Roanoke approves $14 million for Roanoke River Greenway

Henrico to open new STEM specialty center for middle and elementary school students

Alexandria nervous about bond rating as they approach the debt ceiling

Food processing company expanding in Newport News

Department of Agriculture offering punch cards at farmers markets

Outsourcing company opening new call center in Henrico

California brewing company opening new brewery in Virginia Beach

Fredericksburg discussing a new stadium to attract a minor-league team

Consentino to open new facility in Hampton Roads

Compiled by Adam Mawyer

This event was attended by graduate and undergraduate students in urban and regional planning programs from around the country.  They had interests and experiences that ranged from housing and urban design to environmental or transportation planning, and yes, even economic development, an area I actually know something about. In fact compared to previous years it was interesting to see a surge of economic development students at this event. They also had interest in working not just in the public sector, but with private sector firms, non-profit agencies and internationally.

So why was I qualified to participate?  I have a small staff that thankfully has remained very stable for some time. I do however have a number of students working for me in any given year.  They add incredible value to our work, and we try to add value for them, intentionally designing work experiences that can have some currency on the job market.

My students seem happy, productive, and are all finding jobs when they leave my office. That's as much a testament to their qualities as anything as I’m sure my ideas aren't rocket science to any HR professional. I think may apply in many fields.  Here are my big three:

-Craft: Take as many methods courses as you can and find time for and work with as many analytical tools and systems as you can get your hands on.  Don't neglect your understanding of history and theory in your field, but realize the tradecraft that comes from applying these skills is something employers will appreciate seeing in you.  The credential you earn will get you in the resume pile, but the skills you can demonstrate show them the value of the credential and will make you stand out.   

-Product: Don't leave school without something with your name on it that you can share with a potential employer (probably not you thesis!).  Some schools are great about this, others will be less aggressive in pushing you to develop product, but will support your if you seek out those opportunities.  If you can't get product from your school work look to an internship. If you internship work doesn't lend itself to this, propose a project you think would help your employer that you can do on your own time. If they don't jump at the chance start looking for a better internship.

-Authentic experiences: Experiential learning is quite the thing now. So many fields are bringing practice into the classroom or taking classes into the world to let students work on real problems. It's not a fad and if your faculty aren't doing it ask for it (politely but firmly). It’s a safe chance to try (and yes occasionally fail) at the application of your craft. It’s also the best way to develop product. Again, if you can't find this in school turn to your internship for opportunities.  If your internship only involves photocopying find a better internship.

Did I miss anything? Am I off-base on anything?

Young faculty living under the imperative “publish or perish” often shy away from industry partnerships and rely on traditional sources of support like the National Science Foundation. College or Engineering Dean Richard Benson shared a series of lessons from his early career at the University of Rochester built almost exclusively on work with corporate partners like Xerox, Kodak and 3M. Faculty need to understand the differences between decision-making in the private sector and government agencies and realize that they are often the first academic their corporate partner will have worked with. Building trust, often through an initial series of small projects, and negotiating potentially contentious issues up front, are key communication steps. It’s important for faculty to realize what industry values from academics, including persistence in the field, an independent perspective, access to a cadre of bright students, and highly developed expertise in theory, experiment, or simulation. Faculty also need to spend real time with their corporate partners, and understand how they can help their sponsors claim some unique piece of the puzzle as technology changes their industry.

Thomas Fox, Professor of Forestry in the College of Natural Resources and the Environment, leads the Forest Productivity Cooperative, an international industrial affiliates program of the university. They work to provide a cost effective research mechanism for industry and the university, mixing applied and basic research. They are a major source of technology transfer into the plantation forestry industry and generate quality science and substantial peer-reviewed publications for faculty and graduate students. Going into such a partnership faculty need to be aware that industry expectations are high, even without specific defined deliverables, time frames for results are short and the question industry partners always have the question ‘What have you done for me lately?’ in the back of their minds. To balance the needs of industry partners in an affiliates program, some of whom may be competitors, faculty must engage in the constant exercise of diplomacy and discretion. Those partners are also under a great deal of stress as their internal capacity and expertise in research may be diminishing. As happened during the recession they also may be buffered by economic pressures beyond anyone’s control that impact the stability of the partnership.

