Meet Alida Verduzco Silva, Tulare County EDO’s New Manager

Tulare County Economic Development Office (EDO) aims to help Grow Tulare County. Its office is growing as well. Meet Manager Alida Verduzco Silva!

As of March 25, 2024, Alida Verduzco Silva hit the ground running on her first day as the Economic Development Manager. In her first month, Verduzco Silva has enjoyed a warm welcome and is quickly learning the names of dozens of individuals she has met so far.

Verduzco Silva’s Background

Verduzco Silva grew up in Porterville, where she and her family continue to live and she is deeply invested in the region’s success.

Verduzco Silva desired to pursue a career where business meets social good. She started in marketing and public relations in the healthcare industry which gave her insight into business development, operations, and strategic goal-setting. In this space, her assignments included time at Adventist Health and Sierra View Medical Center. From there, she continued into economic development with the City of Porterville, where her work included supporting economic development programming, business retention and expansion efforts, and local tourism outreach.

Verduzco Silva holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Craig School of Business at Fresno State University, where her academic business education focused on quantitative skills, soft skills development, and modern approaches to leadership, culture-building, and operations. These are skills she will draw on in collaborating with broad and diverse audiences.

When asked why she wanted to be Tulare County’s Economic Development Manager, she said, “I happen to be one of the nearly half a million people who just love living here, working here, and I have plenty of roots here.  I hope to contribute positively to the work that the Economic Development Office team is doing by drawing on my background in business, marketing and strategic communication. I also hope to provide compassionate leadership, strategic direction, and professional coaching to the staff in my department.”

Verduzco Silva’s Goals

As the economic development manager, Verduzco Silva has big plans to enrich the lives of Tulare County residents.

When asked about her short-term goals, she said, “Entering a new role, I would say that understanding the people within an organization and the community the organization serves is high on the list of priorities. Understanding the projects that people are working on and that the County and other stakeholders care about is important, too.

As to long-term goals, Verduzco Silva says she plans to contribute to sustainable programming for the EDO in close collaboration with leadership and staff. “Building strong ties with local businesses throughout the County and finding ways to attract more retail and commercial investments are key priorities. So, to start with, the focus will be on programming and setting milestones for the one, three, and five-year marks.”

With the Giant Sequoias in her backyard, Verduzco Silva enjoys spending free time in the outdoors. “I love running and hiking and this year, I’m hoping to get a little more familiar with the mountain communities of Tulare County,” she says. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends and loves discovering new places throughout the region.

To discuss economic development projects with Verduzco Silva, please email economicdevelopment@tularecounty.ca.gov.