Contact:
Marie Vasari Hislop
Monterey Bay Economic Partnership
media@mbep.biz / (831) 224-2132
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Central Coast Broadband Consortium Awarded $1 Million CPUC Grant to Support Regional Broadband Deployment and Expansion
Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) has secured a $1 million California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) broadband development grant to support the Central Coast Broadband Consortium (CCBC)’s efforts to expand broadband in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties. The grant is funded by the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) Rural and Urban Regional Broadband Consortia Account, which announced $10.3 million in grants to consortia projects in California.
The grant will be disbursed over five years and is the largest funded proposal among the 15 projects selected statewide. MBEP serves as executive director for the broadband development organization and was the lead author on the grant acquisition.
“Access to adequate and affordable broadband service continues to be an issue of equity and economic development for our region,” said MBEP President & CEO Tahra Goraya. “Broadband must be recognized as an essential utility. We are proud to partner with CCBC to advance the broadband goals of our region.”
The City of Watsonville will serve as the fiscal agent for the CASF grant.
“This award will not only move the region closer to attaining the broadband and connectivity necessary for our residents and communities to prosper, but it affirms one of the core principles of MBEP and CCBC — that only by working together can we hope to solve and address the difficult issues facing our Monterey Bay Region,” said Watsonville City Manager Rene Mendez.
“The Central Coast believes, and is proving, that the solutions we seek for our communities are best addressed regionally,” said Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez. “Working together we will improve access to broadband and with that the lives and outcomes for our friends and neighbors. We are grateful for the award which will accelerate our joint efforts.”
About Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP): Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) is a regional member-supported nonprofit organization consisting of public, private, and civic entities located throughout the counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz. Founded in 2015, our mission is to improve the economic health and quality of life in the region.
About Central Coast Broadband Consortium (CCBC): Central Coast Broadband Consortium is a broadband development organization with over a 20-year history in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties. Its representation is composed of local city and county agencies, educational institutions, industry, and economic development interests, and community-based organizations.
Contact:
Marie Vasari Hislop
Monterey Bay Economic Partnership
media@mbep.biz / (831) 224-2132
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Leaders Gather for Day Two of California Economic Summit: MBEP President &CEO Tahra Goraya Featured in Session on Regions-Up Solutions
(Marina, CA. Oct. 28, 2022) – The largest California Economic Summit ever kicked off Thursday, Oct. 27 in Bakersfield for two days of critical discussion, working sessions, networking and more, with close to 1,000 people attending in person.
As California and the rest of the country emerges from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, the California Economic Summit opened with conversations focused on economic, climate and energy, housing and broadband issues facing the state.
“We’re the fourth largest economy in the world, with the highest effective poverty rate,” said Antonio Villaraigosa, infrastructure advisor to Governor Newsom, who also attended the summit. “We have too many people that are working every single day and they’re not making it.
”Labor leader Dolores Huerta, Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh, Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner and other leaders also addressed the crowd, before attendees broke into working sessions to shape policy recommendations for the coming year.
Returning to her hometown of Bakersfield, Monterey Bay Economic Partnership President & CEO, Tahra Goraya was among the featured speakers in a plenary session Friday, Oct. 28 on “Regions Up Solutions to Create a Just and Sustainable State” on day two of the California Economic Summit. The discussion focused on regional solutions to help reimagine a California that is more equitable and resilient and helps to redress the racial and economic inequities that have made the California dream increasingly elusive for far too many.
Joining Goraya in the plenary session were State Treasurer Fiona Ma, State Assembly Members Buffy Wicks and Rudy Salas, State Sen. Scott Wiener, California Forward CEO Micah Weinberg, Kern County Superintendent of Schools Mary Barlow, and close to a dozen community, education, business and labor leaders.
Over the last decade, California Forward’s (CA FWD) California Economic Summit has been the flagship event where regional leaders from business, community, government, philanthropy and industry collaborate and move forward an agenda that balances racial and geographic equity, environmental sustainability and economic growth.
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About Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) is a regional member-supported nonprofit organization consisting of public, private, and civic entities located throughout the counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz. Founded in 2015, our mission is to improve the economic health and quality of life in the region.
