Military and civilian personnel are scheduled to leave Suffolk or be transferred to another command in Hampton Roads in a year.

The same issue surfaced in Virginia Beach in 2005. That city reacted with a plan to keep the U.S. Navy’s air base, Naval Air Station Oceana, from leaving.

Suffolk is still reeling from the announcement by the Department of Defense to shutter the U.S. Joint Forces Command by next fall. Reactions have ranged from surprise to incredulity.

The loss could amount to a worst-case scenario of $1 billion in income and 6,000 civilian and military jobs.

Property owners are seeing empty space in the 1 million square feet occupied by contractors working for JFCOM and JFCOM itself.

Worse, they are wondering if they can backfill the space with tenants in a soft real estate market because of zero or declining job growth.

The two localities have a common thread: They are heavily dependent on defense dollars to drive the tax base.

But they diverge on the outcome.

Virginia Beach has managed to keep the dollars flowing through its economy while Suffolk officials are seeing the city’s economy tank – not good during an election year when four city council seats are up for grabs.

But Suffolk officials have formulated a plan with the slogan “reject, retain and replace.”

Suffolk City Council was scheduled to hear the plan to keep thousands of jobs and millions of dollars last week.

Because Virginia Beach took action, the Association of Defense Communities recognized the city with the Active Base Community award for its work to keep NAS Oceana at the association’s annual convention in San Francisco, Aug. 8-11.

The association, composed of communities where military bases are located, private contractors, real estate firms and developers, has 1,500 members and has existed for 30 years.

Previously, it went by the name of the National Association of Installation Developers.

The group and its members are all about keeping military bases and the incomes associated with the personnel attached to the bases. The group also works to redevelop areas that have lost a military base.

Tom Rumora, chairman of the 10-member awards committee, said this is the first time Virginia Beach received the award.

The association gets 30 to 40 applicants a year for the award, Rumora said, but it doesn’t hand out an award every year.

“We don’t take this lightly,” Rumora said. “You have to win on your merits. We are not obliged to give this award if they are not a meritorious candidate. It’s an honor. It’s not just a rubber stamp.

“We like communities that take action,” he said. “They didn’t just meet, they didn’t just talk and they didn’t just do reports. They took action.

“Virginia Beach has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt they have decisive, extraordinary and compelling action,” he said.

Faced with losing NAS Oceana, Virginia Beach officials developed a plan to redevelop properties and relocate businesses that were prohibited within the accident zone of the base.

The city was faced with a possible loss of 16,000 jobs with a total payroll of more than $1.18 billion, producing more than $400 million each year in goods and services, according to figures supplied by Virginia Beach.

Basically, the city rezoned property, bought property and relocated businesses that didn’t conform to the regulations to another area of the city and enticed businesses that did conform to properties surrounding the air base.

Execution of the plan took money, though, exactly $16 million a year, half of which the state funded, with the city funding the other half.

Virginia Beach said it has bought or reached agreement to buy 447 dwelling units through its residential property acquisition program.

It has also eliminated 385 residential dwelling units in zones where homes are prohibited, APZ-1 and the Clear Zones.

It also launched YesOceana.com, a plan to relocate businesses to other areas of the city and conforming businesses to APZ-1.

The city is luring suitable firms with grants, waiver of a conditional use permit, a rebate on local business taxes and fees, and a partial exemption of property taxes.

Posted to Inside Business on September 3, 2010 by Philip Newswanger

For more on the relationship between Oceana and Virginia Beach from The Virginian-Pilot, click here.

The Virginia Beach Crime Prevention Steering Committee was established in 1977 to act as an advocate for community participation in crime prevention as well as to support and advise the Virginia Beach Police Department with community concerns regarding crime.  Each year the Steering Committee has honored individuals, community organizations and businesses that exemplified the values and mission of the Virginia Beach Crime Prevention Steering Committee. Nominations are being sought for this year’s awards, i.e., activities that occurred during the past twelve months.

