This month, the annual Economic Summit brought together business owners, entrepreneurs, elected officials, and community leaders for a day of collaboration and big-picture thinking.

Hosted by the Steamboat Springs Chamber and Routt County Economic Development Partnership (RCEDP), the event showcased our community’s shared commitment to building a vibrant, resilient economy.

Now, as we recognize Economic Development Week, it’s important to reflect on what economic development truly means and why it is instrumental to Routt County’s future.

At its core, economic development is the intentional effort to improve a community’s economic well-being and quality of life.

It involves creating and retaining jobs and businesses, supporting business growth, building infrastructure, attracting investment, and ensuring the conditions exist for long-term prosperity. It’s not just about growth, it’s about thoughtful, inclusive progress that benefits everyone.

Why is economic development important? Because it’s the foundation of a strong and sustainable community. In Routt County, industries like hospitality, outdoor recreation, and agriculture fuel our local economy.

When our economy is healthy, businesses like Rex’s Family of Restaurants, Big Agnes, and Bar-U-Eat thrive. Residents have access to jobs, our tax base supports critical public services and the amenities we all enjoy, and future generations can see a future career path right here at home.

In a rural, resort-based community like ours, where affordability and workforce retention are persistent challenges, thoughtful and intentional economic development work is the key to achieving growth that reflects and protects our community values.

It’s what empowers generational businesses like F.M. Light & Sons and our local ranches to thrive as cornerstones of our community, and what allows us to fund the parks, trails, and shared community spaces that enrich our quality of life.

The Steamboat Springs Chamber is proud to be a leader in economic development in the Yampa Valley. We take a strategic, community-minded approach connecting business needs with public policy, advocating on behalf of local employers, providing professional development and programs, working to create quality jobs, supporting destination stewardship, and fostering partnerships across sectors.

This work doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It requires strong, ongoing collaboration with partner organizations throughout the county. We work closely with the Routt County Economic Development Partnership (RCEDP), which leads efforts around business retention and expansion, industry diversification, and fostering entrepreneurship. Main Street Steamboat strengthens the downtown core through business support, placemaking,

and community events that keep our local economy vibrant. The City of Steamboat Springs is a vital partner in planning, infrastructure, and policy implementation, and Routt County provides regional coordination that ensures a countywide approach to economic health.

As the Chamber, we see ourselves as the central hub of this ecosystem. We convene, we advocate, we listen, and we act. Whether it’s helping a business navigate a challenge, connecting a business with the resources to grow, or advocating for pro-business policy at the local, state, and federal level, our work is about building the future with intention and collaboration.

Economic development may not always be visible, but its impact is everywhere. As we celebrate Economic Development Week, we’re reminded that the choices we make today will define the opportunities of tomorrow.

We are proud to be a leader in this work in the Yampa Valley and grateful for the partners and community members who help make progress possible.

Together, we’re creating a stronger future for everyone who lives and works in this incredible valley.

Sarah Leonard is the CEO at the Steamboat Springs Chamber.