Contact:
Marie Vasari Hislop
Monterey Bay Economic Partnership
media@mbep.biz / (831) 224-2132
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
San Benito County to Receive State Broadband Investments to Reduce Digital Divide
(Marina, CA. Oct. 25, 2022) – Digital equity and infrastructure in San Benito County are receiving investments of state broadband funding, with the announcement of a broadband technical assistance grant to support efforts to close the digital divide.
The County of San Benito will get approximately $500,000 in Local Agency Technical Assistance grants from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) as a result of those efforts. The awards, announced by the CPUC on Oct. 21, are the largest award of state broadband funds to local governments to date, totaling $14 million in grants to 28 local governments across California.
Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) congratulates San Benito County officials for their efforts to close the digital divide. Rural counties often struggle with broadband access because of the challenges ISPs face in making infrastructure investments economically feasible, while geography and affordability can also compound the barriers to equal access.
“The relatively high cost of deployment in many rural areas has historically left these communities underserved by traditional providers,” said CPUC Commissioner Darcie L. Houck. “Technical Assistance grants will aid local agencies and Tribes in their efforts to fill the gaps left behind, helping to ensure economic opportunity and public safety for rural residents, businesses, and visitors.”
“These are incredibly transformative investments into the economy of our region,” said MBEP President & CEO Tahra Goraya. “Reliable, high-speed broadband access impacts so many areas of our day-to-day lives, from how we live and learn to how we communicate and connect.”
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About Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) is a regional member-supported nonprofit organization consisting of public, private, and civic entities located throughout the counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz. Founded in 2015, our mission is to improve the economic health and quality of life in the region.
Contact:
Marie Vasari Hislop
Monterey Bay Economic Partnership
media@mbep.biz / (831) 224-2132
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Local Monterey County Governments Get Record State Broadband Investment
(Marina, CA. Oct. 24, 2022) – Digital equity and infrastructure in Monterey County are receiving a record investment of state broadband funding, with the announcement of $2.5 million in broadband technical assistance grants to local municipalities to support efforts to close the digital divide.
The cities of Gonzales, Greenfield, King City, Soledad, and the County of Monterey will each get approximately $500,000 in Local Agency Technical Assistance grants from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) as the result of those efforts. The awards, announced by the CPUC on Oct. 21, are the largest award of state broadband funds to local governments to date, totaling $14 million in grants to 28 local governments across California.
Partnering with the Golden State Connect Authority (GSCA), Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) coordinated the applications with the south Salinas Valley cities of Gonzales, Greenfield, Soledad, King City, and the County of Monterey that will develop and oversee the expansion of broadband service in south Monterey County. Rural counties often struggle with broadband access because of the challenges ISPs face in making infrastructure investments economically feasible, while geography and affordability can also compound the barriers to equal access.
“The relatively high cost of deployment in many rural areas has historically left these communities underserved by traditional providers,” said CPUC Commissioner Darcie L. Houck. “Technical Assistance grants will aid local agencies and Tribes in their efforts to fill the gaps left behind, helping to ensure economic opportunity and public safety for rural residents, businesses, and visitors.”
“These are incredibly transformative investments into the economy of our south county cities and unincorporated areas of Monterey County,” said MBEP President & CEO Tahra Goraya. “Reliable, high-speed broadband access impacts so many areas of our day-to-day lives. The coalitions we’re building and investments we are making will have long-range impacts on families, students and individuals, on small business owners and entrepreneurs and innovation, and the region as a whole.
”Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) works to address digital inequity and access issues and establish minimum broadband standards. As part of its broadband initiative, MBEP convenes state, city and county governments, county offices of education, and ISPs together to explore how to facilitate high-speed broadband coverage for all residents of the Monterey Bay region. MBEP also serves as the Executive Director of the South Salinas Valley Broadband Authority (SSVBA).
The Golden State Connect Authority (GSCA) is a joint powers authority created by the 38-county Rural County Representatives of California for the purpose of increasing access to reliable, affordable high-speed Internet for the residents and businesses of those counties. Seven cities and 21 different counties across the state received Local Agency Technical Assistance grants from the CPUC as part of a larger effort by the Golden State Connect Authority (GSCA) to build and operate open access fiber-to-the-home networks in California’s rural counties.
