stand-alone nonprofit, the Board of Supervisors voted on August 1st, 2017 to maintain it within the County structure and as a division of the EDC, making the separate advisory body somewhat redundant. As with the EDC Advisory, Creative Sonoma’s appointed members strongly support Creative Sonoma’s mission and provide valuable connections to the creative community, but the board does not have authority over the division’s programs, projects, or operations.
Overlap Between the Advisory Board and Foundation
In 2001, EDC-then known as the Economic Development Board-created the Economic Development Board Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization intended to support the department’s economic development initiatives. The County provides staff support to the Foundation through a memorandum of understanding.
Historically, the members of the EDC Advisory Board have also served as the directors of the EDBF. This arrangement created two bodies with substantially the same membership and similar roles in supporting EDC and informing its work. It also made it difficult for members, staff, and the public to distinguish between the County advisory body and the independent nonprofit organization.
Over the past year, EDC staff and board members have worked to strengthen the Foundation and clarify its purpose. New bylaws provide for a more intentional approach to recruiting directors from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Separating the Foundation from the County advisory board will allow it to broaden its membership, focus on its nonprofit mission, and more effectively support economic development initiatives.
Future Engagement Model
Dissolving the two standing advisory boards does not end EDC’s engagement with businesses, creative professionals, community organizations, or other economic development partners. Instead, it creates a more flexible model in which the form of engagement can be matched to the issue being considered.
Under the proposed model:
• EDC will remain directly accountable to the Chief Executive Officer and the Board of Supervisors for its programs, priorities, and performance.
• The EDBF will continue as a nonprofit partner supporting EDC’s economic development mission, including through strategic guidance, partnerships, events, fundraising, and other activities consistent with its bylaws.
• EDBF meetings will continue to be publicly noticed, and members of the public will be welcomed and encouraged to participate.
• Similar to existing practice for projects like the Fire Memorial or departmental strategic planning efforts, EDC may establish short-term working groups or advisory committees to address specific programs, industries, or community needs. These groups can be structured to include the expertise, perspectives, and communities most relevant to the issue under consideration.
Over the next year, EDC will work with the Foundation to evaluate its funding model, the number and type of events it sponsors, and opportunities to strengthen and diversify support for economic development programming. EDC will also draw on the Foundation’s strategic guidance as the department reviews its core programs and future priorities.
The proposed structure recognizes the important contributions of both advisory boards while adapting EDC’s community engagement model to the department as it operates today. It will clarify accountability, eliminate overlapping responsibilities, broaden opportunities for participation, and allow EDC to use the time and expertise of community volunteers more effectively.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
None
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
N/A
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Resolution to Dissolve EDC and Creative Sonoma Advisory Boards
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None