Mayor's Commission to Boost Tacoma's International Profile

Later today a dozen leaders from various Tacoma public agencies, educational and arts institutions, tourism, and the business community will meet to begin to work toward a unified agenda for international relations.

Mayor Strickland created the new Commission on International Relations to help boost Tacoma's international profile by developing a coherent vision and strategy for increasing foreign direct investment in Tacoma, while increasing access to overseas markets for local businesses.

The commission faces the task of connecting with the diverse businesses and organizations with a stake in international relations, and bringing them together for a unified agenda and messaging about Tacoma. These entities will include obvious choices like the Port of Tacoma, the World Trade Center, Tacoma's Sister Cities program. There are also the other businesses with international interests, and study abroad programs at various Tacoma schools to consider.

Some of the work of the commission will no doubt be at the level of improving bureaucratic processes. They will also want to take a close look at how Tacoma is positioned to receive EB-5 investment dollars from foreign investors wanting to go that route, and look at what is already being done by various players, and identify opportunities. 

The Mayor describes the commission's goal as "maximizing our strengths as a city and leveraging our international resources."

Earlier in 2014 Mayor Strickland, along with other leaders in politics, business, and academics, announced a new Global Cities Initiative aimed at increasing foreign direct investment in the Puget Sound region. As that initiative moves forward, the Mayor's Commission will help Tacoma prepare to take full advantage of new opportunities as they come.

At the commission's first meeting today, Mayor Strickland will share her vision for how Tacoma can benefit from raising its international profile, and members of the Commission will begin to discuss their ideas.

We look forward to seeing where this goes.