The Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) launched its Office of Policy & Engagement on Thursday, July 22.

To celebrate the launch, IECF hosted a panel discussion  featuring community partners, philanthropic leaders and elected officials around building regional policy capacity and creating systemic change within the community and government at the local, state and federal levels.

With its Office of Policy & Engagement, IECF seeks to address inequities in the Inland Empire by creating and expanding policy capacity through collaboration, uplift community-based organizations and their ideas, and establishing a greater voice and influence on policymakers and the region’s major institutions.

and has created five tables that have been erected over the last five months including Inland Economic Growth and Opportunity Table, IE Public Affairs Table, Nonprofit Table, IE Children’s Cabinet Table and the Dual Enrollment Table.

The Inland Opportunity Economic Growth and Opportunity Table (IEGO) unites a diverse set of community leaders from the private and public sector in the combined metropolitan area of Riverside County and San Bernardino County aiming to advance inclusive economic growth and expand middle class opportunity in these two counties by helping a diverse set of local leaders to create and implement a shared agenda of economic and workforce development strategies for a more prosperous and secure future. 

As Director of Uplift San Bernardino and Co-Chair of IEGO, Karen Suarez participated in the panel discussion. 

“At the end of the day all of our subregions in the Inland Empire want quality jobs, sustainable housing, and healthy communities that all families can thrive in, being a part of local and regional collective impact is important and necessary, together, we we are a stronger IE,” Suarez stated.