EDAWN to reduce its staff

The Economic Development Authority of

Western Nevada will trim three positions

from its 11-person staff at the end of this

year.

The cutbacks come as the state government,

which faces

budget woes of its

own, continues to

trim its assistance

to regional economic

development

agencies, says

Chuck Alvey, president

and chief

executive officer of

EDAWN.

The positions to be cut include:

* The manager of special programs, a

position currently held by Sarah Woodman.

* The manager of the Business Builders

program, which identifies the needs of existing

employers in the region and helps retain

them. That position is held by Tracey Buxton.

* An office specialist position currently

held by Gina Bonar.

EDAWN has seen its allocation cut twice

by the state government in recent months,

and state officials have said the agency can

expect another cut of anywhere from 4 to 11

percent early in 2009.

At the same time,Alvey said, recruitment

of new, dues-paying EDAWN members has

slowed with the economy. Retention of existing

members remains fairly strong, he said.

The staff cuts mean that the agency will

be focused on a job that its members have

identified as EDAWN's primary mission

recruitment of new employers into the region.

"We're staying really focused,"Alvey said.

"Everything will be focused on job creation."

To be jettisoned are EDAWN's programs

such as its annual lunch and its Business Buzz

breakfasts.

EDAWN members

viewed those programs

as expendable

during tough

times.

EDAWN's

recruitment efforts,

Alvey said, work in

tandem with the

economic development efforts of NV Energy

and other partners in the area.

The recent decision by Dassault Falcon Jet

Corp. to locate a service facility in Reno, for

instance, reflects a cooperative effort between

Reno-Tahoe International Airport and

EDAWN,Alvey said.