Reorganization in works
The future of the Tulare County Economic Development corporation is uncertain with the departure of their CEO and withdrawal by the City of Porterville as of October from the countywide organization.
Airica de Oliveira had been the CEO of the business recruitment nonprofit since 2022 and as operations manager since 2021.
The departure leaves the county and city supported organization with one staffer, says county administrator Mike Washam.”We are trying to help them out as they go through a transition”,says Washam, providing a place for the office to locate. The EDC had offices in Exeter but later moved to 309 Main St in Visalia.
Now the former chair of the organization and Visalia City Council member Brian Poochigian confirms that “we are working together to revamp the program and hire a consultant to help us set it up.”
Poochigian says the EDC no longer has the office space on Main Street but is working out of a county Resource Management space for now. Apparently the reorganization will need to be inplace before they go out to solicit for a new CEO for the top spot.
“The whole idea is for all of us to work together.”
The program is funded annually through city and county membership fees, as well as some private funding, but has faced a history of confidence questions by members. At one time that lack of confidence included Tulare County, but most recently it has been the City of Porterville that has decided to withdraw from the organization as of October 2025. The city decided to operate their own business development program based on conclusions that the EDC had not done enough to bring new business to Porterville.
Washam says the consensus at the County is that the Tulare County EDC deserves support because of the need for our “regional approach to economic development.” The county itself has its own economic development department that has been active developing leads and projects in Goshen, Pixley, Earlimart and Traver among other locations around the county.
Visalia has its own economic development department as well, the Visalia Economic Development Corporation that is active in the Visalia Industrial Park with recruitment and retention.Tulare has its own staff that works on recruitment and development projects as well.
Steering the board of the EDC is Tulare County Supervisor Amy Shuklian.