With that goal in mind, SDNEDC and the Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos, and Oceanside Chambers hosted a very successful study trip to Austin, TX from March 19-21. We focused on the economic and chamber activities in Round Rock, TX, one of America’s fastest-growing suburbs that shares many similarities with North County.
Led by Mayor Rebecca Jones and Councilmembers María Nuñez (San Marcos), Jeff Fox (Vista), and Kevin Shin (Carlsbad), the 20-person delegation took deep dives into topics like:
- How Round Rock organizes its economic development and workforce efforts to increase private and public sector partnerships to drive prosperity.
- How to leverage public sector investment in parks and active open spaces to enhance economic development, connectivity, and quality of life amenities.
- How the brewing industry in Texas is adapting to changing consumer preferences.
- How the success of South by Southwest can be traced to two key goals—meeting a real need to boost activity for local venues during a slow season and fostering creative conversations and connections
- How Mobile Loaves and Fishes is innovating in providing services to the homeless.
As important as the panels and presentations were, the real impact came from the deepening connections among the trip delegates. Study trips provide a unique opportunity to get away from San Diego and spend quality time with other stewards of our region while honing our North County stories.
We are already planning the next trip for 2026. If you have an idea for a suburban community that would be good for us to visit, please let us know. Keep an eye out for announcements about the 2026 North County Economic Study tour – we expect to sell out quickly next year!
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Article written by CEO Erik Bruvold