Description

This annual event features an economic development keynote speaker and the release of our 2023 Economic Vitality Index (EVI). This important report takes weeks to produce and displays key economic data for our region as well as gives an inside look at trends and challenges.

Keynote Speakers:

• Chris Green, Assistant Director, Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness​
  • Chris Green joined the Department of Commerce in 2015 as assistant director for the Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness, which includes the international trade, business recruitment/retention and rural economic development units.
     
  • Chris previously served for seven years as vice president for business retention and expansion at the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County. Before that, he worked in government relations for several elected officials, including former U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, former Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer. Chris earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Pacific Lutheran University and a master’s of business administration from the University of Washington. He and his wife, Shannon, live in Tacoma with their three children. Learn more here.

• Jacob L. Vigdor, Ph.D., Professor of Public Policy and Governance, University of Washington

  • Professor Vigdor holds affiliations as a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, an adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, and an external fellow at the Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration at University College London. At the Evans School, he specializes in teaching quantitative methods, with an emphasis on techniques for inferring the causal impact of policy interventions. 

     

    Professor Vigdor has published more than 60 scholarly articles and reviews on a range of topics in social policy, including education policy, immigration policy, housing policy, and racial and economic inequality. With co-authors, he has twice been awarded the Raymond Vernon Memorial Prize for best article published in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management. Professor Vigdor received a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University in 1999 and a BS in Policy Analysis from Cornell University in 1994. Learn more here.

All guests are required to pre-register for this event. There will be no options to pay at the door and walk-ins will not be allowed. To register, click the green 'Register' button on this page and follow the prompts. 

Cancellations/Substitutions: If you register for the event but are unable to attend, Greater Grays Harbor is still responsible for the cost of your luncheon/event reservation. If unable to attend, substitutions are welcome any time prior to the event date. Registrants are responsible for the full event fee for any cancellation made after 5pm, seven days prior to the event. Registration fees will not be refunded or waived after that date. No-shows will be charged the full registration fee.

Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, TwinStar Credit Union and Economic Vitality Index Sponsor, Quinault Indian Nation!