New economic developer eyes city’s potential

CALEXICO — The city of Calexico’s ongoing reorganization and development efforts received another boost with news that Imperial County Workforce Development Office (ICWDO) Director Miguel Figueroa is soon to become the city’s economic development director.

The pending move also allows Figueroa to extend an already impressive history of public service. “Calexico over the course of the past year is a city that is rebuilding Figueroa itself,” Figueroa said, “and I

definitely want to be part of that.” Figueroa said he is expecting that his years spent networking with local, regional, state, federal and binational officials in the public and private sphere should aid him in his new role, as will his understanding of the program- and policy-making process.

His most recent work at the ICWDO has also been instrumental in helping him strengthen and expand established relationships with a variety of agencies and institutions that have aided local, regional and statewide economic and workforce development goals.

“It’s the pattern that I have been able to put into place and I believe that formula will also work for the city of Calexico,” Figueroa said.

The El Centro native said he had gotten his professional career started in Calexico, when in 2003 he was named executive director of the nonprofit Calexico New River Committee, where he remained for about seven years.

With the help of the residents of the city’s west side, the committee was successfully able to engage with state and federal officials, prompting a proposed solution to help mitigate the health risks posed by the overly polluted waterway.

“I’m very happy to tell them that I’m returning, because we have a lot of work to do here in Calexico,” Figueroa said.

As economic development director, Figueroa will be tasked with attracting investment and development projects and programs to the border city, helping to retain existing businesses, and ensuring the city’s economic sustainability and prosperity.

He will also be responsible for the city’s Housing Services and coordinate coordinating the Successor Redevelopment Agency’s wind-down activities with the Finance Department.

On Sept. 5, Figueroa will be stepping away from a position he has held since 2014 and that saw considerable success in its recent expansion of workforce development programs mandated by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014.

As director of ICWDO, Figueroa had also served as chairman of the state’s Workforce Development Association, acting as the voice for the state’s workforce development boards as it promoted policy and program initiatives at the state and federal level.

During Figueroa’s tenure, the ICWDO was also able to establish an administrative management team to help its 35 employees implement, plan and strategize programs that would meet the community’s needs, as well as the federal mandate.

One particular success was its collaboration with the Imperial County Office of Education to create the Imperial Pathways Charter School, which allows the Valley’s out-of-school youth to obtain their high school diploma.

The agency’s successes also owe a lot to its veteran staff, which Figueroa said made his job all that more effective and efficient during the adoption of the federal program’s mandates.

The ICWDO ranked seventh out of the 46 statewide workforce development boards in the state’s most recent report measuring the boards’ performances, Figueroa said.

“What better way to put Imperial County’s name out there, when we are being the leaders of these types of efforts,” Figueroa said.

Figueroa’s pending transition to Calexico comes amidst the city’s ongoing reorganizational and development efforts. Much of those reorganization efforts had to be postponed until the city could establish a clearer picture of its projected revenues and expenditures, said City Manager Armando Villa.

The position for economic developer had initially attracted seven candidates, five of whom met the job’s requirements, Villa said.

Of those five, Figueroa was among three that were granted interviews, and the one who Villa said shared a vision for the city that was more compatible with his and other city officials’ view of economic growth.

Villa said he had specifically sought someone with a wealth of program- and policy-making knowledge and strong networking contacts at the local, regional, state and binational level.

The binational contacts are expected to come in handy as the city attempts to make additional inroads with the Mexicali business community.

“That is one area we want to focus a lot on over the next couple years,” Villa said. “We must be able to capitalize on some percentage of that,”

The City Council, through its proposed strategic plan, has also identified economic development as one of the city’s top priorities.

Villa, whose professional career also includes community and economic development, said he and Figueroa will soon meet to discuss the parameters of what the city’s economic development strategy should look like.

As part of that strategy, the city has plans to embark on a progressive marketing and social media campaign meant to counter some of the negative publicity that online search engine results often churn up about the city.

That campaign will also tout the amenities that the city of 45,000 can offer potential investors and developers.

“We’re going to be knocking on a lot of doors,” Villa said. “That’s why we think Miguel is the right choice for the job.”