Leading with Partnership: Joe Morrison on Kitsap’s Growth

In a new Kitsap Business interview, KEDA’s executive director discusses the industries, partnerships and investments shaping opportunity across Kitsap County.

KEDA Executive Director Joe Morrison is featured on the cover of the July issue of Kitsap Business magazine and in a wide-ranging interview exploring his career, KEDA’s work and his vision for Kitsap County’s future.

Since joining KEDA in 2020, Morrison has helped lead the organization through the economic disruption of the pandemic and into a period of significant opportunity. In the interview, he shares how his background in marketing, finance, entrepreneurship and economic development prepared him for what he calls his favorite role: leading KEDA.

Growing Kitsap’s Economic Strengths

Morrison describes himself as optimistic about Kitsap’s economic outlook, pointing to substantial defense investment and opportunities for growth in maritime, healthcare, construction, engineering and tourism.

Modernization projects at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Naval Base Kitsap will continue to shape the regional economy, while local companies such as SAFE Boats and Inventech Marine demonstrate Kitsap’s strength in maritime manufacturing. Healthcare expansion, including continued investment at St. Michael Medical Center, is also creating new career and business opportunities.

Supporting Businesses and Entrepreneurs

The interview highlights the essential role that entrepreneurs and locally grown companies play in creating jobs and diversifying Kitsap’s economy. Morrison points to businesses that began locally and grew into major employers as examples of the long-term impact entrepreneurship can have on a community.

He also discusses KEDA initiatives supporting that growth, including the Matchstick Lab Microbusiness Accelerator, assistance that helped Inventech Marine secure funding for its new headquarters and efforts to connect businesses with resources, investment and new opportunities.

Bringing Partners Together

Many of Kitsap’s economic challenges—including workforce shortages, childcare, housing and infrastructure—extend beyond any single business, organization or jurisdiction.

Morrison explains that KEDA’s role is to bring businesses, local governments, Tribes, educational institutions and community organizations together to align priorities and coordinate action. That collaboration is central to building the workforce, infrastructure and business environment Kitsap needs to prosp

Shaping Growth with Intention

Looking ahead, Morrison envisions thriving downtowns, expanded employment opportunities along the Highway 3 corridor, redevelopment in Kitsap’s urban centers and continued investment in the communities that make the region distinctive.

His message is clear: Kitsap cannot stand still. By shaping growth thoughtfully, protecting the region’s natural assets and working together, the community can create an economy that provides greater opportunity for everyone who calls Kitsap home.

Thank you to Kitsap Business magazine and writer Quinn Propst for highlighting Joe and the partnerships, businesses and people moving Kitsap forward.

Read the full interview in Kitsap Business.