Frank Henderson honored as economic development's friend

COEUR d'ALENE - Bob Potter built Jobs Plus, Inc., as the first of just two presidents in the economic development agency's 27-year history.

Rep. Frank Henderson - a former mayor, county commissioner, state legislator, business consultant and venerable economic development protagonist - was honored Thursday as Jobs Plus's recipient of the prestigious 2014 Bob Potter Award for excellence in economic development.

Both men stepped down together from the dais - slowly - to thunderous applause from the 280 people in attendance, and current Jobs Plus President Steve Griffitts made the moment a little more memorable.

"There's 171 years of economic development experience represented by the two individuals going down the stairs," Griffitts said to roaring laughter and more applause during the agency's annual meeting. Both Henderson and Potter were grinning. "Frank started as soon as he came to the Earth, and Bob started when he was 2 or 3."

Griffitts lauded Henderson for focus that "has been eclectic, expansive and amazing."

When researching Henderson's background, Griffitts added, "We learned that he has a basic rule that serves as a guideline for whatever he does in economic development. It is a simple one that would serve us all. Frank says government doesn't make jobs; government enables the creation of jobs."

Griffitts honored him for leading the way in numerous advances on the Kootenai County economic development landscape, including but in no way limited to:

* Assisting countless recruitment and retention efforts over the years and continuing now.

* Henderson led the program to build a sewer system in Post Falls that ultimately provided infrastructure, enabling expansion not just in that community, but to Rathdrum and the Coeur d'Alene Airport/Pappy Boyington Field as well.

* As a county commissioner, Henderson had the airport's main runway lengthened to 7,400 feet. That allowed larger airliners to operate here and, ultimately, Empire Airlines to make Kootenai County its home base.

* He established the airport sewer and water system that enabled industrial growth. Dozens of businesses are now headquartered around the airport.

* With former Sen. Jim Hammond, Rep. Henderson took the lead in improving U.S. 95, providing four lanes from Silverwood south to Worley.

"In addition to public safety, good highways are needed for the local and statewide economy," Griffitts said. "That's how you get logs to sawmills, ore to smelters, farm products to processing plants."

* Henderson helped forge the STAR legislation that encouraged Cabela's to come to Post Falls.

* Henderson helped repeal the sales tax previously charged on private airplane parts. That had been a huge disadvantage, Griffitts said, because neighboring states don't have that tax. Since the repeal, the state has identified 162 new jobs that have been created in Idaho.

* A year ago, Henderson was lead sponsor of legislation - called the Opportunity Fund - to make local government more competitive in providing aid to existing employers and to attract new companies. In its first year, it produced more than 750 new jobs in Idaho without taxpayer subsidy.

* Henderson this year helped create legislation that again does not rely on taxpayer money, but is expected to be enormously helpful in both bringing in good jobs and encouraging existing companies to expand. It's called the Flexible Reimbursement Act.

"In my tenure at Jobs Plus, there has never been a more important piece of legislation that has ever been passed for economic development," Griffitts said.

* For the years 1993-2004, the U.S. State Department funded Henderson as a consultant to newly independent nations where communism had previously ruled. He was named one of the six most effective trainers on local government and business development.

* In June 2004 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Henderson was given a lifetime achievement award by President George W. Bush.

Henderson and Potter both received a standing ovation after Griffitts' remarks.

"I really think it's unnecessary to recognize someone for being active in a program which has its own rewards every day," Henderson said.

During Thursday's luncheon at The Coeur d'Alene Resort, Griffitts also noted that while Spokane County's unemployment rate recently was 8.3 percent, Kootenai County's has fallen from 7.1 percent in January 2013 to 6.3 percent last January.

He singled out Alliance Data, Kootenai Health and Empire Airlines as making dramatic, positive impacts on the local economy, and said the future looks bright for the aerospace and robotics industries, among others.

"We are in great shape," Griffitts said. "I am so grateful that we are who we are, that we can represent value, that we can represent hope, that we can bring smiles and optimism to people who are starving for it.

"When we bring people from California in particular... whoever we talk to, anything we do, the take-away is almost unanimous with, 'Wow, those people are happy. They smile. They're polite. They say thank you, please. They have values.'

"Hopefully we'll be able to continue in that regard."