At the last meeting of the Riverside County Workforce Development Board in 2025, the City of Eastvale received the 2025 Partner of the Year Award for its innovative and collaborative efforts with Riverside County staff. This award reflects Eastvale’s exceptional commitment to fostering economic growth, supporting small businesses, and connecting residents to meaningful employment opportunities throughout the Inland Empire.
Over the past year, Eastvale’s economic development team demonstrated remarkable leadership and innovation through creative programs such as the Business First Walks and the City’s inaugural job fair. Both initiatives were implemented in partnership with the Riverside County Workforce Development Board.
The Business First Walks Initiative brings together city leaders, county staff and community partners directly to local businesses to build relationships and provide valuable support and resources. Members of the Eastvale City Council and Eastvale’s executive team would recognize the most visited businesses, newest and longest-serving businesses in each shopping center, while the economic development team partners with stakeholders, such as the Riverside County Workforce Development Board, to visit each of the businesses in Eastvale’s shopping centers to learn about their needs and share workforce development programs. By engaging with the business community in this proactive and collaborative way, Eastvale is helping local businesses thrive and creating a stronger local economy.
Complementing these efforts is Eastvale’s job fair initiative. Eastvale held its first job fair in April 2025 and attracted more than 350 job seekers across the region to learn more about a variety of employment opportunities in various industries. The event’s entry tickets were fully booked within days, and attendees expressed interest in having Eastvale put on additional job fairs for the community. Many individuals were hired as a result of the event, enabling employers to meet qualified candidates in a competitive labor market.
Eastvale’s Economic Development Team remains committed to elevating its partnership with the Riverside County Workforce Development Board in 2026, with plans to continue its Business First Walks Initiative and host a second job fair in spring 2026. By working together, Eastvale and Riverside County are demonstrating how strategic partnerships can stimulate economic growth, strength workforce pipelines and enhance quality of life for residents.
To commemorate the recognition, the Riverside County Workforce Development Board produced a video featuring remarks from Eastvale’s Economic Development Manager Alexander Fung, highlighting how these partnerships are creating a lasting impact. The video can be found at https://rivcoworkforce.org/news/city-eastvale-named-2025-riverside-county-workforce-development-partner-year.