STATEWIDE - On November 21, 2024 Governor Polis, the Department of Local Affairs Colorado Resiliency Office (DOLA CRO) and the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced program outcomes after closing out their three and a half year Regional Resiliency and Recovery Roadmaps program, which resulted in the creation of 842 jobs and formation of $9,386,882 in capital across rural Colorado. The program combined intensive technical assistance to participating communities from DOLA to develop regional economic recovery strategies, along with non-competive funding in partnership with the Rural Opportunity Office within (OEDIT) to implement an element of those strategies. These metrics and other substantial outcomes have been captured in the final report to the U.S. Economic Development Administration who funded a portion of the Resiliency Roadmap Program. 

“Creating hundreds of jobs across rural Colorado is good for our communities, our economy, and our state. We are proud to see the results of this successful effort and the significant capital investment made into Colorado businesses. We look forward to building on this success, creating even more good jobs, and continuing to support the small businesses that drive our economy,” said Governor Jared Polis. 

“These awards are the result of collaboration between many partners, including participating jurisdictions, local community organizations, and fellow state agencies to prepare rural Colorado economies against future unknowns,” said Maria De Cambra, DOLA’s Executive Director. “The Roadmaps program empowers local communities to make their regions more resilient on their own terms.” 

“Colorado is among the first states to implement a model of economic development planning that incorporates regional goals and outcomes into statewide strategies, a key part of growing a Colorado economy that works for everyone. By supporting regional priorities and strategies, we can create new jobs and foster long-term economic growth in communities across the state,” said Eve Lieberman, OEDIT’s Executive Director. 

The Resiliency Roadmaps were developed over a two-year process, as 16 regional coalitions worked with the CRO and their own consultants to develop regionally-aligned, actionable strategies to help Colorado's rural communities recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and become more resilient to future disruptions. 

DOLA and OEDIT awarded $41,000 through the Rural Technical Assistance Program to each of the participating regional teams to advance a component of each team’s Resiliency Roadmap strategies. 

Although the federal grant is now closed, DOLA and OEDIT will continue to take an active role in supporting the 16 regional Roadmap Teams and their communities. Learn more: Regional Resiliency and Recovery Roadmaps program webpage and final report.