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Capitalizing on
history in time of change
by
Robert C. Powell III
Virginia
Business
January 2005
“One
cannot approach Virginia, this state in which the roots
of American nationhood (and Southernhood) go so deep,
the state of Washington and Jefferson and Madison and
Patrick Henry, without a certain measure of reverence.”
That was the opening sentence in the chapter on Virginia
in “The Book of America,” an examination
of the culture and politics of the 50 states written
20 years ago by Neal R. Peirce and Jerry Hagstrom. Tourism
officials are betting that kind of fascination with
Virginia’s history still holds. Contributing writer
Lisa Antonelli Bacon reports
that the state is pulling out all the stops to promote
historic attractions in connection with Jamestown’s
400th anniversary in 2007.
Another
type of campaign soon will be under way at the Capitol
as the General Assembly convenes. Contributing writer
Garry Kranz says that the major question facing the
legislature is what to do about funding transportation
projects. Kranz looks at competing
proposals for financing roads and rails while the
editors of Virginia Business talk with Gov.
Mark R. Warner about his plans for his final legislative
session.
One of the issues before the legislature will be granting
charter status to three of the state’s most prominent
universities. Charter status would give them greater
flexibility. Contributing writer Heather Hayes reports
that the state’s business
schools already have shown their flexibility in
adapting programs to the changing demands of industry.
Virginia’s business schools are playing to their
strengths. That is a strategy that economic development
officials have perfected. Contributing writer Donna
Gregory reports that, in the Gateway
Region around Petersburg, strength lies in the area’s
manufacturing history. While manufacturing has waned
nationally, the Gateway Region still boasts a strong
factory base and has the infrastructure to attract more
industrial prospects. Gregory also looks at the surprising
growth of Service Center Metals,
a startup company founded by three former Reynolds Metals
managers.
If Peirce and Hagstrom were writing their book today,
I hope they would still be awed by Virginia’s
history. But I think they also would be impressed by
the changes that are taking place today, some of which
we have tried to capture in this issue of Virginia
Business.
Robert
C. Powell III
Editor
rpowell@va-business.com
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Business - January 2005 |
