Pacific Northwest Economic Region Foundation

TO INCREASE THE ECONOMIC WELL-BEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL CITIZENS OF THE REGION; TO COORDINATE PROVINCIAL AND STATE POLICIES THROUGHOUT THE REGION; TO IDENTIFY AND PROMOTE "MODELS OF SUCCESS"; AND TO SERVE AS A CONDUIT TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION.

CORE PNWER MEETINGS PROGRAM. IN ORDER TO PROMOTE GREATER REGIONAL COLLABORATION, PNWER FACILITATED MANY MEETINGS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT WERE FUNDAMENTAL TO THE PNWER MISSION. PNWER OFFICERS HOSTED MEETINGS TO DISCUSS RELEVANT REGIONAL ISSUES WITH LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR STAKEHOLDERS DURING LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS. THESE MEETINGS WERE CONDUCTED WITH VARIOUS STATE LEGISLATIVE ENTITIES TO DISCUSS CURRENT TOPICS AND SOLUTIONS. THE MEETINGS WERE HELD VIRTUALLY FOR THE FOLLOWING STATES/DISTRICTS: WASHINGTON STATE, MONTANA, ALASKA, WASHINGTON DC..2021 ANNUAL SUMMIT WAS HELD IN BIG SKY, MONTANA AUG 15-19TH, 2021. IT WAS THE FIRST HYBRID SUMMIT DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. OVER 325 STATE AND PROVINCIAL LEGISLATORS AND BUSINESS LEADERS JOINED IN PERSON AND VIRTUALLY FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST STATES AND WESTERN CANADA. THE EVENT FOCUSED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF POST-PANDEMIC ECONOMIC RECOVERY. 2021 ECONOMIC LEADERSHIP FORUM, VANCOUVER BC NOVEMBER 17-19, 2021. THE ECONOMIC LEADERSHIP FORUM PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR LOCAL, PROVINCIAL, AND STATE LEADERS IN BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS TO CARRY OUT IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS ON KEY SUBJECTS AFFECTING OUR REGIONAL ECONOMY. THIS YEAR'S ECONOMIC LEADERSHIP FORUM WAS HELD AS A HYBRID IN-PERSON/VIRTUAL EVENT.

THE PNWER CENTER FOR REGIONAL DISASTER RESILIENCE (CRDR) PROGRAM FOCUSED ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND DISASTER RESILIENCE PROJECTS ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMIC RESILIENCE OF THE REGION. THE PROGRAM WORKED WITH STATES, PROVINCES, TERRITORIES AND COMMUNITIES TO CREATE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, DEVELOPED ACTION PLANS AND LED PILOT PROJECTS TO IMPROVE REGIONAL DISASTER RESILIENCE. CYBERSECURITY: PNWER VIA THE CRDR HAS PARTNERED WITH IDAHO'S OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS TO DEVELOP THEIR PUBLIC-PRIVATE SECTOR COORDINATION ON CYBERSECURITY THROUGH AN ANNUAL STATEWIDE CYBER SUMMIT. IN 2020, THE SUMMIT WHICH TYPICALLY ATTRACTED OVER 300 IN-PERSON ATTENDEES, PIVOTED TO A VIRTUAL WEBINAR SERIES, AND CONTINUED VIRTUALLY IN 2021. CYBERSECURITY REMAINS A HIGH PRIORITY - EVEN MORE SO AS PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS CONTINUED WORKING FROM HOME. MARITIME RESILIENCE: IN SUMMER 2021, THE PUGET SOUND REGION BEGAN WORK ON THE MARITIME DISASTER RESILIENCE PLANNING PROJECT, FUNDED BY FEMA TO STUDY HOW THE MARITIME SECTOR CAN BE USED TO MOVE PEOPLE, GOODS, AND SUPPLIES AROUND THE REGION FOLLOWING A CATASTROPHIC EARTHQUAKE. PNWER HOSTED THREE VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS IN THE FALL OF 2021 WITH MARITIME STAKEHOLDERS AND REGIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TO LEARN ABOUT EARTHQUAKE & TSUNAMI RISKS, UNDERSTAND THE ROLES OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AGENCIES, EXPLORE HOW TO MAINTAIN KEY RELATIONSHIPS, AND HELPED TO DEVELOP A MAP OF MARITIME ASSETS AND WATERWAYS THAT MIGHT BE USED AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE SHOULD ROADS, BRIDGES, AND RAILWAYS FAIL. FUEL DISTRIBUTION PRIORITIZATION: THE REGION IS UNDERTAKING THE LIQUID FUEL DISTRIBUTION PRIORITIZATION PLANNING PROJECT IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY, COORDINATE, AND PRIORITIZE WHICH INFRASTRUCTURES-PUBLIC AND PRIVATE-SHOULD HAVE PRIORITY ACCESS TO THE FUELS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. THE PURPOSE OF THE FUEL PLANNING FRAMEWORK IS TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO KING COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (KCOEM) ON HOW TO ANTICIPATE, PREPARE FOR, AND RESPOND TO REGIONAL LIQUID FUELS SHORTAGES BEFORE STATE AND FEDERAL RESOURCES ARRIVE. THE PUGET SOUND PRIVATE SECTOR LARGE EMPLOYERS BUSINESS CONTINUITY GROUP BEGAN IN 2019 AS A WAY FOR REGIONAL LARGE EMPLOYERS TO SHARE INFORMATION AND BEST PRACTICES AND DISCUSS COMMON CHALLENGES TO WORKPLACE RESILIENCE. DURING THE PANDEMIC, THE GROUP CONTINUED TO MEET VIRTUALLY WEEKLY AND THEN BI-MONTHLY TO DISCUSS ISSUES RELATED TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY SUCH AS THE VACCINE ROLLOUT, WORKING REMOTELY VS. RETURNING TO THE OFFICE, ADAPTING EMPLOYEE SAFETY POLICIES AND PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDELINES. PNWER BEGAN THE COVID-19 RECOVERY SERIES IN 2020 IN THE EARLY PANDEMIC PERIOD. WE CONTINUED THE SERIES IN 2021 TO EXPLORE EVOLVING PANDEMIC CHALLENGES AND HIGHLIGHT THE INNOVATIVE WORK BEING DONE ACROSS THE REGION. FROM VACCINE DISTRIBUTION AND HESITANCY TO SAFELY REOPENING VENUES TO ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS, THE COVID-19 RECOVERY SERIES BROUGHT IN EXPERTS FROM ACROSS THE REGION TO SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND INSIGHT WITH PARTICIPANTS. PANDEMIC RECOVERY AND CROSS BORDER TRAVEL: A SERIES OF WEBINARS WERE HELD WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS, POLICY MAKERS AND BORDER EXPERTS WHO DISCUSSED HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN ENABLE TRAVEL RESUMPTION AND SUPPORT US-CANADA BORDER REOPENING, AND HOW TO REVISE THE FRAMEWORK OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN GOVERNMENTS, INDUSTRY AND TECHNOLOGY INNOVATORS.

