We define community economic development (CED) as the actions taken by people locally to create economic opportunities that improve social conditions. To be effective, solutions must be rooted in local knowledge and led by community members. CCEDA works within this model to foster a resilient and diversified local economy for Cortes Island. We do this by promoting and advocating for the health and wellbeing of all living beings in our community; developing dynamic and responsive strategies and programs that increase community capacity; collaborating on regional economic development partnerships and initiatives; and conducting research, studies and compiling reports to support community economic development.