New nonprofit group chooses Las Vegas training site for third meeting

More than a dozen mayors and company leaders were in Las Vegas on Monday to discuss opportunities in their cities to create jobs and advance infrastructure.

Accelerator for America, a national nonprofit organization focused on launching initiatives that can be replicated by cities across the country, held its third meeting at the United Brotherhood of Carpenters International Training Center on Carpenters Union Way. Attendees included Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman.

“We wanted to start Accelerator for America because of our national frustration with Washington and our excitement about local communities who are getting the job done,” said Garcetti, chairman of the organization’s advisory council.

The organization’s first mission is to reinvest in the country’s infrastructure. Garcetti said it chose Las Vegas for its meeting in part because of its carpenter training center.

“I wanted to show the mayors here that in the heart of Las Vegas you have the heart of the middle class,” he said. “I wanted people to see this, get the idea of what they could do in their own hometown with carpenters or other programs and other trades.”

With a national shortage of construction workers, Garcetti said it’s important to build up a workforce to reinvest in America’s infrastructure.

“Here (at the training center), they’re teaching you how to get along with a group of people,” he said. “That emotional intelligence will help America work, no matter what changes technologically. Those are skills you need no matter where you are.”

The organization, which launched last fall, connects local innovators with networks, mentorship and capital to replicate initiatives in other cities.

“We are excited about a future in this great country that is ours to control and make sure that we are doing everything for everybody all the time,” Goodman said.

The accelerator is working with three cities — South Bend, Indiana; Oklahoma City; and Louisville, Kentucky— to help them take advantage of Opportunity Zones, a tax incentive established in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that allows investors to put money toward development in certain communities.

Garcetti said Las Vegas has been successful in getting zones designated, with 24 zones selected in the city.

“We’ve been highlighted for some of the process we did, like putting it out for public comment, reaching out to local government and looking at a national study for the need and likelihood of investment,” said Derek Armstrong, deputy director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. “Hopefully we can continue to work to make sure it’s implemented correctly as well.”

Garcetti said Opportunity Zones are a great way to take those pockets of America still left behind and bring them economic prosperity.

“We thought this was a good place for people to see the skills piece, the infrastructure piece and the downtown revitalization which was embodied here in Las Vegas,” he said.

Contact Bailey Schulz at bschulz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0233. Follow @bailey_schulz on Twitter.