Business View Magazine | August 2019

237 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE AUGUST 2019 CATHEDRAL C I TY , CAL I FORNI A working hard to improve the aesthetics of the city, as well. To attract businesses here, we hired a great Economic Development Director. He’s out there knocking on doors and getting it going. We also hired an Activities Director who puts events together and runs public relations and communications. We now have one of the largest balloon festivals in the Valley; our events attract thousands of people and there’s a lot of diversity – Latino events, LGBTQ events, events for children – and we’re very proud that, in 2017, we became a Sanctuary City.” Currently, Cathedral City is in the midst of a $4 million amphitheater project in the downtown core. It received $1.4 million in federal grant funding via the state, for park development, and a local non-profit in the community contributed an additional $1.4 million. City council topped up the coffers with the extra funding necessary for the build. Construction is now underway and the amphitheater will open in January, if everything goes according to plan. Cathedral City’s population Since its founding in 1958, College of the Desert has grown into a vibrant, state-of- the-art center for higher education and is recognized as an economic engine for the entire Coachella Valley. Over the years, more than 125,000 alumni have gone on to fulfill their dreams, have successful careers and positively impact hundreds of thousands of lives after getting their start at the College. One of the fastest growing community colleges in the state, College of the Desert is the leading provider of workforce training in the region. The College offers more than 150 transfer and career pathway programs, providing students with the skills they need to secure well-paying jobs. Hands-on career and technical training education classes are also offered for students interested in working in culinary arts, video and filmmaking, healthcare, automotive repair and early childhood education, among others. Looking to the future, College of the Desert is currently finalizing plans to expand the College’s automotive technology course offerings in Cathedral City. Proud to partner with the city and share in its vision for growth, the new training center will provide high-quality career programs for tomorrow’s workforce. ...... For more information, please visit our website www.CollegeoftheDesert.edu esert.edu