4 D) ADDITIONAL PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS (OTHER): CONGREGATE: A SOLUTIONS ACCELERATOR: IN JANUARY OF 2021, PNWER ESTABLISHED CONGREGATE AS A PART OF ITS RESILIENCE FOUNDRY INITIATIVE TO BUILD STRONG AND RESILIENT NEW ECONOMIES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. FUNDED THROUGH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, THE CONGREGATE COMMUNITY CONSISTS OF MENTORS, ADVISORS, AND SPONSORS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS INCLUDING INDUSTRY REGULATORS, HEALTH EXPERTS, AFFECTED HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM COMPANIES, AND STARTUP EXPERTS. THE KICKOFF WAS HELD IN NOV 2021 FOR THE 12 WEEK PROGRAM WHICH RAN FROM NOV 8, 2021 - FEB 18, 2022. DECEMBER 2021 WAS THE HALFWAY POINT OF OUR FIRST COHORT ACCELERATOR PROGRAMMING. BORDER POLICY MEETINGS: ROADMAP FOR A MORE RESILIENT, SECURE US-CANADA BORDER THAT INCORPORATES TECHNOLOGY AS WELL AS HEALTH SCREENING, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS. PNWER IN COLLABORATION WITH FUTURE BORDERS COALITION (FBC) HELD SEVERAL WEBINARS AND AN IN-PERSON MEETING IN VANCOUVER BC. CASCADIA INNOVATION CORRIDOR: AS A CO-CHAIR OF THE EFFICIENT CROSS- BORDER MOVEMENT WORKING GROUP OF THE CASCADIA INNOVATION CORRIDOR (CIC), PNWER'S CEO SPOKE AT THE CIC NOVEMBER CONFERENCE NOV 14 - 15 ON INNOVATION FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE BORDER.

BORDER POLICY MEETINGS: ROADMAP FOR A MORE RESILIENT, SECURE US-CANADA BORDER THAT INCORPORATES TECHNOLOGY AS WELL AS HEALTH SCREENING, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS. PNWER IN COLLABORATION WITH FUTURE BORDERS COALITION (FBC) HELD SEVERAL WEBINARS AND AN IN-PERSON MEETING IN VANCOUVER BC. CASCADIA INNOVATION CORRIDOR: AS THE CO-CHAIRS OF THE EFFICIENT CROSS- BORDER MOVEMENT WORKING GROUP OF THE CASCADIA INNOVATION CORRIDOR (CIC), LAURIE TRAUTMAN, DIRECTOR OF THE BORDER POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE AND MATT MORRISON, PNWER CEO SPOKE AT THE CIC NOVEMBER CONFERENCE NOV 14 - 15 ON INNOVATION FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE BORDER. PNWER WORKING GROUP CO-CHAIRS PNWER'S WORKING GROUPS, CO-CHAIRED BY THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SE CTORS, MET THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO ADDRESS REGIONAL PRIORITIES FOR THEIR SECTORS SUCH AS AGRICULTURE, BORDER & TRADE AMONG VARIOUS OTHERS. THE GROUPS DEVELOP ACTION ITEMS FOR THE YEAR AND HAVE THEM APPROVED BY THE PNWER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DURING THE ANNUAL SUMMIT. PNWER WEBINAR SERIES AS THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC BEGAN IMPACTING OUR COMMUNITIES, PNWER PIVOTED ITS ACTIVITIES IN 2020 TO RESPOND TO THE REALITIES OF OUR NEW WORLD. THROUGH OUR WORKING GROUPS, WE STARTED OFFERING VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING THROUGH A WEBINAR SERIES FOCUSED ON A SECTOR-BY-SECTOR APPROACH TO ECONOMIC RECOVERY, WHICH CONTINUED ON IN 2021.