October 12, 2016
I recently attended
the 17th Annual State of the Region Address with 600 business leaders from the
Norfolk community at the Waterside Marriott and with 50 members of the Virginia
Beach Vision Board and guests in Town Center.
Created by Dr. James V. Koch, the Board of Visitors professor of
economics and President Emeritus of Old Dominion University, the State of the
Region report is widely respected as a data-rich, impartial analysis of issues
facing the region, stimulating thought and discussion about the quality of life
in Hampton Roads. Dr. Robert M. McNab, professor of economics and deputy director
of the ODU Center for Economic Analysis and Policy, and Dr. Timothy Komarek,
assistant professor of economics at Old Dominion, teamed with Dr. Koch to
present the results. You might recall that
Dr. Koch completed an economic-impact study for Virginia Wesleyan several years
ago and led an Institutional Review team here during the presidential
transition of 2015.
Dr. Koch’s column
summarizes the results in Monday’s The Virginian-Pilot:
Please note that all
17 of the State of the Region reports are available at http://www.
A number of Virginia
Wesleyanites who "believe in Hampton Roads and the power of rational
discussion to improve circumstances" provided financial support for the
study, including Jane Batten, Anne B. Shumadine, and The Aimee and Frank J.
Batten, Jr., Foundation.
The sponsor of the
event pledged a presentation and discussion on the regional economy that is
informative, engaging and useful. I heard several "takeaways"
that are relevant as we plan future growth initiatives on our campus and
contribute to the economic vitality of our region.
