San Joaquin Valley (SJV) Partnership
Mayor Autry has lobbied extensively for The City of Fresno and California’s Central Valley. He has lobbied the State as well as the Federal Government to provide equal funding to an area that has historically been left behind.
On June 24, 2005, by Executive Order S-5-05, Governor Schwarzenegger initiated The California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley and charged it with creating a strategic action proposal for improving the economic vitality of the region. The challenges confronting the San Joaquin Valley are well documented. Governor Schwarzenegger commissioned the group to go beyond just studying the region and focus on action. "Action, Action, Action" were his exact words.
The Secretary of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, Sunne Wright McPeak, is the chair of the Partnership with deputy chairs Connie Conway, chairwoman of the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, and private businessman Fritz Grupe. The Governor has appointed eight other secretaries to serve on the Partnership. (The Secretary for Education; Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency; Secretary of the Health and Human Services Agency; Secretary of the Labor and Workforce Development Agency; Secretary of the Resources Agency; Secretary of the State and Consumer Services Agency; and Secretary of the Department of Food and Agriculture) There are eight local community and business leaders and five official liaisons members. Along with Mayor Autry there are eight Valley elected officials appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger.
With a deadline of October 31, 2006 to complete the action plan, the Partnership has already begun to move things forward. Work Groups focused on key challenges will develop specific recommendations for the full Partnership to consider and approve. The areas of focus are: Economic Development, Higher Education and Workforce Development, K-12 Education, Transportation, Land Use, Agriculture and Housing, Air Quality and Environmental Protection, Water Quality, Supply and Reliability and Energy, Health and Human Services, Technology and Advanced Telecommunications. To date, the Partnership has advanced the following items:
- Upgrades to Highway 99
- Air Quality Measures
- Expanding Nursing Education Capacity in the San Joaquin Valley
- Support for a UC Merced Medical School in the San Joaquin Valley
- Measures to Improve K-12 Education
The San Joaquin Valley is one of the fastest growing regions in the state and nation. The challenges confronting the region great, but so is the opportunity for sustainable economic development that improves the standard of living for its residents. The Partnership is designed to catalyze action by the local leaders in the region with support from Sacramento.