WEA Newsletter
Message from the Executive Director
At the December Board Retreat, it was reaffirmed that WEA members and leadership believe that we need a holistic approach to create smart economic growth. That means, yes, a healthy tax and incentive environment for business. It also means having a well-trained and well-paid workforce as well as a healthy community. Any investment, no matter how big or attractive, that doesn’t consider these three elements will, in the long run, not be a smart investment.
And so, as we welcome February, we also welcome Black History Month. A healthy community must be one that celebrates its’ diversity. According to a national report from the Census Bureau issued November of 2022, “There were an estimated 140,918 Black- or African American-owned businesses with $141.1 billion in annual receipts, 1.3 million employees, and about $42.2 billion in annual payroll”