On Wednesday, June 19, the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce will be hosting an Economic Development BluePrints Business At Breakfast at the Holiday Inn Staunton Conference Center from 8-10 am. The morning will start with a full breakfast and continue on to an open dialogue paneldiscussion among local & regional business leaders, discussing economic growth and business competitiveness in the Valley, along with examples of Greater Augusta Blueprint accomplishments. In addition, Linda Hershey, President & CEO, was quoted as saying,” You do not want to miss the surprise economic development related announcements the Chamber will be sharing during the program!”
The panel will include:
- Dennis Burnett, Director of Economic Development for Augusta County
- Amanda Glover, Assistant Director of Economic Development for the City of Staunton
- Greg Hitchin, Director of Economic Development for the City of Waynesboro
- Robin Sullenberger, CEO for the Shenandoah Valley Regional Partnership
- Roger Porter, International Trade Manager for Virginia Economic Development Partnership
Keynote speaker is Barry DuVal, president & CEO of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, who has been hosting public hearings in over 20 communities around the state for the last six months to introduce BLUEPRINT VIRGINIA. DuVal said, “This will be a statewide initiative to develop a road map that will improve Virginia’s competitive position in the global economy and ensure a prosperous and sustainable future. Our goal is to build a statewide consensus among private and public sector leaders regarding investment priorities.” DuVal has been developing an independent governance structure of business and professional leaders, economic developers and educators representing the diverse regions and industry sectors across Virginia. This group will present their “economic drivers” to elected officials, including the Governor-elect, later this year. For more information go to http://www.vachamber.com/blueprint/
- The Blueprint Virginia economic drivers are:
- Educational Excellence
- Workforce Readiness
- Robust Infrastructure
- Supporting Advanced Manufacturing
- Attractive Business Climate
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Quality, Cost-effective Healthcare
- Energy Diversity & Security
This event is open to Chamber members and the general public. Registration for this event can be made online at www.augustava.com/blueprintva