Region executives meet with Obama
By Bill Cresenzo for Inside Business, originally posted on January 20, 2012
A group of Hampton Roads businesspeople met with President Obama and administration officials at the White House to talk about the federal government’s role in job creation and the policies that affect Hampton Roads businesses.
The White House Business Council and Business Forward, a Washington-based consortium of businesses that works for pro-business polices, hosted the event.
“Since the Norfolk/Hampton Roads area relies so much on defense contracting, and the Department of Defense is anticipating spending cuts, many business leaders are concerned about what to expect regarding the cutbacks,” said Britney Sussman, a Business Forward spokeswoman.
“We believe the area is an important part of the Virginia economy, and deserves to be engaged and give feedback since they rely so heavily on government spending.”
The execs talked about the effect defense spending cuts would have on the local economy, access to capital, infrastructure development, education and workforce readiness, and America’s overall competitiveness, Sussman said.
The group included executives from Tymark Enterprises, Zel Technologies, E.L. Hamm & Associates Inc., Virginia Port Authority, Klett Consulting Group Inc., Vox Optima, Q10 Government Contracting, Virginia Company Bank and Cox Communications Virginia. Also participating were representatives of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Eastern Virginia Medical School, the Hampton Roads Partnership, as well as Hampton Roads entrepreneurs including Allen R. Jones, president of Dominion Physical Therapy and Associates.
“The Obama administration is on the cutting edge with innovative technology and applications and the reduction of health care costs,” Jones said. “They are focused on technology leading us into the 21st century for growth.”
Jones cited a conversation about a test model health care clinic in St. Louis that lets doctors use smartphones to connect with their patients.
“It’s a matter of keeping the patients out of the office and treating them with prevention and wellness,” he said.
Mike Petters, CEO of Huntington Ingalls Industries, spoke about workforce readiness, according to Sussman, saying that the shipbuilder plans to hire 10,000 people over the next five years, and while most of the jobs won’t require college degrees, they do require math skills.
Jack Ezzell, president of Zel Technologies, was impressed.
“I was very upbeat about the administration’s plans to address a broad range of economic issues,” he said. “It was very positive. I thought it was well done. Modeling and simulation, I think, is a key piece for us.”