The latest round of funding will be used for planning costs for the middle-mile fiber route buildout and last-mile fiber or engineered wireless connections that will ultimately create an open access network serving all residents of those south county cities and unincorporated Monterey County.
“These grants are valuable to plan how we are going to build out this broadband model,” said Alexia Garcia, Broadband and Farmworker Housing Policy Manager for the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership.
In some cases, those middle-mile connections come down to four strands of dark fiber, no larger than a human hair, but with an oversized impact on how we live, learn, communicate and connect.
“The things we saw in the pandemic — families parked around school buses or in library parking lots for hours at a time so their kids could access wi-fi hotspots, students struggling to learn through spotty internet service and dropped connections, and the unforgettable photo of two young girls in a Taco Bell parking lot — those things helped galvanize public opinion and political will to address the inequities of the digital divide,” said MBEP President & CEO Tahra Goraya.“Spurred in part by those experiences and the high costs of infrastructure investments, local leaders in collaboration with Rural County Representatives of California are proactively working to maximize resources and collectively meet their broadband infrastructure needs.”
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About Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP): Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) is a regional member-supported nonprofit organization consisting of public, private, and civic entities located throughout the counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz. Founded in 2015, our mission is to improve the economic health and quality of life in the region.
Contact:
Marie Vasari Hislop
Monterey Bay Economic Partnership
media@mbep.biz / (831) 224-2132
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Uplift Central Coast Coalition secures $5 million planning grant for six-county region
The six-county Uplift Central Coast Coalition, led by REACH, the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) and the Economic Development Collaborative (EDC), has been awarded a $5 million grant through California’s Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF).
The grant will fund a 2-year planning process to create an inclusive economic development plan for the six Central Coast counties of Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura, with a focus on equity, sustainability, job quality, economic competitiveness and resilience.
The Uplift Coalition will then be eligible to apply for additional implementation funding under CERF, a $600 million program designed to catalyze planning and action to realize an equitable and sustainable economy across California’s diverse regions and to foster long-term economic resilience.
“This expansive coastal region extending from Santa Cruz to Ventura has a lot in common. We share persistent and emerging economic challenges including extreme socio-economic disparities, high costs of living, and often highly uneven impacts of climate change,” REACH President & CEO Melissa James said. “We are excited for this promising new opportunity to expand our network and bring resources to our region to spur economic opportunity for those who need it most.
”The Uplift Coalition is one of 13 regional collaboratives across the state to be awarded CERF planning grants. Read the announcement from the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, and the Labor & Workforce Development Agency here and find the Uplift project summary here (page 15).
Formed in 2021, the coalition shares a common mission: to uplift the region’s residents as it uplifts the regional economy, growing from within to create transformative opportunities for more than 2 million people across an area larger than 10 states.
“We know there was a widely disproportionate impact on minority workers from the COVID-19 pandemic,” EDC President & CEO Bruce Stenslie said. “Now we have an opportunity to address that and foster economic development investments for the region in a deliberate, thoughtful and disruptive way.”
In developing the grant application, the Uplift Coalition hosted three virtual public webinars to facilitate open dialogue and input on the project plan, engaging more than 400 people from industry, government and education partners across the six counties. As part of the application package, 129 organizations representing more than a dozen different community sectors and perspectives provided letters of support, forming a strong regional collaborative that will be expanded over the course of the project.
The 2-year planning process also involves implementing an inclusive outreach and engagement plan and ultimately developing a collaborative regional plan.
Under the project plan, the Economic Development Collaborative will serve as the Fiscal Agent, managing the grant funds, and REACH will serve as Regional Convener, leading stakeholder engagement and plan development. REACH, EDC and MBEP will each serve as a co-convener in their respective subregions.
“We’re very excited for this opportunity to meaningfully and intentionally engage stakeholders for the inclusive planning and development for our region and do our part to uplift our entire region, especially those in disinvested communities,” said MBEP President & CEO Tahra Goraya.
