Nancy Martin is a newcomer to San Benito County, but she has
proven to be a quick learner and appears to have the Economic
Development Corp. office headed in the right direction.
Nancy Martin is a newcomer to San Benito County, but she has proven to be a quick learner and appears to have the Economic Development Corp. office headed in the right direction.
Martin recently spoke to the Free Lance Editorial Board and relayed such signs of progress as her creation of a demographic-based worker profile, an immediate impact in getting companies at the table, an emphasis on synergistic partnerships and her understanding of this area’s tradition base.
Martin also has one of the most challenging jobs in San Benito County – helping to get the local economy on the upswing during a national recession.
She has the right attitude for the role. Martin is realistic, yet optimistic. Although she has ideas for short-term improvements to weather the storm and perhaps make gains in some sectors, she also understands that a long-term, structured turnaround is years away, that it’s going to take a broad shift in philosophies and an emphasis on the right types of growth, the right types of new businesses, for this area’s population.
Martin during her discussion stressed the importance of learning about this region’s populace, its demographic desires, before moving ahead on a more comprehensive marketing strategy for San Benito County. She emphasized the need to maintain a strong base of young residents and families and provide the types of jobs and housing opportunities to make that happen. Martin talked about finding industry that fits the area’s existing landscape.
First, we have to decide what we want, who precisely we are and what type of worker profile we might sustain before making progress toward a more sound local economy. That is precisely what Martin is fostering, and we are encouraged by her approach.
