2007 Annual Report Executive Summary

Five Star Rural Enterprise Community

The Five Star Enterprise Community (5-Star EC) is a partnership of five communities across four counties in rural Northeastern Washington, which include three Native American tribes – Colville Confederated, Spokane and Kalispel, several small communities located in Northern Ferry County, and the community of Newport.  Tri-County Economic Development District (TEDD) serves as the lead agency.   The 5-Star EC completed year nine with 16 new benchmarks, bringing their total to 266.  Every benchmark submitted was in partnership with another funding source.  This year, the 5-Star EC achieved a leveraging ratio exceeding $71 from other sources for every $1 from the EC.  Contributing partners included the tribes, local communities and schools, and state and federal agencies.  

All five of these census-tract designated areas have struggled for many years with poverty issues including high unemployment and low per-capita incomes.  The remoteness of the areas served by the 5-Star EC leads to extreme challenges in basic infrastructure, emergency services and many other public services that people living in urban areas take for granted.  The 5-Star EC launched many wonderful projects in 2007 to bring their communities together and to provide more of basic needs for people that live in these communities. 

Significant Accomplishments:

In general, the 5-Star EC’s most significant accomplishment would be the ability to bring their diverse communities and other partners together.  They have promoted tourism, transportation, public safety and youth projects. They are a strong, diverse, committed group of hard working volunteers and their successes are visible throughout their communities