In her first newsletter to the city, which calls “It’s Your City,” said an IPZ designation for the maritime industry would attract new business here. It would bring together university researchers, a trained workforce and private sector businesses, she said. Gere wrote, “The goal is to create a synergy that sparks the development of prototypes, incubates start-ups, develops critical training programs, and pools best practices.”
For businesses, IPZs can be a smart business move. Each IPZ offers university researchers who work closely with their private sector partners to develop prototypes, incubate start-ups, develop critical training programs and pool best practices in order to blaze new trails in innovation.
As part of this initiative, she says she has met with Dr. Tom Keegan, President of Skagit Valley College (SVC). SVC’s Marine Technology Center (MTC) and the Northwest Center for Excellence in Marine Technology and Manufacturing would be key players in a marine IPZ. She has also discussed the IPZ with Steve Sewell, who was appointed as “maritime sector lead,” a new state position in the state Department of Commerce.
The Mayor’s newsletter also touched on community wellness, saying she meets regularly with other local leaders, “to discuss a plan for the community to address drug abuse, mental illness and a program for recovery and wellness issues.”
Mayor Gere said the “It’s Your City” newsletters will be issued on a bi-weekly basis.