Information Technology Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (IT-CEDS)

WRJ Group, Inc., in partnership with The Center for New Orange County, Claremont Graduate University, and the Orange County Business Council conducted Orange County’s first Information Communication Technology Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (ICT CEDS) for the US Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration.

To view the ICT CEDS report in full click here. You will need the Adobe® Reader® (free download here) to view the PDF. To view the interactive mapping program of Orange County’s ICT infrastructure click on this link, ICTMaps

The IT CEDS report provides Orange County with community outreach, technology research, community and business analysis and future planning guidelines. Some key goals created in the action plan, include suggested projects to implement objectives and goals set in the strategy; exploring innovative private and public policies to ensure infrastructure data availability in regions; and establish performance measures to evaluate whether and to what extent goals and objectives have been or are being met.

Claremont Graduate University headed up the technology research for the project, which defines technology infrastructure through analyzing economic and community development problems and opportunities; conducted spatial analysis on location of IT infrastructure, focusing on economically depressed areas; and developed a metric for assessing the adequacy of the infrastructure and conducted analysis of public and private sector options for implementing the metric and improving it.

Tom Horan, executive director at Claremont Information and Technology Institute in the School of Information Science at Claremont Graduate University, agrees. “This project is part of the Institute’s strategy to conduct research that can positively affect the economic and social fabric of the region. We’re particularly excited about the partnership with WRJ Group, because it brings together a unique set of skills to analyze how technology can help all communities develop and focus on underserved areas.”

Digital Media Center

DMC Virtual Tour click here

KOCE Interview with Jill Dominguez

The WRJ Group Inc. led the effort to obtain a $1.5 million dollar grant from the United States Department for Commerce Economic Development Administration and a donation of land from The City of Santa Ana for the Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) to construct a new state-of the-art digital media facility in Orange County, California. The project represents an alliance between the WRJ Group Inc., RSCCD, The City of Santa Ana and COR Community Development Corporation, a local faith-based non-profit organization committed to economic development in under-represented communities in Orange County.

The Digital Media Center focuses on economic development and education in the high-technology fields of computer engineering, entertainment technology, tele-production and commercialization projects available through NASA. The SMART facility features fiber-optics, satellite and broadband technology, a multi-purpose conference room for tenants and the latest high-end sound, video, and audio equipment.

Businesses interested in being a tenant of the Digital Media Center are invited to contact Bart Hoffman, Executive Director, Hoffman_Bart@rsccd.org for an application.

Louisiana Disaster Recovery: Rebuilding Louisiana’s Innovative Engine

Working in partnership with RTS, Inc.  WRJ Group, Inc. President Jill Dominguez was chosen as part of the core team by the Louisiana Board of Regents (BoR) and the Louisiana Recovery Authority to design a system that would enhance the research & commercialization capabilities of Louisiana's academic institutions. The innovative program designed by the team blended disaster recovery, technology transfer and post secondary education into complimentary and precedence setting use of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) funds for essential recovery activities.

The BOR Research Competitiveness and Educational Enhancement Program (RC/EEP) was designed in two phases. The first phase was devised to direct the CDBG-funded portion to rebulding post secondary institutions in the eight parishes most severly impacted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The second phase created a strategic plan for the statewide system of research and commercialization of technologies developed by universities.

Phase One Strategic Plan

The RFP developed by the team for CDBG funds

The Final Report for RC/EEP RFP

Phase Two Implementation Plan

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

The WRJ Group Inc. works in conjunction with the ETTC iLab  hosted by WESRAC (Western Research Application Center)  at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering in creating SMART buildings in Empowerment/Enterprise Zone areas. WRJ Group Inc. is the funding, building, management, and organizational arm while the ETTC iLab provides the technological construction consulting. The ETTC iLab engineers make sure that the materials used meet their high standards for optimal functionality.

WRJ Group Inc. is an affiliate of the NASA Regional Technology Transfer Center. WRJG's role is to bridge the digital gap in Empowerment/Enterprise Zones of the eight western state territories. Some of our responsibilities include design, funding, and project management of SMART IT infrastructure within these communities. The NASA Technology Transfer Program is targeted to minority and women-owned businesses.

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