A three-county region in northwest Colorado needed a regional economic development program fast. The remote mountainous region was heavily dependent on coal mining and its coal-fired power plants. This sector employed more than 2,800 workers and generated most of the tax revenue for the cities, schools, recreation, and other special taxing districts. However, new federal and state environmental regulations forced the coal-fired plants to reduce carbon emissions, subsequently sunsetting coal mining and eliminating good-paying jobs.
Northwest Colorado Development Council (NWCDC) engaged Upsize Marketing Strategies to provide economic development project management services. Upsize President Christine Wong Rambo, CEcD, MBA supported the NWCDC in its five priority areas: 1) economic diversification; 2) workforce development; 3) affordable housing; 4) access to child care; and 5) regional transportation.
Project Name
Northwest Colorado Project Management
Clients Name
Northwest Colorado Development Council
Project Date
January 2022- June 2023
Upsize provided organizational capacity, providing not only project management services, but economic development and marketing consulting and administrative and grant support. As Certified Economic Developer with 30 years of experience, Christine understood the most effective structure for regional economic development. She recommended a taskforce structure for public engagement for a state sponsored strategic planning process. She recruited stakeholders for five task forces that centered on each of the priority areas and facilitated the monthly meetings. Once the strategic plan was developed, she began implementing the transition plan by identifying funding, technical assistance and implementation partners.