By Dwayne Yancey, Cardinal News.
[excerpt reposted with permission]
Demand for big sites and renewable energy is driving many decisions. Electric vehicles also represent a growing share of investments.
There’s an old military saying, often attributed to Gen. Omar Bradley: “Amateurs talk strategy. Professionals talk logistics.”
The same saying might apply to economic development, as well. Lots of people have theories about what a community’s strategy ought to be. Politicians certainly do. Even the occasional commentator has been known to opine on economic development strategy. Hmmm …
In a way, though, we’re all amateurs, talking about how we think things should be. Last week, I had a chance to hear a professional talk about how things really are. The occasion was a Virginia Association of Counties meeting in Roanoke where Jason El Koubi, president and CEO of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, spoke.