In February of 1999, the Okanogan County Commissioners announced the appointment of a countywide Task Force to establish a functional strategic plan for community and economic diversification within Okanogan County.

In May of 1999, Task Force members attended a three-day Rural Symposium in Ellensburg that provided experts to assist rural communities in their economic development planning efforts.

During the Symposium the name Partnership 2005 was chosen to reflect the underlying theme of strong partnerships and commitment of a minimum of five years to achieve a more stable, diversified economic base for the county.

In August of that same year, the Commissioners endorsed the draft Strategic Plan, appointed interim Board members and expressed interest in having the Partnership 2005 help establish the criteria and process for funding infrastructure proposals under the guidelines of the “Distressed Counties” tax money.

During the next twelve months the Partnership set out to work towards implementation of its five-year strategic plan, goals, and objectives.

The most immediate challenge of the Partnership was to create an organization that was both efficient and effective.

The Partnership 2005 and the Okanogan County Council for Economic Development (OCCED) decided together to create a new entity, which would combine the roles and responsibilities of OCCED with the new ideas and high creative energy of the new Partnership 2005 thus, the Alliance 2005 was created.

The Alliance 2005 was established as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. The goal of this organizational structure was to create an effective partnership in Okanogan County between private enterprise, county, tribal and local governments to implement the strategies laid out in the new five-year plan. In February 2003 the name was changed again to the Economic Alliance.

Economic Alliance Board of Directors & Staff
2008

The make-up of the Economic Alliance Board of Directors consists of:
2 from each of the 5 areas of the county (North County, Central County, South County, Grand Coulee/Nespelem area, and the Methow Valley)
1 representative from the Colville Confederated Tribes
1 representative from Colville Tribal Enterprise Corporation
2 Okanogan County Commissioners representatives
2 City representatives
1 NCW Business Loan Fund representative
1 Okanogan County Tourism Council representative
1 Arts community representative
2 At-large positions

The current 2008 Board

Jim Martin, Chairman
SolarWind Energy Systems, Okanogan

Hank Raymond, 1st Vice-Chair
CCT Planning Colville Confederated Tribes

Lael Duncan, 2nd Vice-Chair

Pam Leslie , Secretary

Evolution Fitness Center, Oroville

Robert Risinger, Treasurer
Superintendent, Omak School District

John Andrist, Past Chairman

NCIData.com, Omak

George Brady
Cascade Biological Supply, Pateros

Susan Cooksey
Similkameen Adventures, Loomis & Okanogan Co. Tourism Council Representative

Coleen Couch
Sterling Saving Bank, Branch Manager

Mike Hicks
Western Image, Winthrop

Gail Howe
Mayor, City of Pateros

Kate Jones, Methow Arts Alliance
Arts Community Representative

Andy Lampe
County Commissioner

Nan Kallunki, County Administrator

County Commissioner Representative

Kary Nichols
Colville Tribal Enterprise Corporation

David Schmidt
Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union, Coulee Dam

Jerome Thiele
Daily Business, Twisp

Rich Watson
NCW Business Loan Fund Representative

Michael Blake,

Mayor City of Okanogan

Mary Watson

Central County Representative, Wenatchee Valley College

Vacant

Nespelem/Coulee Dam Area Rep. #1

 

Staff:
Roni Holder-Diefenbach, Executive Director
Carolyn Davis, Administrative Assistant