Executive Director of Business and Community Services named to Governor’s working group

CWU’s Executive Director of Business and Community Services Rob Ogburn has been named to a newly established state-level working group designed to spur statewide economic development and bring high-paying manufacturing jobs to the Northwest.

Ogburn’s selection to the group — created this fall by Governor Jay Inslee to increase statewide and regional collaboration and help the state take advantage of funding from the federal government’s CHIPS and Science Act — will help put the interests of the Central Washington region front and center, while allowing Ogburn to lend his expertise in global industries and local economic development to the effort.

Congress passed the CHIPS and Science Act in 2022 to support a historic investment into America’s growing semiconductor manufacturing sector. Closer to home, Inslee recently announced the creation of a working group tasked with securing federal CHIPS and Science Act funding for Washington’s own Advanced manufacturing industries.  In his announcement earlier this month, Inslee stressed the importance of state-level action on the matter.

“Washington state must act decisively to secure our leadership in advanced technology research, development, and manufacturing,” he said.

Ogburn has been leading CWU’s Department of Business and Community Services (BCS) since it was formed in 2023. BCS’s work is centered in deep listening and sustainable growth for the communities it serves, finding ways to bring in jobs and investment without sacrificing the community agency and qualities that make each community unique.

“The goals of this working group line up well with what CWU is trying to achieve here in Central Washington,” Ogburn said. “I look forward to working with this highly qualified team in this important work as Washington invests in our future.”

The working group is comprised of 11 representatives from institutions across the state, including the University of Washington, Washington State University, Pacific Northwest National Labs (PNNL) and the Governor’s Office. Ogburn says that this broad collaboration is necessary to ensure that Washington’s strategies properly serve its residents.

“Washington is unique in the diversity of its communities, blending together global leadership across agriculture, technology, and manufacturing industries,” he said. “As we look to the future, we need to make sure we’re including all communities  at the table in order for our progress to be both sustainable and meaningful.  I am encouraged by the efforts of Dr. Williams and the Department of Commerce in constructing a working group team which seeks to convene expertise, interests and communities across the state.”

The working group met for the first time on Monday and will be holding regular meetings through 2025 and beyond.

The CHIPS and Science Act has generated over $30 billion in private sector investments since it was signed into law, including 16 new semiconductor manufacturing facilities across the U.S.