The EDC staff dropped from five employees to four, with one of those people working part-time. Employees also took a 15 percent pay cut and saw a reduction in their retirement benefits. At the ECRC, employment dropped from about 10 to eight people. Employees work for both groups at times. That's how it cuts into the mission.
People end up wearing two hats.
The money is used primarily by the ECRC, which hosts computer-related classes for government workers in eight states. The EDC also contracts with the Port of Bremerton, local cities and Kitsap County. The federal funding will eventually fade away. So Olson and other EDC leaders hope to see 50 percent of the group's funding come from local businesses. The organization's board of directors is looking for businesses in the community that benefit from an expanding economy to make the donations.