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| San Bernardino County Economic Development Department | |
|---|---|
| Name | San Bernardino County Economic Development Department |
| Type | County agency |
| Founded | 20th century |
| Headquarters | San Bernardino, California |
| Jurisdiction | San Bernardino County, California |
| Parent agency | San Bernardino County Government |
San Bernardino County Economic Development Department is the principal county agency responsible for coordinating economic development activities, workforce programs, and business retention efforts across San Bernardino County, California. The department works with municipal governments such as the City of San Bernardino, City of Rancho Cucamonga, City of Victorville, and City of Ontario to attract investment, support small business growth, and leverage regional assets including the Inland Empire, Ontario International Airport, and the California State University, San Bernardino. It aligns with regional bodies like the Southern California Association of Governments, California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, and federal partners including the United States Department of Commerce.
The department traces origins to county-level planning efforts that followed postwar population growth associated with the Interstate 10, Interstate 15, and Interstate 215 corridors and the expansion of the Union Pacific Railroad network. Early initiatives linked with agencies such as the Economic Development Administration (United States) and the Small Business Administration catalyzed industrial parks near March Air Reserve Base and commercial development adjacent to Los Angeles County. In the 1990s and 2000s the department adapted to deindustrialization trends affecting the Inland Empire by partnering with institutions like California Manufacturing Technology Consulting and Pacific Gateway Workforce Innovation Network to diversify employment sectors. Responses to the Great Recession and public health responses after the COVID-19 pandemic involved coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state recovery programs.
The department is structured into divisions reflecting policy, business services, workforce development, and special projects, and reports to the county chief executive and the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. Leadership has included directors drawn from public administration and economic development backgrounds who engage with advisory bodies such as the Inland Empire Economic Partnership, Chamber of Commerce chapters in Rialto, Barstow, and Running Springs, and academic partners like California State University, San Bernardino and University of California, Riverside. The department liaises with elected officials including county supervisors, mayors across the county's 24 incorporated cities, and state legislators representing districts in California State Assembly and the California State Senate.
Services include business retention and expansion, site selection assistance for logistics and manufacturing firms near Interstate 10 and Interstate 15, workforce training programs in partnership with America's Job Center of California, and small business loan and grant programs modeled on Community Development Block Grant frameworks. The department administers incentive structures compatible with state programs such as the California Competes Tax Credit and coordinates with federal programs like the Economic Development Administration (United States). It supports entrepreneurship through incubator and accelerator linkages with institutions such as TechLaunch (CSUSB), Inland Empire Small Business Development Center, and nonprofit partners including Local Initiatives Support Corporation affiliates.
Initiatives focus on logistics and warehousing near the Union Pacific Railroad intermodal yards, advanced manufacturing partnerships with Los Alamos National Laboratory-affiliated contractors, and revitalization of former military sites including March Air Reserve Base conversions. The department promotes tourism and cultural economy assets such as the San Bernardino National Forest, Route 66 (U.S. Route 66), and destination events coordinated with county cultural institutions and museums like the San Bernardino County Museum. Targeted sector strategies have included renewable energy projects in collaboration with California Energy Commission, healthcare employment pipelines with Kaiser Permanente and Loma Linda University Health, and logistics planning tied to Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles supply chains.
The department maintains formal partnerships with regional planning agencies like the Southern California Association of Governments and workforce boards such as the Inland Empire Workforce Development Board, leveraging relationships with philanthropic organizations including the James Irvine Foundation and the Gates Foundation for workforce innovation. It convenes stakeholder forums with labor unions including International Longshore and Warehouse Union affiliates, industry associations such as California Manufacturers & Technology Association, financial institutions including regional banks and credit unions, and educational partners like San Bernardino Community College District and Riverside Community College District.
Funding sources comprise county general fund allocations authorized by the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, state grants from agencies such as the California Employment Development Department, federal grants from the Economic Development Administration (United States) and Department of Housing and Urban Development, and fee revenue from business licensing support. Capital projects have been financed through mechanisms including tax increment financing-style instruments used by former redevelopment agencies and public–private partnerships with developers and institutional investors active in the Inland Empire real estate market.
Performance metrics include job creation and retention figures tracked in partnership with the California Employment Development Department, capital investment totals reported to county fiscal authorities, small business loan portfolio performance monitored with Small Business Administration standards, and workforce placement rates evaluated against Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act outcomes. The department reports outcomes to the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, regional planning entities, and state grantors, and benchmarks progress against comparable jurisdictions such as Riverside County, California, Los Angeles County, California, and Orange County, California.
Category:San Bernardino County, California Category:Economic development in California