Thursday, May 12, 2005
Despite perceptions, region 'wants to grow'
The latest from The Ticker blog
Darlene Burcham suggested a vocal minority sometimes hobbles efforts to foster regional cooperation and economic and population growth in the Roanoke and New River valleys.
The observation by Burcham, who is Roanoke's city manager, followed Dr. Ed Murphy's report Wednesday about a survey (click here to download the report) commissioned by Carilion Health System, for which Murphy is president and chief executive officer. Murphy addressed a morning meeting of the business committee for the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership and other businesspeople and local leaders.
The survey probed regional attitudes toward growth, regionalism and the role of arts and culture in economic development. Although job growth seems to have picked up a little in recent months in the Roanoke Valley, economists, government officials and business leaders remain concerned about the valley's comparatively lackluster economic and population growth.
Murphy said telephone surveys of residents and businesses in the region found general support for population and economic growth. He said related numbers contradicted anecdotal reports and conventional wisdom that suggest widespread resistance to growth and its perceived threat to quality of life.
And although many survey participants saw little evidence in the Roanoke and New River valleys of a burgeoning spirit of regionalism, their responses indicated general support for the concept. Responses about the regional importance of arts and cultural offerings were divided about equally between "very important" and "somewhat important."
But only 6 percent of business leaders surveyed in the New River Valley said the Roanoke Valley's arts and cultural offerings were "very important" to the New River Valley.
Burcham's comment came during conversation about hindrances to growth and regional cooperation.
"The people who are opposed to something are much more vocal," Burcham said. "We are allowing the naysayers to dominate air time and media time."
Murphy agreed that "a shockingly small number of people" can acquire veto power.
After one man said he believes local politics and turf battles strangle efforts to promote regional economic cooperation, Burcham said businesses and the private sector must be more engaged.
"If the problem is government, business needs to take a hold of that problem," she said. "We beg people in the private sector to become better participants in government."
Millie Moore, a commercial real estate broker, said studies and related entreaties for involvement are not enough.
"Unfortunately, a call for action doesn't create action," Moore said.
A focus on bad news can lead, she said, to a sense of helplessness. Business leaders must help move the region forward, Moore said.
Later, in an e-mail, Moore said, "I see glimpses of light which I haven't seen in the past. I see Darlene Burcham as the charismatic leader trying to take us to the next level."
But regionalism requires more than a single leader, she said.
During the meeting, Patrick Shaffner, interim director of Downtown Roanoke Inc., said his impression from leadership visits to other communities that are thriving suggests a need for "a strong, bold, charismatic leader" - someone willing to go out on a limb and "even steamroll some groups."
Roanoke County businessman Victor Iannello, who has been in the thick of efforts to encourage economic cooperation between the Roanoke and New River valleys, said business leaders can help by adopting and promoting the year-old regional brand, which is "NewVa."
But Aric Bopp, director of business development for the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance, said he worries the NewVa brand might be more of a wedge separating the regions than a catalyst for cooperation. He reported hearing grumbling among some leaders in the New River Valley that NewVa was selected without their input.
Later, Iannello provided a list of local government officials, businesspeople and other New River Valley leaders who attended at least one meeting of the group working to select a regional brand and others who were invited to attend but did not.
"If there was lack of participation on the part of the New River Valley, it was not due to lack of effort on our part to get them to the table to participate," Iannello said.
