The Valley of the Sun has tremendous potential to become the nations largest successful metro region if three key issues, small business development, high quality education, and a comprehensive transportation system are addressed in a comprehensive and systemic approach.

The fastest growing segment of this regions population is the Hispanic community, which must be embraced as a major contributing factor in the region. Small business has been the backbone of the region as throughout the United States. Ethnic minority businesses are quickly becoming the sustaining backbone of this valley’s economic engine. The single fastest growing business are Hispanic women owned businesses that are beginning to have a tremendous impact on the economy and the quality of life within the metro area. Many of these businesses are locating in the cores of cities and town. Particular attention must be given to the significant contributions the Hispanic owned business are making to revitalize the center core, which many studies have indicated are essential in order to sustain the healthy environment of a region. The cores of these cities and towns need to be cared for as the explosive growth continues to push the boundaries further and further away from their core. Hispanic’s are a huge untapped market in the home ownership, retail, and business sector. They have changed the way retailers; services providers and businesses have traditionally marketed their products and/or services. Poor public policy that attempts to separate the Hispanic community out of the mainstream will severely hamper the regions success.

A highly educated workforce is the foundation that drives all economic engines within a region. A serious effort has to be placed on accelerating the efforts to raise this regions national standing on education; Hispanic’s are over represented in high school drop rates and low student achievements. Hispanics are estimated to become forty percent of the regions population within just a few decades. Good public policy is necessary to educate the exploding Hispanic population by providing early childhood learning, high quality K-12 education system that not only addresses the high drop out rate of Hispanic students in high school, it also addresses the ever increasing academic achievement gap that continues to widen every year. Community colleges must diversify the curriculum to not only provide academic preparation for university education but to prepare students to enter the current and future workforce.

The third issue needing to be addressed to help the valley to reach it’s potential, as a large successful metro region is a comprehensive transportation system. This system requires an excellent highway, rail, and commuter system linking all of the communities, cities and towns within the region. Without this system the valley will be unable to provide the support for the economic development activities necessary to prosper to their fullest potential because alternative locations will be considered by key decision makers outside of the region.

The three-prong approach that includes ensuring a healthy small business community, good public policy for educating the future workforce and transportation to get them to those places within the region is essential to make the Valley of the Sun one of the nation’s most successful metro regions.

Sincerely,

Harry Garewal
President and CEO