Even with their serious budget woes, Roanoke City devotes a high level of resourcing to focus on economic development with an emphasis on attracting talent to the area. Their upcoming Creative Community Leadership Program is based on Richard Florida's work that shows how talent, technology, territory assets and tolerance are key components for sustainable communities (sustainable being contrasted with those experiencing repeated cycles of growth and decline).
In Montgomery County, such economic development efforts are often fragmented among various government entities and groups, and effective communications to engage the wider community are weak. This can be seen in the upcoming NRV PDC Vision 20/20 Community Conversations which have limited exposure throughout the region. If you are interested in this topic, be sure to go to the NRCC campus at the NRV Mall this Thursday @ 7pm -- it presents a window of opportunity not provided to the general public in over 20 years.
And in Montgomery County, we see a talent drain. There are some success stories for attracting and retaining talent, but more often we see the best and brightest educated here and then leaving the NRV.
We also see talent attracted to the area, but not retained. This has most recently been made clear in the announcement that Montgomery County Public Schools superintendent, Dr. Tiffany Anderson, is leaving. In hiring her, our county benefited more than by her delivering higher learning standards and creative initiatives within what is a very highly regulated realm. It also extended a leadership position (outside area university environments) to a young minority female for the first time. Her hiring was a dual package, bringing the talents of her physician spouse to the region as well. Many in the community knew retaining this young, talented professional couple was at risk when news of illness in their family became public last year. No one can fault someone being pulled away when they are doing it to balance work-family issues, and we wish them all the best as they depart. It should also be noted that with the county currently hiring a new administrator, this presents a special opportunity for both new chief officers to cultivate a strong relationship from a common starting point.
These three items may seem unrelated. They are connected, however, and underscore the need to constantly work to cultivate an environment which is capable of attracting and retaining talent and territory assets in the NRV. Without a cohesive game plan which is more inclusive, our region will continue to lag and lose rather than leverage large and small opportunities.