Contacts
Sally Buffalo-Taylor
REACH
803.415.4150
sally@reachcentralcoast.org
Marie Vasari Hislop
Monterey Bay Economic Partnership
(831) 224-2132
media@mbep.biz
Tracie Schneider
Economic Development Collaborative
805.279.4534
tracie@edcollaborative.com
About the Uplift Central Coast Coalition
The Uplift Central Coast Coalition is a six-county partnership led by three economic development organizations — the Economic Development Collaborative, Monterey Bay Economic Partnership and REACH — that has united to attract investment and expand opportunity for residents throughout Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.About Economic Development CollaborativeA private nonprofit, the Economic Development Collaborative was founded in 1996 with funding from the County of Ventura, the 10 cities in the county and key private-sector companies to provide a pathway to business growth, economic prosperity and high quality of life for all. Today, in partnership with the Small Business Development Center, the EDC is a regional asset for economic vitality in Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties, giving businesses, community partners and civic leaders the resources they need to succeed. By leveraging public and private funds, the EDC has become a key player in delivering business consulting, funding and strategic initiatives that support the region. edcollaborative.com
About Monterey Bay Economic Partnership
Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) is a regional nonprofit member-supported organization consisting of public, private and civic entities located throughout the counties of Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz. MBEP’s mission is to improve the economic health and quality of life in the region. mbep.biz
About REACH
REACH is a regional economic action coalition created to ensure the Central Coast of California is a place where current and future generations have the opportunity to thrive. With a mission to increase economic prosperity through big thinking, bold action and regional collaboration and the goal of creating 15,000 good-paying jobs by 2030, REACH serves the Central Coast region spanning San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. reachcentralcoast.org
Contact:
Marie Vasari Hislop
Monterey Bay Economic Partnership
media@mbep.biz / (831) 224-2132
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Broadband Infrastructure, Housing, and a More Equitable Economy: Deep Discussions Come Together at MBEP’s Annual State of the Region
(Marina, CA. Oct. 20, 2022) – When Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) hosted its 8th Annual State of the Region on Friday, Oct. 14, it brought together a cross-sector gathering of public, private and civic leaders to discuss some of the biggest challenges facing the region, from broadband infrastructure and the digital divide to affordable housing and inclusive economic recovery and development. After two years of virtual events, it was exhilarating to engage — live and in person — with nearly 300 leaders from across the tri-county region at the beautiful California State University, Monterey Bay campus.
Among the speakers were Rep. Jimmy Panetta, Sen. John Laird, Assemblymember Robert Rivas, UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Cynthia Larive, CSU Monterey Bay President Vanya Quinonez, Monterey County Supervisors Chris Lopez and Wendy Root Askew, San Benito County Supervisor Betsy Dirks, and Chairman Valentine Lopez of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. The day fostered the kinds of conversations, collaborations, and conceptual thinking that can help shape the way those big challenges will be met, while intentionally lining the path toward a more equitable economy.
In a deeply engaging and witty talk drawing from decades of research, keynote speakers Dr. Chris Benner and Dr. Manuel Pastor delivered a thought-provoking message for our time, reenvisioning a robust, sustainable, and equitable economy and a road map and conceptual framework for equity-driven economic reform.
Monterey Bay Economic Partnership Board President Cynthia Larive and MBEP President & CEO Tahra Goraya presented the 2022 Community Impact Award to Monterey County Homeless Services Director Roxanne Wilson and to former Watsonville City Manager Rene Mendez.
Formerly executive director of the Coalition of Homeless Services Providers, Wilson’s impact serving our most vulnerable residents through a housing-first approach, advocating for increased housing supply, and championing cross-sectoral collaboration, has catalyzed significant and ongoing systems change in our communities.
One of the founders of MBEP, Mendez has made a tremendous impact in our region as a steadfast advocate to reduce the digital divide by helping form the South Salinas Valley Broadband Authority.
Check out this short video recap of MBEP’s 8th Annual State of the Region, then visit MBEP’s website to view individual panel discussions and each of our guest speakers. (All photos and video are courtesy of Lucid Sound and Picture.)
