Contact: Barbara Riley
Friday, August 29, 2008

HOLDERNESS, NH – United  States Senator John Sununu (R-NH) and Deputy Assistant Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of Commerce for Economic Development Ben Erulkar today (8/29) congratulated Kimon Koulet, Executive Director of the Lakes Region Planning Commission, on the organization’s receipt of a $50,000 Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to support the formation of a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).

“The Lakes Region plays a valuable role in our state’s economy - its natural beauty drawing tourist from in and out of the state and its skilled workforce helping to fuel job creation and economic expansion,” said Sununu. “The Lakes Region Planning Commission has always done a tremendous job in looking ahead at new opportunities, and this EDA funding will help them plan for an even brighter future for this growing part of our state.”

Koulet said, “EDA’s recent approval of $50,000 toward the Lakes Region Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy will go a long way towards finalizing a long term, sustainable plan for the economic development of the Lakes Region. The CEDS process involves planning for all aspects of our economic life including building employees, natural resources and energy, enhanced broadband capacity, affordable housing promotion, and also building social capital. Hundreds of volunteer hours have been donated by CEDS business and public participants throughout the region; our finished strategy will encourage private capital investment and job creation in the region.”

Sununu and Erulkar met with Koulet at Harmony Metal Products in Holderness on Friday, August 29 to congratulate him. The Economic Development Administration has provided the funding to support the development and implementation of a CEDS for the Lakes Region. The CEDS process is designed to bring together the public and private sectors in the creation of an economic development roadmap to diversify and strengthen the region’s economy. Koulet expressed optimism that, when complete, the CEDS will be used by the business community, economic development groups, municipal officials, and interested residents as an action plan for future economic growth and wealth creation.

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