Next Economy's public forums were part of a series of similar working sessions held around the state leading up to the summit that helped inform The Summit Policy Playbook.  Among the Summit's key speakers was Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who applauded the grass-roots and regional approach.

"If you want to go fast, go alone," Newsom told the audience of 500 in his opening remarks.  "But, if you want to go far, we need to go together."

The initiative is based on the belief that each region of California needs the necessary support to develop and implement a recovery strategy that reflects its own unique challenges, industry mix and innovation assets based on shared principles.

To accomplish this, the alliance of regions are working in alignment to develop a shared agenda for action.  What is envisioned is a network of regional partnerships spanning the entire state of California, each one working on recovery strategies designed to promote regional economies and improve quality of life for its residents, while working together to share best practices and address common problems. 

For Next Economy and its resulting Capital Region Prosperty Plan to be successful, integration with a larger interconnected state strategy is important, particularly in respect to improving business climate within our region and around the state.

"Regions drive economic growth. Not cities, not counties, not states," said Roger Niello, president and CEO of the Sacramento Metro Chamber.  "Jobs, wealth creation, return on investmetn and profitability are the outcomes we must all work toward as we embark on implementation of Next Economy."