Culpeper Star Exponent
Business Monday
Jim Charapich
November 25, 2013
The Virginia Chamber delivered Blueprint Virginia to Governor
Elect McAuliff on Wednesday November 20th, 2013 in Williamsburg at the Annual
Virginia Chamber Economic Summit. The “Business Plan for the Commonwealth”
initiative was announced in late 2012 as a top priority during 2013 for the
Virginia Chamber under the leadership of Barry DuVal, President & CEO of
the Virginia Chamber. The program was a bold move to provide an economic
development plan that could be presented to the newly elected Governor. The
plan is also intended to serve as a vehicle to bridge administrations of future
Governors in order to preserve and sustain progress for the economic vitality
of the Commonwealth.
The program consumed
the efforts of the statewide business community during 2013. The executive
summary shows that there were 45 regional Blueprint events across the
Commonwealth. The meetings strategically engaged Chambers of Commerce,
leadership programs, and business trade associations from South Hill to
Arlington and from Hampton Roads to Culpeper. The comprehensive and inclusive
collaboration leveraged the best minds in Virginia for the initiative. The
effort was rare and powerful in forging a vision from boots on the ground
businesses, academic institutions, and government economic development leaders.
In his address to the
600 attendees of the Economic Summit, Governor Elect McAuliff embraced the
results of the plan. His energetic comments emphasized his interest in Early
Childhood Education and Workforce Development as immediate priorities. His
early commitment to workforce development was evident in his visit to all 23
Community Colleges in Virginia during his campaign. The address had tones of
Ronald Reagan, energizing the crowd with passionate pride in Virginia, while
reaching out to both parties to join in building an exceptional future for
Virginia. He applauded Governor McDonnell and Lieutenant Governor Bolling for
their bipartisan success in passing the Transportation Bill in the 2013 General
Assembly Session.
Blueprint Virginia
outlines a ten point foundation for success with framework for each point as
follows: 1) Education: System -Level Reform, Early Childhood Education, K-12
Education, Post-Secondary/Higher Education. 2) Workforce: Data &
Dissemination, Public-Private Partnerships, Targeted Sectors & Populations,
Regional Solutions. 3) Business Climate & Economic Development: Incentives,
International, Taxes, Federal, Small Business, Tourism, Workforce, Industry
Sectors, Pro-Business Policies. 4) Transportation: Efficient & Effective
Implementation of 2013 Legislation, Maximize the Value of Virginia’s
Transportation Crown Jewels, Maintain and Strengthen an “All of the Above”
Strategy in Transportation, Continue Tradition of Innovation Even in an Era of
Improved Funding, Aviation & Aerospace, Highways, Ports, Rail &
Transit, Overall Competitiveness. 5) Health Care: Population Health and
Wellness, Quality - Access - Cost, Health Workforce, Innovation. 6) Technology,
Innovation, & Startups: Innovation Funding, Entrepreneurship, Technology
Sectors, STEM Education, Commercialization, Broadband. 7) Energy: “All of the
Above” Strategy for Job Creation, Infrastructure Investment, Energy
Reliability, Efficiency & Education. 8) Manufacturing: Taxes, Regulation,
Economic Development, Energy. 9) Environment: Water, Land, Air, Climate,
Sustainability, Government, Recreation. 10) Military & Veteran Affairs:
Preserve Virginia-based MIlitary Assets, Support Military Families, Integrate
Veterans into the Economy, Prepare for the Challenges Ahead.
Virginia faces the
economic tremors of Sequestration and Federal spending cuts. The Blueprint for
Virginia could not come at a better time in securing our foundation. The best
strategy for predicting the future is to engineer it for success. For more
information about Blueprint Virginia go to www.VAChamber.com.
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