About Rachel Cotton

Rachel received her Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies with concentrations in Geography and Public Policy from Middlebury College.  After working as a Senior Web Programmer and Database Architect for NGP VAN.  Rachel then received her Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University.  Through the RARE-Resource Assistance for Rural Environments Program, Rachel hopes to put her Master’s degree to use and to further diversify her skill set.  After her year with the RARE AmeriCorps program, Rachel hopes to secure a position as a planner.

About Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County

The Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County (EDALC) is a nonprofit, public-private partnership dedicated to diversifying the Central Coast’s economy, and facilitating the creation of quality jobs locally.  EDALC serves as a “one stop shop” for businesses wishing to locate in Lincoln County.  EDALC specifically focuses their efforts on locating appropriate commercial or industrial sites, and offering referral information about utilities, business permits, rental property rates, employee training programs, and more.

Placed with EDALC, Rachel will carry out an array of economic development planning and implementation activities.  Specifically, she will work with the Chambers of Commerce to further determine internal economic development goals; work to develop a Marine Science sector by holding a trade show event, data research, and workforce assessments; complete an Industrial Sites Inventory and Business Database; and, develop a fully functional local businesses database.