Award categories are:

• Private Industry Award – Presented to a local business that has advanced crime prevention within the business community or within the community at-large. The nominee must be a for-profit business operating in Virginia Beach.
• Community Organization Award – Presented to a not-for-profit community organization that has actively promoted, developed and participated in crime prevention activities that have enhanced the quality of life in their community.
• Citizen Award – Presented to a resident of Virginia Beach, who has demonstrated a passion for making a difference in the community using crime prevention initiatives and activities.
• Youth Award – Presented to a youth, between 13 and 18, who has participated in crime prevention activities and programs, which have positively impacted the lives of others in Virginia Beach.
• Law Enforcement Award – Presented to a law enforcement official who has engaged in exceptional work while in the performance their assigned duties. Their work must have taken place in Virginia Beach. Recipients may be a sworn law enforcement official from a local, state or federal agency.
• Volunteer Award – Presented to a citizen who volunteers with the Virginia Beach Police Department and has participated in and/or promoted crime prevention activities and programs which have positively impacted the Virginia Beach community.

The Committee believes that by recognizing others for their achievements,  the community will be a safer place. For more information or to submit a nomination, please contact MPO Jim McElligott at (757) 385-1330 or jmcellig@vbgov.com or e-mail the Awards Committee Chairperson Bernadette Matson at bmatson@live.com. The nomination forms must be received by 5 PM on September 17, 2010.

The Committee’s website is: http://www.vbgov.com/crimepreventionsteeringcommittee

Ten professional leaders and top level executives in our community have volunteered once again to present a seminar from their respective expertise. It is a fantastic series for a very low cost that is aimed at those in our community exploring the idea of doing business with the government (especially the DoD). At the Seminars you’ll learn Strategic Planning, Marketing, Proposal Development, Contract Performance, Contract Administration and Accounting, Government Customer Expectations, Subcontracting with Prime Contractors, Profitability and Administration, Employee Relations and Small Business Resources.

Classes are held at the Peninsula Workforce Development Center, 600 Butler Farm Road, Hampton, VA on Tuesdays, September 14 – November 16, 2010 from 7:00 to 9:15 p.m. Participants will receive an official certificate of completion from Thomas Nelson Community College and 2.0 Continuing Education Units.

“I very strongly recommend this seminar. For a small investment in time and cost, it provides a unique opportunity to be exposed to the full spectrum of the business environment for contractors operating in the defense and homeland security marketplace, crossing all functional lines.” — Harry Train, Admiral, U.S. Navy (ret.)

“As I retired from the Navy, the seminar helped me understand the business. I was able to use it immediately in my job in industry.” — Rick Doran, Allied Command Transformation, Norfolk, VA

For further information or to register contact Carolyn Tarrant or Rita Bond at the Peninsula Council for Workforce Development. Phone: (757) 826.3327 or Email: ctarrant@pcfwd.org or rbond@pcfwd.org.

From Matthew James, President & CEO, Peninsula Council for Workforce Development (PCFWD)

IPads, Text Messaging Enhances Communication Efforts in Williamsburg, Va.

Posted Aug 18, 2010, By Russell Nichols, Staff Writer for Government Technology

As iPads and smartphones continue to transform ideas of how governments communicate, officials in Williamsburg, Va., have realized the power of touch.

In July, the city chose to adopt iPads to eliminate printed materials for City Council meetings and enhance e-mail and Web access for council members. And this week, local officials launched CITY411, a text messaging system that allows residents to text problems that need to be fixed around the city.

In both cases, the idea is to move beyond traditional methods of communication so city workers and citizens can better navigate the digital landscape with the latest tech tools and save money, time and resources.

With iPads, for instance, the city cuts out the $2,000 a year spent on printing council meeting agenda and work sessions, said Mark Barham, IT director. The iPads cost about $600 each, and the city paid $17 per device for third-party software to enable specific functionality and uses standard Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet. The elimination of printed council packets alone, Barham said, would pay for the five iPads in 18 months.

With Birmingham, Ala., recently announcing its plans to put iPads in the hands of council members, the tablet computer is making a strong impression in public-sector circles. In addition to the savings element, Williamsburg officials agreed that the iPad would enable council members to have constant access to the Internet, calendars and contacts, but also preserve traditional hands-on techniques.

