Grant Funding Powers Enterprize Zone Commission's Work, but Lack of Stable Support Slows Broader Progress

Grant funding has become central to the work of the Enterprise Zone Commission, with Managing Director Nadine Marchena-Kean telling commissioners Thursday that major parts of the agency’s estate planning, business development, historic preservation, and anchor-project work have depended on securing outside support.

Presenting the commission’s annual report under the theme “Collaboration Equals Community Benefits,” Ms. Marchena-Kean outlined how multiple grants were used to fund specific programs and projects, while also stressing that limited recurring funding continues to slow the agency’s broader progress.

In her report, Ms. Marchena-Kean said the commission received and administered several grants, including a $250,000 award from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs to expand its estate planning work.

According to her presentation, that funding supported several activities, including an estate planning conference, the launch of a pilot program to help families understand and navigate estate planning, and the creation of an estate planning landing page on the VIEDA website.