Donald Terry is the Senior Vice-President & Community Development Officer for Bank of the Sierra and a member of GSEC’s Board of Directors. Learn more about why he values economic development, working with GSEC and living and working in the Greater Sacramento region in the Q&A below.
As a regional leader, why is economic development important to you?
It is vital to our region’s long-term success that we have a diverse and thriving economy that offers good opportunities for those entering the workforce, or we will lose talent in other regions.
What excites you most about being part of GSEC?
GSEC works with our regional stakeholders to ensure we work together to support economic development efforts that benefit all our communities. Since its inception in 2015, GSEC has focused on what is best for our region, not just for the biggest city or the biggest employer. I moved to this region 23 years ago when economic development looked like internal warfare. Jurisdictions “stole” jobs and employers at each other’s expense. Flash forward to 2017, the first year I served as Mayor of Rancho Cordova: Mayor Steinberg called me to explain how an economic incentive deal the City of Sacramento had done would not incentivize moving jobs out of my city. Thanks to GSEC’s leadership, we are all working toward a common purpose.
What do you like most about living and doing business in the Greater Sacramento region?
What I like most about doing business in our region is how relationships matter. This region values relationships. I can’t count the number of times I meet with someone, and they explain a problem, issue, or cause they need help with, and I know who they should connect with to address it. We aren’t interested in transactional relationships in our region. We want to build a better community together.