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One of our state’s often overlooked natural resource is our retiree population. Why not enlist our retirees to leverage their unique business experience, diversity and expertise for community benefit by establishing a local retiree resource network or “retiree business advisory board” that can provide consulting expertise free of charge to local small business and entrepreneurs? This would provide retirees with the opportunity to be active in our community, leveraging their vast intellectual capital to promote local economic development efforts. It would also provide an invaluable resource for local small business owners to tap into to sustain and grow their businesses and work force.

This idea was implemented with success (albeit on a much smaller scale than Phoenix) in Brevard, North Carolina (see attached link to University of North Carolina case study on Brevard’s idea). A different variation on this idea could also include local students on the ‘advisory board’ and match them with retirees. This would provide our future leaders with valuable mentoring, business experiences, and community advocacy while providing a rewarding opportunity for our retirees to leave a lasting legacy on our community.