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"We talk a lot about quality of life in Colorado," comments Preston Gibson, president and CEO of the Jefferson Economic Council (JEC). "For some, quality of life is living near the Rocky Mountains, cultural facilities or recreational activities. For me, quality of life begins with a well-paying job."
As the leader of JEC, Gibson expands his vision of quality of life to the greater community. The mission of this public/private not-for-profit economic development organization is to strengthen the vitality of Jefferson County by retaining, expanding and attracting primary employment, typically in high-tech fields such as aerospace, bioscience and energy.
JEC worked with Lockheed-Martin and Boeing Corporation to help them attract their California employees to staff the United Launch Alliance in Colorado. Forty percent of their employees moved here. Some 1,500 people currently work at the Waterton Canyon facility.
Another example is Lockheed Martin's successful bid to design, develop and build Orion, NASA's next generation space shuttle. JEC helped LM develop an incentive package to lower their bid. As a result, the engineering division is located in Lakewood and employs 600 people.
The average annual county salary, Gibson points out, is $41,500. In comparison, the companies JEC seeks to attract pay significantly higher salaries. For example, aerospace pays an average annual salary of $100,300, and bioscience pays $73,770. "These primary employers sell their products and services outside the region and bring that money back into the community," Gibson says. "This creates additional jobs in real estate, insurance, restaurant, retail, and other local businesses."
Jefferson County's major current challenge, Gibson asserts, is completion of the Colorado 470 beltway, known as the Jefferson Parkway. "We absolutely need to connect it through northern Jefferson County for economic and environmental sustainability, and for regional mobility," he says.
To promote its completion, JEC and its supporters launched the Beltway to Tomorrow public information campaign (www.BWayNow.com). According to the study by Development Research Partners, completion of the beltway will generate more than $9 billion in economic activity in Jefferson County. Other expected benefits include quicker, safer travel; 17,000 more local jobs; and sustainable sales and property tax revenue for schools, open space, public safety and public infrastructure.
Reflecting on his professional endeavors, Gibson summarizes: "It is an honor to have a role in creating a better quality of life by helping our companies expand their well-paying primary jobs."
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Local Vacation — Hiking with his four children at Mt. Falcon Open Space, Bear Creek Lake and Clement Parks.
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Published in the West Chamber Resource Guide 2009 Best of Business Directory & Magazine, an annual publication of The West Chamber Serving Jefferson County.
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