“The iPad has annotation software available (at a cost of $7 per copy) that will enable City Council members to make notes, highlight information, apply reminder tags, etc., in the same fashion that they would mark up a printed copy for use in the council meeting,” City Manager Jack Tuttle wrote in a July memo to Mayor Jeanne Ziedler and the City Council.

But Tuttle didn’t find inspiration for the city’s text messaging system in an Apple store. He was in Kettering, England, when he came across a system for citizens to text any municipal issues to local officials, and thought why not in Williamsburg?

The text messaging trend has become more attractive to governments in recent months, especially in local law enforcement agencies, such as the Marion County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office, which started accepting distress calls via text message this summer. In Williamsburg — where the latest citizen survey showed that 91 percent of city residents own cell phones — the latest texting service makes a lot of sense.

The city found a vendor, Mobivity, and now pays $79 for up to 500 messages a month, Tuttle said. To use CITY411, users create a new text message from their phone and send it to 95495. In the body of the text, enter CITY411, followed by a space and then type the message. The sender will receive an initial automatic response saying the message has been received. Each message comes in to the IT department and gets routed to the appropriate department, which will respond once the issue has been addressed.

The service is designed for residents to report non-emergency issues: a crooked stop sign, a pothole, a missed trash pickup, an abandoned vehicle, etc.

If it’s an emergency, citizens will be directed to call 911. Standard text messaging rates may apply, depending on the user’s mobile phone plan. The service has been online for a week, but one person has already texted in an issue.

“The first one we received was someone asking about synchronizing traffic lights outside the city limits,” Tuttle said. “We got back to them and said, ‘It’s outside our limits, but it’s handled by the [Virginia Department of Transportation] and here’s the number.’”

Citizens can also register their mobile phones to receive occasional text messages from the city about upcoming events, weather advisories or other critical information. To date, 38 citizens have subscribed.

“It’s one more way of getting the word out,” Tuttle said, adding that he believes it will be especially popular with the younger generation. “We’ll see what kind of volume we get. I think, over time, it will grow.”

Working Together to Fight Crime on the Peninsula in Hampton Roads Region

From the Public Information Office in the City of Newport News’ Office of the Chief of Police (PIO).

After being contacted by the publisher of the Daily Press asking to meet with the police chief and the agencies’ Public Information Officers (PIO) “to discuss an idea that may prove mutually beneficial,” the Newport News Police Department and the Hampton Police Division began a very successful crime fighting project.

Newport News Chief James D. Fox and Hampton Chief Charles Jordan, along with their PIOs, met with the Daily Press publisher, Mr. Digby A. Solomon, who spoke about how the newspaper, in the past, has sold the most papers, and in some cases every paper printed, on days when either agency, as a part of their “warrant list” operations, placed a paid advertisement in the paper listing some of their most wanted persons, including photos.

To the delight of the chiefs and the PIOs, Mr. Solomon offered, at no charge, a full page, for the two agencies to share, in the paper each week listing wanted persons and their photographs along with a crime of the week.  Considering the cost of a full page advertisement, both the chiefs and the PIOs were extremely excited about this opportunity.

The “warrant list” operations have taken place two to three times a year since 2004 and have proven extremely successful for both agencies. The day the advertisement appears in the paper and for a day or two after, the department has a number of law enforcement officers (from local, state and federal agencies) divided into arrest teams. These teams follow up on the numerous tips called in to provide information on the location of wanted persons and also attempt to serve other outstanding warrants. The most recent operation in Newport News netted approximately 70 arrests nearly all of which involved felony charges.

This opportunity is a definite win – win for everyone involved. Law enforcement gets to put out their information at no cost, in tough budget times, thereby helping the community, and the paper will most likely see an increase in revenue, while performing a service to the community by working with the police to make the cities safer places to live, work and play.

Since the weekly “Wanted Page” began on May 6, 2010, well over 100 wanted persons have been arrested in Newport News and Hampton. These arrests are a direct result of people seeing the weekly Thursday advertisement and, in most cases, calling Crime Line anonymously to provide information on where the wanted persons can be found.

