San Bernardino County’s decade of innovation, growth highlighted at event

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Design in Design Innovation | 0 Comments

  • ABC 7 reporter Leticia Juarez and Chairman Curt Hagman address the audience during the annual state of San Bernardino County event in Ontario on Wednesday Feb. 05, 2020. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

  • ABC 7 reporter Leticia Juarez and Chairman Curt Hagman address the audience during the annual state of San Bernardino County event in Ontario on Wednesday Feb. 05, 2020. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

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  • The stage at the annual state of San Bernardino County event in Ontario on Wednesday Feb. 05, 2020. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

  • ABC 7 reporter Leticia Juarez and Chairman Curt Hagman address the audience during the annual state of San Bernardino County event in Ontario on Wednesday Feb. 05, 2020. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

  • San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors staffer Veronica Hill watches a video presentation during the annual state of San Bernardino County event in Ontario on Wednesday Feb. 05, 2020. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

  • The audience watches a video presentation during the annual state of San Bernardino County event in Ontario on Wednesday Feb. 05, 2020. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

  • Chairman Curt Hagman addresses the audience during the annual state of San Bernardino County event in Ontario on Wednesday Feb. 05, 2020. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

  • ABC 7 reporter Leticia Juarez and Chairman Curt Hagman address the audience during the annual state of San Bernardino County event in Ontario on Wednesday Feb. 05, 2020. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

  • ABC 7 reporter Leticia Juarez and Chairman Curt Hagman address the audience during the annual state of San Bernardino County event in Ontario on Wednesday Feb. 05, 2020. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

  • ABC 7 reporter Leticia Juarez and Chairman Curt Hagman address the audience during the annual state of San Bernardino County event in Ontario on Wednesday Feb. 05, 2020. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

  • ABC 7 reporter Leticia Juarez and Chairman Curt Hagman address the audience during the annual state of San Bernardino County event in Ontario on Wednesday Feb. 05, 2020. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

  • ABC 7 reporter Leticia Juarez addresses the audience during the annual state of San Bernardino County event in Ontario on Wednesday Feb. 05, 2020. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

  • Chairman Curt Hagman (left), supervisors and others stand on the stage during the annual state of San Bernardino County event in Ontario on Wednesday Feb. 05, 2020. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

  • Part of the video presentation during the annual state of San Bernardino County event in Ontario on Wednesday Feb. 05, 2020. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

  • Chairman Curt Hagman addresses the audience during the annual state of San Bernardino County event in Ontario on Wednesday Feb. 05, 2020. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

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Innovation at work. Creative healthcare. Safer communities. Neighborhood reinvestment. A global gateway.

San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman used those phrases to sum up work done in the county over the past decade during the Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020 State of the County Regional Business Summit.

“Our leadership is hard at work to ensure that we continue to grow and lead the way, here in the county, in Southern California, across the nation and around the world,” said Hagman, who was joined by ABC 7 reporter Leticia Juarez, a San Bernardino native.

In 2010, county officials, cities, schools and hospitals, with input from residents and experts, started the Countywide Vision, a road map for making the county an ideal place to live, work, go to school and recreate. Then the county launched programs supporting education, safer communities, workforce training, business growth and residents’ health.

Here are five takeaways from Wednesday’s event at the Toyota Arena in Ontario.

A decade of innovation

Over the past 10 years, the county has used technology to survey the homeless; launched programs to connect students with careers; created the Homeless Outreach and Proactive Enforcement, or HOPE, team; built affordable housing in Bloomington and attracted billions in foreign investment.

Growth

The county, and Inland Empire, have outpaced the rest of the state and country in employment since 2013, Juarez said. Employment has grown by 3.69% and the average wage has jumped by 2.7% year over year, according to the county.

A county of firsts

The county is a county of firsts, Hagman said. McDonald’s, Del Taco, Maglite, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and Esri got their start here.

“Every day I get to meet entrepreneurs and inventors who are making a difference,” he said. “Over the next decade you will hear about more firsts from San Bernardino County.” Some innovative businesses were highlighted, including Haven City Market in Rancho Cucamonga and reRubber in Ontario and San Bernardino.

Creating skilled workers

Businesses need a skilled workforce to succeed, Juarez said.

“We have a young population with great potential,” Hagman said. “With the right training, we can produce a skilled workforce pipeline for business.” He cited the High Desert Training Center in Victorville, which offers training for industrial mechanical and electrical jobs.

Before the presentation, workers with the county’s Preschool Services Department, members of Teamsters Local 1932, called on officials to improve working conditions for teachers and staff, which they said are leading to substandard learning conditions for students. The workers passed out flyers with their concerns to summit guests.

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