Paula Alger Connors, Executive Director
California Enterprise Development Authority (CEDA)

916-448-8252 ext. 102
pconnors@caled.org

Paula Alger Connors’ extensive experience in local economic development spans over 20 years.

Paula Alger Connors currently serves as the Executive Director of the California Enterprise Development Authority, a joint powers authority formed specifically to undertake economic development financing. Ms. Connors has also worked as a consultant specializing in economic development. Consulting activities have included an organizational assessment of the City of Fairfield's downtown revitalization program, evaluating the financial feasibility of economic development, projects for the State Community Development Block Grant Program, and packaging SBA 504 loans. She was the instructor for University of California Davis Extension course Economic Development for Land Use Planning, and co-led a strategic planning session for the City of Sacramento Economic Development Department. Since 2001, Paula has been a member of the Economic Development Advisory Loan Committee for the State Community Development Block Grant program (non-entitlement).

Until June 2001, Paula was vice president of government relations and training for the California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED). Her responsibilities included representing CALED before the California Legislature, tracking priority economic development legislation, researching and recommending policy options for new legislation, and developing "grass roots" legislative materials for members.

Ms. Connors also directed program development and content for CALED's major events, the Annual Economic Development and Finance Conferences, which annually attracted over 500 and 200 participants, respectively. She has acted as program facilitator for the Fundamentals of Economic Development, re-shaping the course curriculum and coordinating instructor participation.

Prior to joining CALED, Ms. Connors served as Manager of Technical Assistance and Policy Research for the California Debt and Investment Advisory Commission of the State Treasurer's Office where she supervised initial publication of the California Debt Issuance Primer and initiated the annual 'Fundamentals of Debt Issuance' seminars. At the California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency, Paula managed the agency's participation in the Economic Development Allocation of the Sate Community Development Block Grant program. Paula began her career with the Riverside County Planning Department, responsible for the full range of planning and permit activities.

Paula received her Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from the University of California, Riverside, and has taken post-graduate courses in accounting and finance.