Jaime Camelio, Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering and Director of the Center for Innovation-Based Manufacturing, shared his experiences as part of several industry consortia, including the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing and the Western Virginia Transportation Equipment Manufacturing Initiative. He highlighted several challenges and opportunities faculty going into this sort of relationship need to keep in mind. There are very real differences between the outputs of direct technical assistance to firms and what is needed to produce publishable academic research. The latter is often built around a series of assumption and assessed through its broader impact on society, while the former is shaped by the real constraints of industry and judged by return on investment to the firms. Additionally partnerships with firms can often provide access to new ideas, large data sets, and specialized equipment. The relationships are also often provide access to federal funding sources not available for support of traditional research projects and further provide rich opportunities for graduate students.  

Jefferson economic development partnership rebrands

Company expanding in Pulaski County

Lynchburg-to-D.C. train among Amtrak’s few profitable routes

Company to bring 250 jobs to area

Lynchburg leads most areas of the state for job growth

Arlington real estate market shines despite looming competition

Alexandria is divided over fate of warehouses

Navy bringing jobs to Suffolk

Sequestration Challenges Fairfax County Economic Development Authority

Chesapeake budget would have 2.5 percent increase

Compiled by Shannon McNish

Yes Virginia, We Do Have A Need For More STEM Workers

Abermarle considering expansion of economic development efforts

Bridging the ‘Valley of Death’

Arlington Economic Development establishes entrepreneur-in-residence program

Chinese company to open first U.S. facility in Suffolk

HSBC cuts 164 call-center jobs in Chesapeake

More Virginia-grown grape vines needed, Haymore says

Economic development shifts

Roanoke County to Host Economic Development Summit

Compiled by Shannon McNish

Guest Post By Shannon McNish

Virginia showed positive economic trends in the Milken Institute’s 2012 Best-Performing Cities Index. Best-Performing Cities 2012 is a data-driven study that measures economic strength across our nation’s metropolitan areas. It uses an index based on job, wage, and technology metrics over a five-year period. Employment and salary growth are given a greater weight than technology output growth, yet all have proven key elements of economic vitality. It is important to note that all measures are outcomes-based, making them objective indicators of economic strength. These metrics are indexed to rank the 200 largest U.S. metro areas and 179 small metros to come up with a complete listing of America’s Best-Performing cities.

Unsurprisingly, the best-performer representing Virginia was the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria Metropolitan area which earned a number 5 ranking on the large metro list, jumping 12 spots from 2011. The diverse high-tech industry tied to federal spending along with its highly-skilled workforce is cause for such a high ranking. Although defense contracting may be slowing, the metro’s booming tech sector, growth in healthcare services, and housing recovery, helps to keep the metro in a strong ranking.

Also representing Virginia on the large metropolitan list includes Richmond (#68), Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol (#74), Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News (#139), and Roanoke (#142). Roanoke, who is listed lowest of the Virginia regions on this list, fell 13 spots from 2013, not a significant drop. The biggest climb in Virginia on this list is Richmond, who climbed 51 spots since 2011’s #119 ranking. This shows that the gap in performance among Virginian Metropolitan areas has widened since 2011.

In a companion index, the Milken Institute listed the performance of 179 small metros in the United States. Virginia was represented on this list 6 times with Charlottesville (#11), Harrisonburg (#22), Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford (#32), Danville (#49), Winchester (#67), and Lynchburg (#72). The top-ranked Virginian cities can attribute their successful performance due to the prominent universities in their cities. These high concentrations of public sector employees were largely immune to the nationwide collapse of the housing markets because they did not experience a bubble in the first place. The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metropolitan has the largest jump on the list, climbing a staggering 128 spots from a 2011 rank as #160.

Key small and large business, academia, and development agencies in Virginia should use this data as a benchmarking tool to pinpoint Virginia’s metropolitan areas relation to other regions. By examining where employment, wages, and economies are expanding, we can assess and improve economic development in the Commonwealth.

NRV national leader for job creation

The economic impact of alcohol

Customer service operation to expand in Martinsville

Virginia Beach could get more than 200 new jobs

Will blueprint change the image of blue-collar jobs?

New Partnership Offers Expanded Broadband Access in Orange

House Oks extending excise tax on peanuts

More than 2,100 acres placed in conservation easement in Fauquier County in 2012

Officials: 2012 ‘a terrific year’ for job creation

Compiled by Shannon McNish

Virginia Economic Developers Association Names New President

Passenger rail prospects improving for Roanoke, funding still a question mark

Southside Va to house manufacturing skills program

‘Whistle stop tour’ brings dignitaries to Norfolk for launch of new Amtrak service

Danville Pittsylvania Co. Chamber of Commerce passes statement encouraging uranium mining ban

Economic advisor suggests Amherst offer incentives

Chesapeake Crescent Initiative and TEDCO Forming Regional Innovation Fund for Start-Ups

Compiled by Shannon McNish

Southern Coal Corporation Announces Call Backs and Hiring of Miners in Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky

SW Va. Company to add 100 jobs, expand

Virginia Beach asks state for $150 million to lure pro sports team

Tile shop invests $4M in new facility in county

New Enterprise Zone Encourages Business Growth

Population is increasing in Va.

