2001 Annual Report Executive Summary
La Jicarita Enterprise Community
La Jicarita Enterprise Community exists to create opportunities so that residents of the enterprise community can have and access “una vida buena y saludable” a good and healthily life. At the beginning of 2002, the organization and legal entity known as “La Jicarita Enterprise Community” finds itself at a crossroads. After six years, board and community members are looking for real and tangible measurements of success. While LJEC has developed model programs recognized nationally and leveraged ten dollars for each dollar of USDA Title XX investment capital, the question at hand is what real impact have we made in the community. Have our initiatives (benchmarks) made a difference? La Jicarita Enterprise Community is also running out of time and Title XX resources. While the enterprise designation will last until December 2004 the designated investment capital will not carry the organization. The original strategic plan written in 1996 considered by many as a “brilliant piece of work” but an impractical plan to implement is outdated and possibly is no longer relevant. The central idea of creating sustainability via the creation of several for-profit businesses that LJEC would retain 25% ownership never materialized in rural communities that are strong in values and ownership of limited resources (specifically land and water) also any proposed initiatives. As of the beginning of 2002, if LJEC is to remain relevant, we must be in the business of strategically reviewing and implementing our initiatives (benchmarks) while also looking to re-create ourselves and planning our own destiny. La Jicarita Enterprise Community intends to become a self-sustaining socio-economic development entity in North Central New Mexico. While this summary provides a glimpse into the future sustainability planning processes, the brief report that follows is about our extensive accomplishments and success.