The Central Alberta Economic Partnership (CAEP) released its 2009-10 annual report and announced its strategic direction for the coming year at its annual general meeting at the Black Knight Inn recently.
CAEP chair Al Kemmere, reeve of Mountain View County, outlined the organization’s 2010-11 Strategic Priorities as focusing on:
• supporting community investment readiness
• coordinating regional economic development strategies; and,
• increasing marketing and advocacy efforts to support economic development in Central Alberta.
In addition to these strategic priorities, key initiatives in the 2010-2011 operational plan include: labour force development, regional transportation, foreign direct investment and economic immigration, the annual achievement awards, and website initiatives.
Kemmere commended the 57 members of the alliance for their collaboration in completing 43 videos of CAEP member communities now available on CAEP-tv and for their work over the past year in developing strategies for regional transportation and foreign direct investment.
In addition, CAEP supports its members through community business and economic development training, labour force development activities, community readiness, marketing and research.
CAEP operates with funding from its members and support from Alberta Finance and Enterprise as well as other provincial and federal government departments, which fund specific projects.
The annual general meeting also included presentations on high speed rail by Alberta Transportation and by researcher and award-winning author Dr. Anthony Perl of Simon Fraser University.
Founded in 1998, CAEP is a regional economic development alliance of 42 Municipal/Indian Band members and 15 associate organizations that models, represents, and supports collaborative regional economic development to sustain and develop the long-term economic viability of Central Alberta