The View From Virginia with Delegate Steve Shannon

On the Soapbox-Virginia’s Economic Development

When it comes to business growth and prosperity, Virginia has enjoyed several notable accolades from outside objective parties over the past few years. We are among a handful of states that have the highest bond rating, reaffirming Virginia’s ability to manage its fiscal house while making key investments and keeping regulatory and tax burdens relatively low. Forbes magazine rated Virginia the most pro-business state in the country and we recently were named the best managed state in the country in a study conducted by Governing magazine.

This is not a time to rest on our laurels though. The economic environment is becoming more competitive among other states and with our global competitors. A key component of our continued success must focus on the quality of our economic development efforts.

The term “economic development” has multiple components. It includes how we attract companies to Virginia from other states and from other countries. It encompasses our efforts to promote Virginia products nationally and overseas. It involves setting the right combination of incentives that enable Virginia companies to grow and remain successful. Within the framework of economic development, the public policy decisions we make now will have enormous implications on the economic health of the Commonwealth over the next ten years.

To start with, our public universities and colleges must be able to produce the highly skilled workforce that companies demand. Likewise, public instruction in pre-kindergarten through high school must produce students equipped to handle the rigors of our public universities and colleges.

Our commitment to investing in research and development at Virginia’s premiere institutions serves as a powerful catalyst for attracting companies to invest in Virginia. The ability to commercialize the research that begins at these public institutions can result in high wage jobs that stay in the Commonwealth.

Our proximity to the nation’s capital provides a unique opportunity to attract federal government contractors and partner with federal agencies so long as we strategically cultivate these relationships with an eye towards bringing good jobs to Virginia.

Finally, our regional diversity from an economic perspective creates opportunities to foster the economy throughout the Commonwealth. It is true that prospective companies will locate to those regions of Virginia that meet their demands. Yet it also is true that those companies can yield a better return on investment for certain jobs and departments if they operate in areas of Virginia with a well-trained workforce, a lower cost structure, available land, and other regional assets. This creates tremendous opportunities for building the economies of Southside and Southwest Virginia, so long as we aggressively are working towards identifying these opportunities and making them a reality.

Economic success does not just happen. It requires a long-term strategic vision and collaboration between policymakers and the private sector. In this episode of “The View from Virginia,” I discuss these issues further with Virginia’s Secretary of Commerce and Trade, Patrick Gottschalk.
- Steve Shannon

Episode 3: Patrick Gottschalk, Secretary of Commerce and Trade

In this week’s show, Steve Shannon interviews the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, Patrick Gottschalk. They review efforts to promote the Virginia’s economy, foster public-private partnerships, and address the challenges facing Virginia in a way that provides opportunity for all our citizens.

The Secretary of Commerce and Trade supervises the economic, community and workforce development of Virginia.

Ongoing State Initiatives in Commerce and Trade

Governor Kaine’s Economic Strategic Plan defines nine measurable object areas where development efforts are focused and is available online for downloading.

Businesses can seek assistance from the Department of Business Services, which provides supports to all Virginia businesses. It sponsors conferences throughout the year, including a Public Procurement Forum and a IT Workforce Summit.

Efforts to attract businesses to Virginia are coordinated by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.

The Department of Housing and Community Development spearheads the Governor’s policy efforts to promote affordable housing. Information on their upcoming Construction and Grant Management Workshop and notes from past meetings are posted to the Department’s homepage. Direct housing assistance is coordinated by the Virginia Housing Development Authority. Resources Enabling Affordable Community Housing in Virginia (REACH-VA) is an effort to promote effective solutions for homeownership to the Commonwealth’s diverse communities.

 

 View from Virginia [29:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

On the Soapbox-Education Policy in Virginia

I recently hosted a delegation of Virginia legislators from the Tidewater and Petersburg areas to meet with corporate leaders from several of Virginia’s largest technology companies. As we toured the facilities of Micron Technologies, Oracle, AOL and Microsoft, I asked a straightforward question to each of the company representatives: “What caused your company to locate and stay in Virginia?” The answer was straightforward. Virginia’s public universities and colleges are of a caliber that companies can readily tap into a highly skilled labor pool on a continual basis.

The message was not lost on anyone. There is a direct relationship between targeted investments by the public sector and growing our private sector. In particular, the strength of a public education system strongly correlates with the strength of our regional and statewide economies.

Of course, a great system of higher education relies upon students receiving a quality education during the early years. We know empirically the importance of having children reading at an age-appropriate level by the 3rd grade, and we also know the high cost of remediation when students fall behind. Continuity in the quality of our public education structure must exist at all levels in order to continue producing the highly skilled workforce that keeps Virginia’s economy strong.

With this realization, several challenges arise. First, we need to ensure that the measurements for gauging success are both fair and accurate. Second, we need to make sure that we are investing adequate resources towards public instruction and utilizing the resources of the private sector when appropriate. Third, we need to ensure that we are making efficient use of existing resources by minimizing operational expenses and maximizing resources directed towards the classroom.

Public education is a key component of any successful society. In order to compete in a global marketplace, our need constantly to improve Virginia’s educational structure is a necessity. In this episode of “The View from Virginia,” featuring Virginia Secretary of Education Tom Morris, we explore these issues further.

- Steve Shannon

Episode 2: Education with Thomas Morris, Secretary of Education

In this week’s show, Steve Shannon interviews Virginia’s Secretary of Education, Dr. Thomas Morris. They discuss efforts underway to strengthen education programs from early childhood to higher education.

The Secretary of Education manages Virginia’s education policy. He coordinates sixteen colleges and universities, the Virginia Community College System, state education and research centers, the Virginia Department of Education and state-supported museums throughout the Commonwealth.

Ongoing State Initiatives in Education

Early Childhood Education
Under Governor Kaine, the Department of Education has directed several coordinated efforts to establish stronger educational skills at early ages. These include:

The Start Strong Council is charged with expanding access to preschool for Virginia’s 4-year-olds via creative public-private partnerships in communities across the state. They have regularly scheduled meetings and posts reports online to their website.

Smart Beginnings is a partnership effort to enhance opportunities for optimal growth and development from birth to kindergarten. The Smart Beginnings website features a resource center on early childhood research, including presentations given at last summer’s Early Childhood Summit.

Higher Education
Virginia’s Higher Education system consistently performs at the highest international standards. Components of this success include Administrative Autonomy, the leading higher education reform program initiated to-date under Secretary Morris’s term. Through legislation passed in 2005, higher education institutions are now permitted independent decision-making in areas such as capital building projects, procurement and personnel. That autonomy comes with performance objectives and oversight.

 

 View from Virginia [29:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download