California Jobs First Collaborative Stewardship Committee, Kern Coalition, and North Valley THRIVE
HR&A Advisors serves as Sector Investment Coordinator (SIC) and strategic program manager for the California Jobs First Catalyst Program across Los Angeles County, Kern County, and the North San Joaquin Valley. Working alongside regional conveners, fiscal agents, and cross-sector coalitions, we have helped deploy Catalyst funding, operationalize regional economic plans, and advance industry-led initiatives that position each region for inclusive growth in a carbon-neutral economy.Â
Across all three regions, HR&A has translated high-level state economic development goals into actionable regional strategies, funding programs, and implementation-ready projects. In Los Angeles County, we co-developed and administered a competitive RFP process to allocate $9 million in predevelopment funding, evaluated more than 100 proposals, organized industry working groups, and authored five sector Activation Plans to guide long-term investment. We built a comprehensive technical assistance program that included office hours, direct advisory support, and a virtual community hub to strengthen applicant capacity and ensure smaller community-based organizations could compete effectively. In Kern County, we provided strategic oversight and coalition management for a five-partner cross-sector regional convener collaborative, leading a comprehensive branding and marketing strategy to unify the coalition’s identity and amplify its impact. Our work included developing brand guidelines and messaging, launching a new website, producing communications toolkits and social media content, supporting press and public events, and creating a marketing and governance framework to sustain long-term visibility. In parallel, we supported the selection and launch of 16 Catalyst projects and advanced the Kern LEADS initiative to transition the region’s legacy energy economy toward clean energy innovation, workforce development, and business attraction. In the North San Joaquin Valley, we serve as a clean energy SIC, facilitating regional coordination, conducting an industrial lands analysis to streamline clean energy siting, and developing a nuclear fusion roadmap to position the region as a leader in emerging energy technology.
Through this work, HR&A has built durable governance structures, industry ecosystems, and project pipelines that extend beyond a single grant cycle. By aligning workforce development, decarbonization, and economic competitiveness strategies, we are helping three diverse regions move from planning to implementation by advancing ready-to-go projects, strengthening local institutions, and creating pathways to high-quality jobs for communities historically excluded from economic opportunity.
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HR&A Advisors serves as the Sector Investment Coordinator for the Los Angeles County Jobs First Collaborative, leading program management for the Catalyst Phase of California Jobs First. Working alongside the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation as Regional Convener and the California Community Foundation as Fiscal Agent, we designed and implemented a $9 million predevelopment funding program to advance inclusive, climate-aligned economic growth across priority industries.
HR&A Advisors provides strategic program management and advisory services to the Kern Jobs First Coalition during the Catalyst Phase of California Jobs First. Supporting a five-partner, cross-sector Regional Convener collaborative, we have strengthened regional governance, guided project selection, and advanced a shared strategy to transition Kern County’s legacy energy economy toward clean energy innovation and inclusive growth.
HR&A Advisors serves as Sector Investment Coordinator for the clean energy sector in California’s North San Joaquin Valley, supporting the region’s transition to a resilient, carbon-neutral economy. Working with North Valley Thrive and regional partners across San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Merced counties, we are advancing implementation-ready strategies that connect clean energy investment with workforce opportunity and industrial growth.
