• About The Alliance

    About La Plata Economic Alliance

Our Vision

The Alliance will enable La Plata County to be one of the most vital, vibrant communities in the country to live, work, learn, and play.

Our Mission

To create a vibrant and resilient economy through the recruitment, retainment, and growth of business to preserve our quality of life. This mission is achieved by workforce development, enabling business capacity, supporting affordable housing for the community workforce that is essential for long-term economic sustainability, and fostering public and private partnerships.

Strategic Plan

The Alliance has adopted an Agile strategic planning framework to address the rapidly changing economic development environment in a post-pandemic economy. ​ The Alliance’s previous three-year strategic plan focused on three core pillars: Business Capacity and Growth, Housing Solutions, and Workforce Expansion and Recruitment. ​ The Alliance has made significant progress in all three areas, particularly housing, where they have played a substantial role in public-private partnerships. ​ The Alliance’s vision is to create a vibrant and resilient economy in La Plata County through workforce development, business capacity, affordable housing, and public-private partnerships. ​ The prioritized goals for 2024-2025 include educating the team on Agile concepts, re-invigorating membership engagement, facilitating workforce housing partnerships, creating workforce development programs, driving business capacity and growth initiatives, and ensuring operational excellence. ​ The Agile framework involves sprint planning and execution, ongoing monitoring and adaptation, and resource allocation. ​ The Alliance has experienced significant growth and success in the past three years and aims to continue evolving and executing its mission through iterative strategic planning.
Read the Strategic Plan

History & Purpose

  • 2009

    LEAD formed

    The La Plata Economic Action Development (LEAD) board was formed to promote an organized approach to economic development across the county, which previously did not exist. While LEAD was successful in bringing key partners together to create a vision for the community, as a volunteer run board, there was a strong need for a full time economic development organization to reach bigger development goals.

  • 2010

    LEAD gives way to Economic Development Alliance

    The La Plata Economic Action Development (LEAD) board was formed to promote an organized approach to economic development across the county, which previously did not exist. While LEAD was successful in bringing key partners together to create a vision for the community, as a volunteer run board, there was a strong need for a full time economic development organization to reach bigger development goals.

  • 2011

    Roger Zalneraitis hired on as Director of Alliance

    As a downturn in the oil and gas industry in the region was foreseen, the need for economic diversification became the focus of the Alliance. Roger Zalneraitis was hired on as the director, and focused on three main initiatives: airport development, a business park study, and broadband to every roof top.

    During Roger’s time at the Alliance he built the organizations structure from the ground up, and grew the Alliance’s business membership through the Partners and Progress initiative, a program that allowed members to apply money directly to one of the three initiatives mentioned above. During his tenure the airport saw significant air traffic increase, the business park study was completed, and broadband services across the county was improved. After serving the Alliance for 8 years, Roger moved on to a position with the Southern Ute Tribe.

  • 2020

    Mike French hired on as Director of Alliance

    After an extensive national search, Mike French joined on as the new director of the Alliance at the beginning of 2020. Mike’s experience in starting a private small business and growing it to a public organization has brought extensive business experience to the Alliance, and will focus the organization on business recruitment and retention efforts, expanding startup initiatives and foster additional strategies that reflect the community’s strengths for long-term economic prosperity.