Memorandum
Date: September 23, 2025
To: The Honorable Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Susan Parker, County Administrative Officer
Ben Rickelman, Deputy County Administrative Officer
Subject: ADDENDUM - Consideration of support in the amount of $26,000 for the Lake County Economic Development Corporation and $34,000 for the Lake County Chamber of Commerce
Executive Summary:
To decrease expenditures and increase organizational efficiencies the Lake County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and the Lake County Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) have agreed to share an Executive Director. They will remain separate organizations, with separate boards, and plan to revisit this organizational structure in a year.
The EDC has received a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Business Development Grant annually since 2019 for $109,000, which has not been distributed to recipients this year. The EDC is working with Congressman Thompson's Office to seek more information on these funds. The Chamber is also aiming to reduce expenditures.
Through the Small Business Development Centers network the EDC offers free, specialized counseling to entrepreneurs in Lake County and it also organizes the restaurant expo, the shop- local campaign, and hosts events and webinars focused on small business operations. The EDC's program, Centro Latino Del Lago, offers free, Spanish consulting services with the California Hispanic SBDC. The EDC is also the lead agency for planning the Health Education Regional Training (HEART) Hub and managed the latest Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. The EDC facilitates access to capital through its own USDA revolving loans program and networking for the County's Community Development Block Grant revolving loans program and regional Community Development Financial Institutions. The Chamber co- produces the Lake Life magazine, supports the Certified Tourism Ambassador program, a bass fishing tournament, and operates the Visito...
Click here for full text