ENDOW Releases Diversification Recommendations
Written by Andrew-Rossi on January 5, 2018
Recommendations from a group created by Gov. Matt Mead to explore how Wyoming can diversify its economy beyond fossil fuels include state investment in infrastructure, new business development and education, as well as workforce training.
The ENDOW executive council released its preliminary findings and recommendations after months of meetings, including a visit to Cody and Powell in July. ENDOW is short for the group’s formal name – Economically Needed Diversity Options for Wyoming. Their findings concluded that the state’s money would be spent best improving and expanding air service and broadband capabilities around the state.
Additional recommendations focused on providing equitable opportunities for students to learn computer science, improving higher education attainment and retention of graduates, and allocating resources for workforce training.
All those recommendations fall into line with what the CEO of the Wyoming Business Council considers key to economic diversity – cooperation between agencies. At a listening session in Cody in July, Shawn Reese said that while the Business Council has been working towards solving the puzzle of economic diversification, the ENDOW council was born out of the realization that it’s going to take more than just one entity to get the job done.
The council’s recommendations would require $36.35 million, and will be considered by the Legislature, which meets next month.
