Economic Development Council Director is Stepping Down Early Next Year

JEFFERSON COUNTY, WA — Economic Development Council (EDC) Executive Director David Ballif has announced that he will step down from his position early next year. He will assume a similar role at the Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County (EDASC).

”I actually learned about local economic development from EDASC, so they were an inspiring organization for me,” said Ballif, who grew up in Skagit County. 

Initiatives and accomplishments

In a meeting with the Beacon, Ballif shared his thoughts regarding the EDC’s work and the opportunities and challenges in economic development in Jefferson County since he took the helm of the EDC in June of 2025.

The EDC adopted its first comprehensive strategic plan in January 2026. The 2026–2027 Strategic Plan sets five goals, each with specific deliverables and deadlines: convening the county around its economic future; supporting new jobs and investment; serving as a knowledge hub for the local economy; supporting and expanding businesses already here and building the EDC’s own capacity.

The EDC co-hosted a manufacturers roundtable with the Port of Port Townsend that led to an Evergreen Manufacturing Growth Grant for $165,000 for Atlas Technologies, supporting $1.6 million in new investment and eight to 10 new manufacturing jobs in Glen Cove.

”I wanted to do at least three or four other industry roundtables in the next two or three years,” Ballif said. “I’d like to do a forestry one in partnership with Chickadee Forestry, and I’ve got a couple of other industries in mind I’d like us to pull together with the focus on their specific workforce challenges.”

The EDC scored a win on October 8 when Governor Bob Ferguson granted Opportunity Zone 2.0 status to both of the census tracts—Port Townsend and Brinnon/West End—for which the EDC applied. 

EDC Team Jefferson will work with business and property owners in both Jefferson County tracts on what designation means and how to use it, connecting them to their business orientation service.

Investors who reinvest capital gains through a Qualified Opportunity Fund into businesses and real estate in a designated zone can receive various tax deferrals and reductions on their investments’ appreciation. Eligible investments include new construction, existing buildings that are substantially rehabilitated and new or expanding businesses whose property and operations are mainly in the zone.

Leveraging Port Hadlock

The EDC also renewed its focus on the Irondale-Port Hadlock Urban Growth Area, the county’s top location for new growth, jobs and housing. With the county’s $35.6 million sewer system online since fall 2025, Brett Bishop, the EDC’s new economic development associate, is mapping developable land, building site profiles and reaching out to property owners and developers.

County officials and economic development leaders regard the Port Hadlock area as the greatest potential for business expansion in the county in the coming years, if planning and execution are effective.

Ballif said that he is primarily interested in expanding capacity in three categories: retail, high-wage jobs and housing.

Regarding retail, Ballif points out lost opportunities and unnecessary costs through what he calls “leakage”. 

“People are driving outside of Jefferson County, wasting gas and spending money and putting tax dollars into another county, so if we could just have one business locate here to stem that.”

Potential businesses, Baliff said, could be supply-type businesses for local farms and industry, such as maritime.

Baliff said that multi-family housing is an “absolutely vital” ingredient for economic growth.

Executing on those three areas is a focus of the EDC’s Economic Development Associate, Bishop. Bishop’s work includes site and development research; outreach to landowners, businesses,and public partners; and preparing the written materials and briefings that move priority economic development areas from planning toward implementation.

Ballif believes that “the body of knowledge that Brett creates can be useful for developers, for our county commissioners and then with the University of Washington Livable City Year.” 

The Livable City Year project is designed to help communities increase community vitality, economic prosperity, environmental quality and social fairness.

Mining Opportunities in South County

The EDC is increasing its work in South Jefferson County, largely through funds it is receiving from a federal Recompete grant. The grant is intended to close employment gaps for workers between ages 25 and 54 in economically distressed communities.

Ballif received approval for an add-on to the grant that would include “ongoing business advising in South County, as well as supporting three “significant projects” in the next three years. A paid EDC staff member would oversee the project for six months, focusing on local private sector activity and local job creation,” Ballif said. “I don’t want to tie the hands of my successor, but I know that Brinnon is interested in tourism development.”

Ballif’s desire to shore up labor pipelines is focused on a few particular areas, including training in construction and automotive—particularly electric vehicle (EV) repair. He believes that an EV repair shop could be a successful local business.

Jefferson County's location and living costs pose opportunities and threats across many aspects of living and working. Ballif said that at least several manufacturers in the county have told him that “they could easily hire a number of new employees if it weren’t for the housing issues.” 

Ballif’s economic development frame is “that there is plenty of work to do, and the challenges are formidable, but the resources we have here are even more formidable. There are so many locations that would kill to have what we have.”