Business View Civil and Municipal | May 2021

24 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL MAY 2021 seen the data that about a million people dropped out of the economy in September, and about 862,000 of those were women. If you draw the connection between remote school and trying to work, it’s just not sustainable for most families. And women bear the burden of that disproportionately.” WEDA is also working on a deeper commitment to inclusive economic development. According to Estey, “We’re still defining what that looks like, but certainly within our own organization, we are making sure that there’s room at the table for diverse perspectives. I think it’s starting to bear out in statewide but also in local and regional economic development strategies. Who is missing out in this economy? And what is our imperative to try to change that? The science of economic development is not inherently inclusive. It’s about deal making and transforming dirt into buildings and recruiting jobs, and so we haven’t always had that more holistic perspective. But I think inclusion is becoming an economic imperative.” During weekly membership meetings, members are given direct access to the state’s leadership in economic development. At the height of the COVID recession, they engaged with the senate chair of the economic recovery committee. “What I’m trying to do is really foster this regular cadence of best practices and the opportunity to improve your work by connecting with policymakers and one another,” says Estey. Ongoing engagement among members brings to light recurring themes when it comes to challenges they face. “First and foremost is capacity,” Estey says of the number one challenge she hears from members. “We are dealing every day – particularly with small businesses, but now aerospace suppliers, those in the tourism and hospitality industries – that they are truly in crisis. They are having to tell employees they’ve had for sometimes generations that they can’t pay them anymore.”