by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
Contrary to popular belief, the City is not turning its back on international economic development.
The revelation that the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission planned to shed its International Development Commission as part of a mayor-ordered belt tightening caused an uproar on the City Council and through the business community. But since those headlines first appeared, the commission’s leadership has given loud assurances in a variety of public forums that the City understands the importance of doing business across borders.
It’s too important, they say, to continue with the same approach, which JEDC chair M.C. “Ceree” Harden Jr. described to the Council as investing a lot to get a little.
“There have been fairly significant resources invested and we haven’t created the economic development we hoped for,” said Harden. “I’ve heard the definition of insanity is to do the same thing and expect different results.”
The City has landed some notable international business partners such as the Brazilian aircraft maker, Embraer, but Wendland said those successes weren’t attributable to the JEDC’s international outreach.
“Those projects really came through more of our traditional approach to development that happened to land internationally,” he said.
It’s little more than a concept now, but when fully realized, the City’s international efforts should be far less dependent on the JEDC. Executive Director Kirk Wendland said the JEDC “will still have a seat at the table,” but the new approach will bring together the City’s stakeholders in trade and international investment. Wendland envisions Jaxport, the Chamber of Commerce, the Jacksonville Airport Authority and trade advocacy groups working together to develop the City’s international strategy.
“I think there’s been a lack of coordination in the past, and I think that’s prevented us from being as effective as we’d like,” said Wendland.
Although Jacksonville will still do most of its economic development domestically, Wendland said the City could not afford to ignore a growing international market. Harden made the same point last week to a City Council committee, telling them that international development “never has been more important.”
The JEDC will trim three staff members whose jobs focused solely on building international relationships. Once those jobs are cut, there won’t be anyone whose full-time job is to focus on international development. Instead the responsibility will fall to someone near the top of the commission’s chain of command, maybe Wendland or his new deputy director.