Some local residents were among the more than 300 to attend a recent orientation conference hosted by the Southern Virginia Growth and Opportunity (GO) Board, according to Tom Rose, Patrick County administrator.
Residents attending the economic development initiative conference “went in the capacity of representing the county,” said Rose, who also serves as director of economic development.
“We are still recruiting” people to attend the meetings, he said, and added “there has been some interest.”
Nine GO Virginia regional councils were represented at the event, which provided a platform for state and local leaders to discuss the economic concerns and to demonstrate how GO Virginia can help address those areas.
Economic data released at the conference will serve as a baseline which the regional councils can measure future economic performance as projects begin to unfold. It also will help track the success of each region in creating more higher-paying jobs.
Southern Virginia GO also will establish a number of advisory committees, including Education & Workforce. Members will represent K-12 education, community college, higher education, workforce investment boards and other organizations involved in workforce development.
Additional committees include Economic Development Professionals, Local Government and Planning Districts, Legislative and State Boards/Committees, Community Leaders, Large Business Employers and Young Leaders.
The committees will routinely convene. Members will offer direct input, help to identify projects for the initiative to consider for investments, be willing to serve as members of a review panel and other duties.
The GO Virginia Coalition was created to evaluate the state of the economy in Virginia and to advocate for legislation authorizing the GO Virginia Initiatives. The coalition provides support for the Growth and Opportunity Board to create more and higher paying jobs through incentivized collaboration, primarily from out-of-state revenue.
The coalition is made up of business and community leaders, partners in education and government, and interested Virginians who support regional cooperation on private-sector growth, job creation, and career readiness. Learn more at www.govirginia.org
