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From the President
As we enter the new year and reflect upon 2011, we continue to look for indicators of an improved economic climate. Most of us continue to tighten our belts both personally and professionally. Local government is no exception. In fact, local government is where shrinking budgets are felt the most. While PDCs have little control over limited local budgets, they can be instrumental in bringing local governments together to solve problems economically and efficiently.
It is an exciting, albeit uncertain time for the Commonwealth, our regions and our local governments. For more than 40 years our commissions have been working arm-in-arm with local governments, industrial development agencies, public service authorities, as well as private business and industry on projects which contribute to the overall progress in the communities which they serve. Here's to many more years of regional cooperation and collaboration.
I am hopeful that the period ahead will present many unusual opportunities for our regional commissions to strengthen their ties with local governments and communities, using their unique talents and resources to solve many of the challenges they may face. Regional commissions have many tools with which to help, such as grant writing assistance to locate funding for various needs; partnering with industrial development authorities on industrial prospects; and in many areas where the knowledge and experience of our commissions can be of such great value.
VAPDC's upcoming Winter Conference, Virginia's PDCs: Collaborating for Economic Success, will focus on how PDCs can be instrumental in the economic success of a region. For the second year, the Winter Conference will be held in conjunction with the VML/VACo Legislative Day on February 9th at the Richmond Marriott. For program information or to register for the VAPDC Winter Conference go to www.VAPDC.org.
I look forward to seeing you in Richmond next week!
President, VAPDC |
- Lenowisco PDC
- Cumberland Plateau PDC
- Mount Rogers PDC
- New River Valley PDC
- Roanoke Valley-Alleghany RC
- Central Shenandoah PDC
- Northern Shenandoah Valley PDC
- Northern Virginia RC
- Rappahannock-Rapidan RC
- Thomas Jefferson PDC
- Region 2000 LGC
- West Piedmont PDC
- Southside PDC
- Commonwealth PDC
- Richmond Regional PDC
- George Washington RC
- Northern Neck PDC
- Crater PDC
- Middle Peninsula PDC
- Accomack-Northampton PDC
- Hampton Roads PDC
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Join Us in Richmond!
February 9-10, 2012 Richmond Marriott, Downtown Richmond Virginia's PDCs: Collaborating for Economic Success is the theme of this year's Winter Conference. Once again, VAPDC is partnering with VML and VACo to be part of VML-VACo Legislative Day on Thursday, February 9. The VAPDC Winter Conference will kick off Thursday evening with dinner at Center Stage in downtown Richmond. On Friday, February 10, the conference will feature Bob Sledd, Senior Economic Advisor to the Governor and Mary Rae Carter, Deputy Secretary for Rural Economic Development. They will offer their perspectives on the Commonwealth's economic development efforts. For complete details, the agenda, and to register, visit the VAPDC website. |
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HRPDC Releases Benchmarking Study
In 2004 the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission received a grant from the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) for the purpose of analyzing the regional economy to gain perspective on the state of the region and the role of the military. HRPDC staff published a 6-part series for the OEA, including a regional benchmarking report designed to gather an assortment of socio-economic indicators to help inform the decision-making process. The Regional Benchmarking Study was extremely well received prompting the Commission to publish the report annually. Read more... View the Benchmarking Study. |
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New River Valley PDC Receives Grant
The New River Valley Planning District Commission is teaming up with the Virginia Tech Institute for Policy and Governance (VT-IPG) in a $172,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The project, called Healthy NRV, aims to improve the long-term health of people in the New River Valley through data driven prioritization as well as engaging young people in assessing and offering steps to address health needs in their communities. A "digital storytelling" component of the grant will involve youth from ages 14 to 17 deployed with video cameras to conduct interviews in their communities. The teens will receive instruction in the art of storytelling and also be briefed about their communities' most pressing health problems. The multimedia materials they produce will then be shared using social media and other channels.
Read more... |
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Virginia's Region 2000 Partnership Recognized
The L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at VCU honors public service by the Excellence in Virginia Government Awards (EVGA). Virginia's Region 2000 Partnership was recognized as a 2011 recipient for Public Private Partnership. Since 2004, the EVGA has recognized outstanding Virginians who lead by example and who inspire others through their model of public service. The commonwealth often figures in the list of the best-governed states in the country. This is an impressive statistic. But it does not capture the stories of commitment and dedication that the EVGA celebrates. At a time when optimism is in short supply, these shining examples of public service can become the beacons that restore our faith in our future. Read the entire Richmond Times-Dispatch article recognizing the recipients. |
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VAPDC Connections
VAPDC Connections is published quarterly by the Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions.
The deadline for the next issue
of the newsletter is
April 5, 2012.
Please share your news with your peers by submitting your articles to VAPDC.
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