Cassie Pinkel, Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation (FEDC)

Second Thursday of Each Month, 2:30 pm at the Chamber Office

The Urban and Rural Affairs Committee identifies and supports projects that enhance urban and rural exchanges: business, social, education, and cultural relations.

• Promote Committee Growth
• Seek business and community organization membership from both Fairbanks and rural Communities, and promote Greater Fairbanks of Commerce membership
• Invite participation from the Small Business Association (SBA), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau (FCVB), Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation (FEDC), Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC), Fairbanks Native Association (FNA), Doyon Ltd , Denakanaaga, as well as rural community and tribal organizations, and economic development organizations
• Promote Regional Issue Awareness
• Work with FCVB, convention committees, and businesses to support the return of the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) Convention to Fairbanks
• Support the return of the World Eskimo Indian Olympics (WEIO) and promote event awareness in Fairbanks and Interior Region communities
• Routinely support various activities, conventions and events that pertain to building and strengthening our urban/rural relations annually
• Invite media to participate in village visits, increasing urban/rural community awareness of common economic issues
• Highlight cross-cultural communication, marketing methods and customer service
• Support regional meetings and trade shows
• Brief regional leaders and legislators on Urban and Rural initiatives
• Encourage University to reinstate program for faculty for cross-cultural communication awareness in rural Alaska
• Encourage businesses to have new employees attend cross-cultural communication course
• Promote Awareness of Rural Businesses to Fairbanks Market
• To promote the development of connections and partnerships between rural community businesses and Fairbanks in efforts to foster and grow rural businesses
• Actively look for rural businesses product “fits” in the Fairbanks community and work to develop partnerships between the communities to stimulate rural businesses
• Support the continuation of bypass mail and increase flights to and from rural communities to help rural businesses succeed and grow through tourism, trade and entrepreneurship
• Promote Growth of Fairbanks as a Hub for rural communities
• It is beneficial to rural residents to retain by-pass mail as a shipping method from Fairbanks
• Promotion of local business to rural communities grows and expands shipping and ordering from Fairbanks, reaffirming it as the “hub” of the interior. It is vital to our local air carriers to increase the amount of cargo being shipped from Fairbanks to rural communities
• Increasing cargo increases passenger seat availability and promoting travel to and from Fairbanks
• Work to strengthen business/organization connectivity in Fairbanks so that participating business/organizations can benefit from each other while promoting Fairbanks as a “hub” for rural communities and offering greater support, value and availability to our rural areas.

Programs & Projects for the Year