ONE Kitsap

PROPOSED FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

About this document: This “summary draft” is National Community Development Services’ attempt to capture key strategic, programmatic, and organizational direction provided by stakeholders during our confidential interview process in 2022 and from the “input” sessions we facilitated during January 2023.  Importantly, this initial One Kitsap summary reflects what those stakeholders want from Kitsap County’s lead economic development organization as a regional economic strategy for the community and what they will support with additional financial resources.  

What is One Kitsap?

• A five-year strategic economic development initiative 
• Public/Private Partnership
• Intentional
• Aligned with Kitsap’s economic development needs and opportunities
• Key characteristics:
  • Results-oriented 
  • Long-term thinking with near-term and ongoing execution 
  • Accountable to public and private stakeholders
  • Goals rooted in economic vitality, prosperity and sustainability: Jobs, Incomes and GDP
  • Collaborative with relevant agencies, organizations, institutions, and comprehensive plans

Why do we need it and why now?

• Economic growth that does not jeopardize Kitsap’s beauty, quality of place, and quality of life will require intentionality, leadership, and capacity.
• KEDA has been evolving and transitioning since the pandemic with new leadership, staff, programs and increased capabilities. As a result, now is the time to invest in KEDA as an entity that will be the “go to, one voice, one place” where stakeholders come together to plan, direct, and execute Kitsap’s economic future.
• Platform for Kitsap to be more “self-determining” vs. defined by Greater Seattle, the State of Washington, and the Federal Government 
•  Intense competition for jobs, investment, companies and talent in the Puget Sound region, Pacific Northwest, and U.S.

Who?

•  Led by a re-focused, re-energized KEDA
  • Targeted economic development orientation based on studies, analyses and plans
  •  More private sector influence and direction
  • Focus and resources directed by strategic plan
  • Investor-led and directed
• Partners & collaborators
  • Private employers 
  • County, municipalities, neighboring counties
  • Tribal Nations
  • Education (Olympic College campuses, university partners, K-12 system/districts, trade schools)
  • Port of Bremerton and Other Industrial Parks 
  • Real estate: Developers, builders, associations
  • Chambers of Commerce
  • Community nonprofits

Additional Notes about One Kitsap:

• Funded and delivered as a five-year initiative, but also intended to establish capacity for KEDA to deliver solutions, impact, and value for many years in the future. The first few years will focus on building new organizational capacity.
• Stakeholders, investors, and community leaders will be deployed through ad hoc and committee tasks as needed to supplement KEDA staff capacity and advance the collective agenda effectively. 
• KEDA staff will be encouraged to pursue appropriate professional development opportunities.
• Implementation of One Kitsap requires investments in research capabilities and data acquisition & analysis.  Research will include identification of best practices in other communities that can be emulated in Kitsap.

Five-Year Goals & Outcomes:

• Increase overall industrial and commercial inventory (+350,000 square feet in buildings)
• Decrease vacancy rate at major employers by 25% from 2022 highs
• Increase in Kitsap County GDP by 3%

Want to get involved?

Contact KEDA Executive Director Joe Morrison 360.377.9599