One of the meaningful outcomes of the Sierra Jobs First initiative has been seeing the regional planning work translate into local action. Notably, in August, the City of Sonora adopted its 2026–2031 Economic Development Strategy, which draws on Sierra Jobs First’s Strategic Plan, alongside local community input and other regional and statewide planning efforts.

 “By aligning Sonora’s efforts with these larger strategies, we can stretch our limited resources and position ourselves for state and federal funding,” said Sonora Mayor Ann Segerstrom in an interview with MyMotherlode.

In late 2024, following the Strategic Plan’s review by the Collaborative, approval by the Governing Council, and delivery to the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) on August 29, Sierra Business Council’s Sierra Jobs First team visited elected officials across the seven-county Jobs First region, among them the Sonora City Council, to socialize the plan’s Strategic priorities and provide the supporting research as a resource.

From my perspective as an SBC staffer living in Tuolumne County and leader of elected official outreach throughout the Jobs First initiative, it is particularly encouraging to see the priorities developed through Sierra Jobs First continuing to inform economic development conversations and decisions in our communities. 

Sonora’s strategy focuses on practical actions related to business attraction and retention, placemaking, planning and policy, funding, and workforce development. This is a strong example of how the California Jobs First investment can have a lasting impact- providing communities with a regional framework they can build upon and translate into locally driven economic development strategies.