History and Background

“We have a thousand years of work ahead of us – brilliant, sustaining, innovative work, a profound act of citizenship and participation that harmonizes the relationship between commerce and nature.”

– Paul Hawken, from The Ecology of Commerce

In 2004, a report from the Battelle Memorial Institute concluded that sustainability and technology-based industries are critical to building Arizona’s innovation and technology capacity and are the wave of the future for the state's businesses, educational institutions, and communities. Governor Janet Napolitano responded with the Moving Arizona Forward initiative that urged Arizonans to take immediate action to build this capacity.

In 2006, a small group of Coconino County leaders responded by initiating a series of discussions, meetings and brainstorming sessions that revealed that many people were searching for “green” opportunities centered on sustainability. The group decided to organize the State of Arizona’s first regional sustainable economic development effort as the Coconino County Sustainable Economic Development Initiative, or SEDI.

With few relevant models to draw from, the organizers began by simply inviting potential partners to the table. Representatives from all incorporated and unincorporated communities, Coconino County, Native American communities, state and federal agencies, educational institutions, conservation groups, and the business community were enlisted early in the process.

At the first full gathering of the partners, SEDI’s vision and mission were defined. A process was created that melded research, planning, and stakeholder and public involvement within a project timeline. Arizona Public Service Company (APS) quickly became a key partner for financial and logistical support. Its nationally recognized Focused Future II program was modified to fit the SEDI vision, and the company provided a strategic planning consultant, Partners for Strategic Action, Inc.

SEDI soon identified several “high yield” areas that offered significant opportunities for sustainable economic development:

Resource-based industries
Energy efficiency and renewable energy
Sustainable materials and products
Sustainability-based tourism
Micro-enterprises

Focus teams were organized for each of these areas, and the teams presented their goals and strategies to its partners in May of 2006.

In September 2006, over 150 stakeholders representing over 70 organizations attended a one-day summit to learn more about SEDI and to contribute to its process. A steering team was formed to coordinate the work of the focus teams and to develop and implement a strategic action plan. A smaller mobilization team was created to incorporate SEDI as a non-profit to expand its funding-raising capacity.