The Northern California Indian Development Council, Inc. (NCIDC) and the Arcata Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) are proud to announce that Ross Welch, a longstanding champion of workforce and economic development for tribal partners, has been awarded the first ever Indian Country Prosperity Award. This award was presented on May 30th during NCIDC's Pathways to Indian Prosperity Workforce Development Summit, which featured presentations and information about career pathways, networking opportunities, and entrepreneurial resources at the Bear River Tish Non-Community Center.
Ross Welch joined AEDC in 2008 after a 30-year-long career in banking throughout the North Coast region, serving Humboldt, Del Norte, and Mendocino Counties. With a strong background in finance, Ross found his true passion at AEDC, focusing on enhancing the region's economic landscape by developing innovative funding solutions for vital community projects in underserved areas.
His skill and knowledge of financing, his focus on AEDC’s vision, and his genuine belief that "it’s amazing what we can accomplish when we don’t care who gets credit," have meant that his work has been not only impressive and collaborative but has often gone under-recognized in our greater communities.
"This truly was a surprise and honor to be recognized by NCIDC. It was 12 years ago that we started working with them to help fund the restoration of the Carson Block Building in Eureka. From lessons learned on that project, we have been able to leverage AEDC's BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) guaranty abilities to fund other projects In Indian Country and to support tribal entrepreneurs as well. This really is a recognition of the entire AEDC Team,” says Ross.
Throughout his time at AEDC, Ross has been crucial in increasing the organization's net assets from approximately $270,000 to around $6 million today. His leadership and commitment to community service have been pivotal in funding key projects like the Carson Block Building with NCIDC and the Hoopa Grocery Store. He also served on the board of Alliance EDC (now called YEDC) for eight years.
More recently, Ross has been involved with the Native CDFI Network's Clean Communities Investment Accelerator program, which will help build an energy finance ecosystem that will produce sustainable benefits for the plant and Native people across the United States.
The Indian Country Prosperity Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the workforce and economic development of Native communities. Ross's award demonstrates his commitment to enhancing our region’s prosperity and creating opportunities within our underserved communities.
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