Commissioner Stan Vanderwerf, El Paso County Commissioner, Colorado Springs, CO

1. 2023 Economic Development Conference
for the EDA Denver Region
Going Global: FDI & International
Trade
Commissioner Stan VanderWerf, District 3
El Paso County Board of Commissioners

2. Commissioner Stan VanderWerf
• Represents Board of County Commissioner District 3. The district encompasses central
and western- portions of El Paso County.
• 28 years in the Air Force, with assignments in the United States, Korea, Iraq, and
Germany. Has visited 60 countries and lived in Korea, Iraq, and Germany.
• Master’s Degree in International Relations (University of Dayton), Master’s Degree in
National Resourcing Strategies (Industrial College of the Armed Forces).
• Founding CEO of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Colorado, Advanced Capitol LLC
(aerospace defense consulting), and CEM-TEK USA (computer aided design and 3-D
printing).

3. El Paso County, Colorado
El Paso County, Colorado Economic Footprint
• Population – 738.7K (2021)
• Total Regional Employment – 368.7K (2022)
• Median Household Income - $68.8K (2019)
• Top three largest employers are military installations (comprising
62,000+ jobs), UCHealth Memorial Health System, and Amazon.
El Paso County, Colorado Military Footprint
• Home to five military installations and roughly 93,000 veterans, which
accounts for 25% of the veteran population statewide.
• More than 250 companies support Colorado Springs and the military
with locally developed intelligence, technology, software, equipment, and
resources.
• Aerospace and defense industry accounts for over 40% of the local
economy with an economic impact of more than $7 billion.

4. Rapidly Growing &
Diverse Economy
Top International
Tourist Destination
Multinational Military
Presence
Fostering FDI & International Trade in El
Paso County
Worldwide Partnerships
(Sister Cities International)
Benefits of El Paso County include…

5. American Council of Young
Political Leaders
Space Symposium
ACE Colorado 2021
FDI & International Trade in El Paso County
OEDIT/Taiwan Delegation
Visit
FDI Development Opportunities Direct Example of FDI
Trisco Foods

6. National Security
Considerations
Geopolitical Instability
(China)
Risks to FDI & International Trade
Global Market
Disruption

7. Questions?