Posted:

Thrive 2027 Campaign is a Success: Private Sector Makes Commitment to Support Future Prosperity

Several men holding plants smiling at the camera in a conference room
John Hull, Roanoke Regional Partnership executive director, with the Thrive 2027 Campaign Leadership team.

Thanks to the support and commitment of 122 businesses and organizations who made the decision to invest in the Roanoke Regional Partnership.  The Partnership’s Thrive 2027 Campaign surpassed its $3.6 million fundraising goal and brought in more than $4 million, demonstrating the Partnership’s strength and value as the leader in regional economic development, business attraction, talent, and placemaking.

These funds will accelerate the local economy and enhance the region’s competitiveness for business and talent attraction.

John Hull, executive director with the Roanoke Regional Partnership, said, “More than 122 businesses and organizations including 31 new investors across all sectors representing the diverse geography of the Roanoke Region of Virginia have made the commitment to invest in future growth for our great region. The economic progress that we have seen and will continue to enjoy is made possible by the leadership and investment of both the public and the private sectors working together.”

The Thrive 2027 Campaign is a five-year plan with four focus areas: economic growth and innovation; talent attraction and workforce development; commercial real estate and infrastructure; and place making and livability. Simply put, these are the Partnership’s marching orders for the next five years. Success measurements for these initiatives are the creation of 3,000 new jobs, $350 million in capital investments, a 10-percent increase in the number of in-migrants, a 15-percent increase in per capita income, and a 300-percent increase in inventory of certified sites by 2027.

While there are four different areas of focus for the plan, each is connected and builds upon the other. By highlighting the livability of the region and marketing the outdoor assets current residents enjoy, we’re attracting a talented workforce. By ensuring we’re ahead of the game with marketing intelligence for the regional economy, we can help local governments and the private sector make sound decisions as related to real estate and workforce development. The beauty of this plan is that by focusing on one aspect, they should all improve.

Although the fundraising campaign officially ended in May, the Partnership continues to recruit new investors. Our partners are already witnessing successes with theexpansion of local businesses like Wurth Revcar and Lowe’s and adoption of new degree programs by higher education institutions to support the region’s current and future workforce. Additionally, the volume of interest in our market from outside prospects remains steadily high.

The private sector investments match the investment of eight local governments who have been longstanding supporters and daily working partners of the Roanoke Regional Partnership in making a regional economic impact– Alleghany County, Botetourt County, Franklin County, Roanoke County, the cities of Covington, Roanoke, and Salem, and the town of Vinton.

The Roanoke Regional Partnership has built an impressive record of generating significant economic wins and building a strong, diverse economy. With the continued support of regional businesses and government, the Partnership is poised to produce economic wins and contribute to the prosperity of the Roanoke Region of Virginia.

Posted:

Partnership Provides Assist to North Cross School

boxley north cross dorm

Another Roanoke Regional Partnership connection has resulted in success.

North Cross Head of School Chris Proctor came to the Partnership in 2014 for help finding a viable housing solution for international students. The Partnership and Roanoke Economic Development brought the school and a local developer together to find an answer.

North Cross School announced this week it is adding residential boarding with a new dormitory located in the Boxley Building in downtown Roanoke.  

North Cross will have rooms available beginning this fall in the newly renovated building which also will offer apartments. A new vitality will hit downtown with up to 48 students enjoying its amenities. And North Cross School will be able to house current — and attract new — boarding students in grades 9-12. The school also sees an opportunity to accommodate international students as well as many from outside the Roanoke Region.

Making connections and establishing relationships is just one part of what the Partnership does in the region every day.

Posted:

Virginia Western Places 2nd in Digital Community Colleges Survey

virginia western community college roanoke

Virginia Western Community College placed second in the mid-sized colleges category of the Center for Digital Education’s 2015-16 Digital Community Colleges Survey. Now in its 11th year, the Digital Community Colleges Survey analyzes how community colleges across the country use a range of technologies to improve services for students, faculty, staff, and the community.

Virginia Western has been selected for Top 3 honors on the Digital Community Colleges Survey for each of the past six years. The college, which earned a first-place ranking in 2011, recently relaunched a new website.

Award winners demonstrated innovative uses of technology, including online courses and mobile environments, mobile apps, secure platforms and wireless networks.

This year’s Digital Community Colleges Survey also revealed insights about community colleges’ technology priorities. Colleges surveyed indicated that mobility devices/app support and website redesign are their top priorities in the coming year, followed by cybersecurity tools and testing, network infrastructure modernization, server consolidation and virtualization, and disaster recovery/business continuity. The survey also revealed that 59 percent of colleges now offer professional development courses on how to use mobile apps for instruction while 93 percent offer professional development courses on how to integrate technology into curriculum and instructional practices.

All accredited U.S. community colleges are eligible to participate in the Digital Community Colleges Survey within three classifications based on enrollment size.

Find the full list from the Center for Digital Education.