Water to Workforce: Texas-Sized Approach to Development

Texas, the second largest state in the nation by geographic area and population, is home to 24 regional development organizations that contribute to the strengthening of local economies. The regional organizations provide a wide array of programs to their member cities and counties.

Serving Regional Needs

Understanding water supply and demand conditions is needed in order for intelligent local and state decision-making. The Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council (LRGVDC), an Economic Development Administration (EDA) funded district in southern Texas, like many regional development organizations nationwide, serves as the administrator for the regional water planning group. The council recently submitted a 50-year water plan for the regional water planning group that was approved by the Texas Water Development Board. According to the Water Planning Group Chair Glenn Jarvis, “Our planning group spent two years analyzing data and identifying the region’s water needs and developing strategies to resolve shortages.”

LRGVDC will now be able to incorporate knowledge of water needs into other regional planning initiatives. Ken Jones, LRGVDC’s Executive Director, described the advantages of LRGVDC’s tracking of regional needs, “Knowing the complexities behind water shortages, like the fact that we have an aquatic weed problem in the Rio Grande, is a valuable tool for maintaining realistic planning and achievable implementation.” The regional water plan will be consolidated into a statewide plan ensuring that the Lower Rio Grande Valley’s needs are recognized at the state level.

Facts and Figures 28th state on December 29, 1845 Capital city is Austin Area 261,914 square miles Population 20.1 million Voting-Age Population 13,323,000 254 counties 24 regional development organizations 1,186 incorporated cities Principal product - Manufactured goods Seven banks with deposits totaling $168.2 billion 37 savings and loan companies with assets totaling $54.4 billion 205,000 farms with a total of 127,100,000 acres. Sources: 1996 Statistical Abstract of the United States and US Census Bureau

Working with the Region

Workforce development is crucial to Texas regional economies, especially in regions where the demand for a skilled labor force is increasing. The Deep East Texas Council of Governments (DETCOG), an EDA funded district, recently experienced a loss of over 1,100 jobs from a downturn in the timber industry. The industry decline forced the 12-county region to re-examine its business retention and expansion capacity. DETCOG Executive Director Walter Diggles reflects on the shift in labor demands, “Our economies changed rapidly. Our region has come to understand that keeping the economy growing means keeping the labor force trained and skill diversified.”

DETCOG met their workforce development challenge by focusing on tracking skill level demands. With funding from the Texas governor’s office, DETCOG purchased a licensed copy listing of the region’s 14,000 businesses to develop a web accessible database. Forty different search categories were selected to represent skill level demands. Diggles explains, “The database helps elected officials better understand the region’s demands and identify where we need to diversify.” Tom McClurg, Executive Director of the Jasper Economic Development Corporation and member of the DETCOG Economic Development Committee, says, “The DETCOG database is a powerful tool in any community’s economic development program. I am pleased to have such expertise and cooperation available in the Jasper County area. I strongly recommend it.”

By Kelly Novak, NADO Research Foundation Research Manager
For more information, contact Ken Jones of LRGVDC at (956) 682-3481 or on the web at www.lrgvdc.org; Walter Diggles of DETCOG at (409) 384-5704 or on the web at www.detcog.org.

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