Norwich ― The message that a U.S. Economic Development Administration official has for southeastern Connecticut is that while the region missed out on some significant federal funding, it is well-positioned for an emerging trend in federal economic policy: place-based economic development.

Scott Andes, program lead for the EDA’s $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge, defines that as “a series of investments that together catalyze all elements of a local economy.”

“You are so much further along than so many other places in this country in a direction we may be going, so double down, focus on it,” Andes said Thursday morning, as the guest speaker at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region (seCTer).

Out of 529 applicants, the Offshore Wind Industry Cluster that seCTer headed was one of 60 finalists in the Build Back Better Regional Challenge and received $500,000 to advance to the next phase. But the OWIC was not ultimately among the 21 projects the EDA selected to receive between $25 million and $65 million each.

The OWIC included eight projects from coalition members, including the University of Connecticut, Norwich Community Development Corporation, and Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board.

This strategy aligned with Andes’ message that it isn’t enough to just invest in businesses or universities, but investment that is “aggressively focused on place.”

And he said the Build Back Better Regional Challenge is “not a one and done but a model” for this type of investment. He thinks this is just the beginning because place-based investing is a nonpartisan activity, and can be successful in both rural areas and urban areas.

Andes said people need need to think about economic development the same way they think about defense: “providing big, big dollars to do big, big things.”

Providing some historical context, he noted that “regional economic convergence” happened from the end of World War II until the 1980s, when the per-capita income for multiple regions grew closer to the national average. But that “began to erode” starting in the early 1980s. Another issue he cited is how much capital is concentrated in so few places, namely the Bay Area of California.

Andes encouraged economic development officials to think differently about their competitors and to get outside of just thinking about the Northeast.

“You need to worry about places like El Paso. You need to worry about places like Atlanta and Fresno,” he said.

In applying for federal funds, he stressed the importance of being able to articulate who will benefit, saying he genuinely believes that making people in need front and center “makes you more competitive.”

SeCTer Executive Director Paul Whitescarver said his organization is working from some other grants, including $2 million it was awarded in federal CARES Act funding for a revolving loan fund. SeCTer is also participating in the Connecticut Small Business Boost Fund, and has up to $2 million to loan at an interest rate of 4.5% ― far lower than what businesses can get at commercial banks.

One of seCTer’s biggest goals this upcoming year is putting out a new Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy; the last one is from 2017.

SeCTer also elected some new board members and officers. The new board members are Angela Adams of the Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce, Bruce Flax of the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce, Rod Cornish of Hot Rod Café in New London, John Godin of the Stonington Economic Development Commission and formerly GE Capital, Mark Light of Jewett City Savings Bank, and Zakkyya Williams of Lawrence + Memorial Hospital.

Former Groton town manager Mark Oefinger is leaving as chair and the new chair is Sean Nugent, chair of the Preston Redevelopment Agency. The first vice-chair is Kevin Brown of NCDC and the second vice-chair is Wendy Bury of the Southeastern Connecticut Cultural Coalition. Godin was elected as treasurer and Catherine Young, airport operations and management consultant, as secretary.

e.moser@theday.com