INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Shaken by the COVID-19 pandemic, growing wildfires, more volatile weather, housing scarcity, congested roads, increasing reliance on tourism, and intensifying economic disparity, community leaders convened by the Tahoe Prosperity Center delivered a “Prosperity Playbook” to diversify, insulate, and grow the Tahoe-Truckee economy.

The Prosperity Playbook lays out a vision for a balanced and resilient Tahoe-Truckee regional economy through 2030. It provides a set of actions designed to increase workforce housing, improve transportation, support the growth of start-ups and Mainstreet businesses, generate higher wage jobs, and ensure Tahoe is a place where people can not only visit and play, but live, work, and thrive. The Playbook builds these strategies around tourism and outdoor recreation, as well as local strengths in health and wellness and environmental innovation to diversify the jobs base and increase upward mobility .

“We adopted a ‘playbook’ because Tahoe’s economy needed a roadmap for action, measurement and accountability far more than we needed another plan or report to collect dust,” said Heidi Hill Drum, CEO for the Tahoe Prosperity Center. “We also chose ‘playbook’ because there is not just one strategy, moment or organization that’s going to deliver a stronger, more inclusive economy for all. It will take all of us working together. Even if we don’t agree on every strategy, we can agree on the goals of a healthier Tahoe economy and better quality of life for our residents. The Prosperity Playbook sets us up to be more nimble and opportunistic, make significant gains, and work more collaboratively across issues, jurisdictions, layers of government, and private interests.”

“The Washoe Tribe appreciates being engaged in this effort. I remain optimistic that w e can unify our community, economy and environment by implementing the strategies outlined in the Envision Tahoe Prosperity Playbook,” Wendy Loomis, Executive Director, Washoe Development Corporation/the Business Enterprise of the Lake Tahoe WashoeTribe

“Tahoe is awesome in so many ways, but I’m excited to see us come together with a vision to make Tahoe a great place to start or relocate a business,” said Chris McNamara, owner of OutdoorGearLab, LLC and TechGearLab, and the private sector co-chair of Envision Tahoe. “Because we need the whole system to change, we can’t only focus on fixing housing or transportation. We also need to tackle making tourism more sustainable and resilient and help our entrepreneurs and Mainstreet businesses with the support they need to thrive. The Playbook points the way. Ultimately, it boils down to coming together to work on the set of issues we are most passionate about. That’s where we will see action.”

The Prosperity Playbook recommends action in the following areas to strengthen and diversify Tahoe’s economy:

• Accelerating workforce housing and improved transportation by pursuing policy changes, creating more flexibility, utilizing public-private partnerships, and advancing funding solutions at the local, state and federal levels.

• Strengthening key industries by leading on responsible tourism, supporting tourism-adjacent industries such as recreation, fitness and health, building stronger connections between major private and public employers and local suppliers, and building industry clusters around health and wellness and environmental innovation.

• Supporting business vitality and diversification by launching a business retention and sustainability strategy and pursuing strategies with “anchor employers” for community wealth building.

• Jump-starting the innovation ecosystem by building a local network of entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, business leaders, educators, and workforce and economic development agencies.

• Building skill pathways for upward mobility by expanding skills-focused curriculum, and building a region-wide skills pathway system and program among employers, workforce agencies, colleges, and K-12 schools.

• Shaping the enabling environment by evaluating a coordinated campaign focused on Tahoe as a place to grow key industry clusters, and scale up present conversations around public-private partnerships and shared governance across the Tahoe-Truckee region.

• Maintaining momentum and accountability by engaging community leaders to prioritize “plays” and refine tactical plans for the next 12 months and measuring and reporting progress annually.

To read the “Prosperity Playbook” and learn more about Envision Tahoe, visit http://www.tahoeprosperity.org/envision-tahoe/.

Source: Tahoe Prosperity Center