Five Area Chambers of Commerce Form Alliance

Portsmouth council decides to spend on jail study

Norfolk getting Amtrak attention but Peninsula poised for rail upgrades

Roanoke County sees jump in sales tax revenue

Compiled by Shannon McNish

Guest post by Renee LoSapio

The quintessential symbol of the American Frontier, the cowboy, is depicted riding a sturdy steed in a leather saddle in a pair of worn leather chaps and a ten gallon hat. Riding on a more contemporary leather saddle, today’s modern “metal cowboys” ride the most congested streets on two wheels in attire ranging from cycling jerseys to business suits. City cycling is growing throughout North America, including notable urban areas like Washington D.C., Chicago, New York City, and Montréal. Some cyclists are fueled by the same kind of adrenaline their ancestors possessed while living dangerously in the Wild West. However, the typical commuter rides because of health benefits, time and cost savings, and the simple enjoyment of biking for recreational use.

Smaller urban and rural communities are catching on and recognizing the benefits for commuters, visitors, and the local economy. David Verde, Founder of annual Roanoke Tweed Run and local community advocate in the NRV, expressed that he was eager to lead efforts of bringing cycling to the Town of Christiansburg. Verde explains that while living in Charleston, SC, the city worked diligently to connect existing greenways and provide a safer environment for cyclists. “Though Charleston could not necessarily afford to provide real estate for dedicated bikeways,” Verde explains, “the city managed to provide other forms of bike infrastructure and hold both cyclists and drivers to the same standards when traveling downtown.”

This past October, Verde joined local organizers and visitors at the second annual City Works (X)po in Roanoke, VA. Members of the community and conference attendees shared ideas that promoted civic education and engagement for small cities. Discussion topics included historic preservation, urban forestry, public theatre, and sustainable transit. Mike Lydon, leader of the Streets Plans Collaborative, presented a series of strategies communities could adopt to engage local stakeholders and boost outreach initiatives. Research, writing, and communication are at the core of the Streets Plans Collaborative’s mission to impact conversation and the planning process, especially for bicycle planning.

In the New River Valley, sustainable transportation is becoming a greater part of discussion among local stakeholders and administration. The NRV Planning District Commission is taking preliminary steps to respond to the demand for a less auto-centric transportation system. In 2011, the PDC created a Bikeway-Walkway-Blueway Plan which suggests an integrated system of bicycle facilities, river access points, and pedestrian walkways into the existing transportation system. This plans stresses improvement of regional assets such as multi-purpose trails, shared roadways, hiking and mountain biking trails, and blueways. One of the core themes of the document and the NRV plan is to “focus more extensively on utilizing the highway as an artery for mass transportation and focus on fresh concepts concerned more with moving people than moving vehicles.”

The cycling community in the NRV is still in infancy as only a fraction of the total population commutes by bicycle. However, programs in Blacksburg have surfaced to support local and regional efforts to encourage safe cycling on campus. The Virginia Tech Bicycle Ambassador Program, led by Alternative Transportation Coordinator Kathryn Zeringue, encourages the responsible use of bicycles by educating new and experienced cyclists on law-abiding behavior and providing resources for creating a bicycle culture on campus. In addition, Transportation and Campus Services at Virginia Tech has been awarded funding for a bicycle pathways project called the "Hokie Bikeways." This funding is provided through TEA-21 Enhancement grants.

Though the New River Valley has some of the steepest hills and unpredictable weather patterns, a strong bike culture is still possible. Cycling communities succeed when transportation infrastructure is focused on modes beyond the automobile, bike lanes are frequent and well connected, and bike parking is plentiful. Safe and reliable bicycle facilities are the key not only filling void public spaces and alleviating vehicle congestion on high-traffic roadways, but inspiring more people to ride bicycles.

Suggested Reading:

• City Cycling by John Pucher and Ralph Buehler
• The Open Streets Guide by Streets Plan Collaborative, Alliance for Biking & Walking, and others
• Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists are Changing American Cities by Jeff Mapes
• Bike Tribes: A Field Guide to North American Cyclists by Mike Magnuson
• Backroad Bicycling in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains by Hiram Rogers