What is the SCVEA Advocate Program?

The Santa Clarita Valley Economic Alliance's new Advocate Program is a collaborative group of public and private representatives from biomed, technology, entertainment, aerospace and education clusters in the Santa Clarita Valley that work together to assist in achieving SCVEA goals on an ongoing basis.

Goals of the SCVEA:

Attract new business to the Santa Clarita Valley, assist in the retention and expansion of business already located in the Santa Clarita Valley and create new jobs. SCVEA goals are achieved by assisting companies in:

• Interpreting Building Codes
• Expediting Permitting and Licensing
• Streamlining and Accelerating the Public/Private Process
• Addressing Environmental Issues
• Addressing Manufacturing and Warehousing Issues
• Site/Facility Location and Planning

How does the Advocate Program work?

Companies looking to make the Santa Clarita Valley their new home, as well as companies in Santa Clarita looking to expand, will have access to the resources, guidance, recommendations and testimonials of advocates participating in the SCVEA Advocate Program. An example of how an advocate has assisted a company and in turn enhanced business in the Santa Clarita Valley is the case of College of the Canyons assisting Aerospace Dynamics International, Inc.

Through its partnership with the college, Aerospace Dynamics trained nearly its entire programming staff how to use high-end Unigraphics and CATIA computer-aided design, engineering and manufacturing software. Training alone can cost $20,000 or more per person, so the incentive to partner with the College held a substantial monetary value. Aerospace Dynamics saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in training costs while significantly enhancing its competitive edge. The training partnership also produced a collaboration model that has been recognized statewide for its innovation.

Advocate Program Members:

Having representatives from the major business clusters in the Santa Clarita Valley provides a wide range of knowledge and experience for companies seeking assistance.

ENTERTAINMENT ADVOCATE Santa Clarita Studios; President, Mike Delorenzo	TECHNOLOGY ADVOCATE UltraViolet Devices, Inc.; Vice President, Dan Goetz	BIOMED ADVOCATE Advanced Bionics Corporation President, Jeffrey Greiner
MANUFACTURING ADVOCATE Remo Drum; CFO, Doug Sink	EDUCATION ADVOCATE College of the Canyons; (View Article) President, Dr. Dianne Van Hook	CIVIC ADVOCATE City of Santa Clarita; City Manager, Ken Pulskamp