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It’s time to thrive
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Here we are in December, approaching the end of 2021. Most business leaders would say with some certainty that this year was better than 2020 — and thankfully so. Yet, as much as we’d like to say that COVID times are behind us, the return of cold weather and the indoor season keeps things uncertain.
Higher values
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About 30 years ago, I was a volunteer for a local group of marketing professionals that was launching its Marketer of the Year awards. Publicity was needed. Working in marketing at the local paper, the task fell to me to pitch the event to the newsroom. In those days, the news business was fairly balkanized;
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Magical thinking
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Listening can be difficult; that’s often an early lesson learned and hopefully one paid better attention to as life goes on. I’ll admit that’s been the case for me. Listening is especially important in business. Customers, co-workers, suppliers and vendors all have points of view that are worthy of consideration. Listening is probably the most
Political Kool-Aid
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Depending on who’s in charge in Dee Cee, plans alternate on what is best for the U.S. economy. The choices are seemingly reduced to tax cuts versus government spending, but things are rarely as they seem. More accurately, these choices are two different sides of the same dollar — or trillions of dollars to be
Virginia Business 3.0
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Welcome to the second annual edition of the Virginia 500. Last year’s inaugural publication, published in the depths of a pandemic-constrained economy, was quite a surprise — in fact, it was the most successful new product launch in the history of Virginia Business. Publishing a directory of the commonwealth’s most powerful and influential leaders fits
Aiming for the max score
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As we assembled this second annual edition of the Virginia 500, I found myself visualizing a dartboard — with 500 darts. In choosing the top 500 Virginia executives and power players in business, higher education and government/politics, several are guaranteed to strike the inner bull’s-eye. I’m certain we can all agree that the leaders of
Closing the digital divide: It’s not optional
America is at a critical, high-stakes inflection point
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With the Senate’s passage of a massive infrastructure bill, there is rare and refreshing bipartisan consensus on the need to close the digital divide, which came into sharp focus during the pandemic. As much of daily life, including work and school, shifted online, underserved communities faced huge obstacles to productivity and success. The sweeping bill
The Mailroom August 2021
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More energy alternatives The “Rolling out the red carpet” article in your June issue outlined how economic development officials foresee the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project “becoming an East Coast hub” for offshore wind operations. It is also worth noting that solar and electric bus projects are progressing throughout the commonwealth. Northern Virginia school districts have
Hot time, summer in Virginia
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Thus far, we’ve been spared from the heat wave that gripped Oregon, as well as the drought hitting California, not to mention western wildfires. But summer is still always a hot time here in Virginia. Looking back, it wasn’t until 1968 that the commonwealth passed liquor-by-the-drink legislation. In addition to slaking thirst during the hot
What’s good for HBCUs is good for Virginia business
It's time to increase state support for historically Black colleges and universities, former Gov. Wilder writes
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Earlier this year, I issued a call for the commonwealth to confront and reassess its disproportionate support of its historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). I wrote a letter to the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and the respective leadership of the General Assembly. At this juncture, I have not received any acknowledgment or response