In January, it will be five years since my wife and I moved to Spokane. During that period of time, we have had the opportunity to learn about Spokane and its aspirations, meet new friends and colleagues, and become part of the fabric of this community in multiple ways. 

Perhaps the best way I can summarize Spokane’s past five years is with phrases such as increased momentum, steady progress, multiple milestones achieved, and a positive outlook if we stay focused, together, and on task. Five years ago, I understood the vision to be about improving the economy, creating the jobs and careers for the future, building the necessary infrastructure, enhancing the city’s appearance, promoting an entrepreneurial ecosystem, increasing the regional appeal, and defining our place in the life sciences economy. 

It may be useful to reflect on where we are in each one of these areas before we project into the future, as the progress made is crucial to the future vision.

According to the economists, the outlook has not only improved, but it is on its way to better performance over the next few years. 

We, as a business community, have many tangible examples as we see new construction, new developments, increased commerce, and a vibrant cultural scene. All of these are signs of economic strength.  

An area where we have seen significant improvement is in the educational opportunities and goals for the next generations. STEM programs at the K-12 level help students better understand and focus on the programmatic needs that are necessary not only for the life sciences but also for aerospace, agriculture, and many other industries. 

Those efforts help build the pipeline of candidates that are needed for a robust and diversified pool of students for our great network of community colleges, and the undergraduate and graduate programs of the universities housed here, particularly for the sciences.

Infrastructure is one of those things that we typically only think about when we see it, a good example being construction and repairs. It may be inconvenient, but the only way to ensure we have the appropriate infrastructure is to do repairs and enhancements to necessary structures, such as roads, sidewalks, utilities, and the like. 

Infrastructure, by the way, also has been reflected in the more appealing gateways into the city. 

In addition, the growth of the physical facilities around collective efforts, such as education and commerce, is trending in a positive direction, not to mention the plans to continue these efforts into the future. 

By definition, an entrepreneurial ecosystem needs three critical components:  entrepreneurs, physical facilities for startups, and capital.

During the past few years, the business community here has seen an increase in the number of entrepreneurial efforts particularly in the areas of products, services, and devices for various industries.

Needless to say, we have significant opportunities for additional space, and a lot more capital investment as we aim at the critical mass necessary to be well positioned into the future as a defined entrepreneurial hub. 

It is important to mention that success is dependent on the broader region, not just the city of Spokane, as this is a regional effort. 

There is no question that the communities sur-rounding the city aren’t only actively involved in all these efforts for which we share commonality of purpose, but also defining their own unique value proposition as places to live, work, learn, and play, thus providing a portfolio of regional options that truly impacts our ability to develop, retain, and attract individuals and companies in a positive way.

We as a region have chosen the life sciences as a key component of our future, not only as an economic engine, job creator, and recruitment and retention asset, but also as one of the key strategies that will define us at a national level. 

Given that this is the area in which I spend most of my time, it would make sense to focus on it as the topic for the next decade.

It is important to highlight that all the aforementioned efforts in education, infrastructure, economic indicators, and construction are critical for the vision of becoming a hub for the life sciences going forward

All of this points to an intentional path defined many years ago that has resulted in the success we enjoy today. More importantly, it has built the path toward the future.

We have three to five years to solidify our efforts in this area. 

Thus, it’s critical that we remain laser focused on the strategies and actions needed to become the place for specific components of the life sciences economy. 

We need to build the facilities and geographical areas conducive to research and entrepreneurial efforts from the laboratory space to the living space, the green spaces, and the amenities such as retail, entertainment and commerce.

That, by the way, requires longitudinal planning as opposed to episodic planning, meaning the end product defines the need, as opposed to the current need defines the opportunity. 

That is somewhat different than what we have done in the past, but it can be done. We see some examples of that in our community. 

We need to fund the programs that not only attract the talented researchers and entrepreneurs but also retain those that we have working in our community already. 

Innovation needs a geography, so we all need to focus on that geography and the needs within that geography. 

Our educational programs must deliver on their promises of a talented generation, research funding, and commercialization efforts, all of which point to an academic endeavor and environment that has a great deal of specificity in terms of recruitment, promotion, and incentives that are aligned with the regional life sciences vision. 

I am optimistic about this particular aspect, since based on my own 25-plus years in academic institutions, the alignment of all programs with the community goals is quite evident, and not that common around the country where academic institutions specifically base their research goals on their institutional goals and history. 

The success of our company, PAML, which continues to grow at twice the industry rate based on quality and superior service rather than price, is helping it to be seen as an innovator around the rest of the nation. 

It delivers community-centric care and is a good example of what we can all collectively do in this community when we focus on it. 

My outlook for the next 10 years is positive, especially if we as a community remain committed, continute to collaborate, and work to generate tangible success.

Dr. Francisco Velazquez is the president and CEO of Spokane-based Pathology Associates Medical Laboratories and PAML Ventures.