Law enforcement agencies from across Hampton Roads encourage anyone with information on wanted persons or any other crime in their cities to call Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP. Crime Line callers are reminded that they may remain totally anonymous, are never required to testify in court and could be eligible for a cash reward for information leading to an arrest.

No tax dollars are used to support the Crime Line programs. All funding is solely from donations and fund raisers. The programs are operated by volunteer civilian boards that raise the funds to pay rewards and authorize reward payments. For more information about the Hampton Roads area Crime Line programs go to http://www.888lockuup.com. For additional information specifically about the Peninsula Crime Line program go to http://www.peninsulacrimeline.com.

From Joe Turner, Editor of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission’s (HRPDC) HR Review and the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization’s (HRTPO) Crossings

This is it.

This is the final paper edition of Hampton Roads Review. As someone who in college participated in the transition of the student newspaper from cut and paste to on-screen computer layouts, it was evident then that a day would come when electronic communications would eclipse print. I just didn’t realize that I would be shepherding such a transition for a publication with a history that is as old as I am. It is an honor to do so, and I am confident that what we have planned for the future electronic Hampton Roads Review will do justice to this publication’s legacy.

In this last print issue, HRPDC staff continues to examine and provide a local view of issues that are receiving national attention. Regional efforts toward greater energy efficiency are discussed on Page four. Keeping with energy, there are discussions in Virginia regarding alternative energy sources, and it’s not offshore wind or drilling. An update on the potential of mining uranium in the Commonwealth is provided on Page eight.

‘Tis the Season; Hurricane Season, that is. Our Emergency Management planners are encouraging everyone to get prepared and participate in the upcoming National Preparedness Month, Page 11. In addition, our staff recently participated in a tabletop exercise for the region’s Chief Administrative Officers regarding decision making during a catastrophic event, using a Category 3 hurricane as the event, Page 12.

Click on HR Review cover graphic for a PDF file of the Summer 2010 issue.

Just as the HRPDC’s Hampton Roads Review ends its printed run, so too does CROSSINGS. While not as steeped in tradition, this publication has been well received and noted for the amount of information contained on its pages. The move to electronic format shouldn’t change that. If anything, it should provide the same information and more…with greater frequency.

As this is the final printed edition, HRTPO staff wanted to make it memorable and has stuffed this edition full of information. There are updates on the results of the most recent General Assembly’s action with regard to transportation, Page 18. Numerous hot topic items are also represented. Want to know what’s transpiring with regard to High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail. Check out Page 16. What about the Project Prioritization tool? It’s about to get its first use as part of the 2034 Long-Range Transportation Planning process, see Page 9.

In addition to the hot topics, staff continues to work more traditional items. Two corridor studies for roads in Suffolk were recently completed, Page 12. Staff has been researching regional land use planning initiatives across the US and outside the country in hopes of finding strategies that could aid in the development of a regional land use map for application in various modes of transportation planning in the Hampton Roads region, see Page 7. Finally, as it is hurricane season, staff has provided a reminder about evacuation routes should a hurricane threaten the region, see Page 13.

I’ll end my note with a final reminder to sign-up for our e-communications so you will not miss the first issue of the new electronic CROSSINGS (http://HRTPO.org) or the first issue of the new electronic Hampton Roads Review (sign up at http://HRPDCVA.gov).

As always, contact me with any comments or suggestions.

Click on Crossings cover graphic for a PDF of the Summer 2010 issue.

“The Newport News Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program began one year ago, and this year the City is providing an additional course to include Pet Shelter Operations,” said Dana Perry from the city’s Office of Emergency Management.

According to Perry, the core CERT curriculum consists of basic first responder training to include Disaster Preparedness, CERT Organization, Medical OPS I and II, Disaster Psychology, Terrorism, Fire Suppression, and Light Search and Rescue. Each class takes approximately 3 hours to complete, and volunteers must complete all of the modules to become a CERT volunteer and affiliated with the city’s Emergency Response capabilities.

Classes in Newport News begin the first Thursday in September (9/2/10) and are held over seven consecutive weeks with the final disaster scenario exercise held on a Saturday morning in October. The Pet Shelter OPS class will be offered later in the fall.

Dogs stranded during Hurricane Katrina; Photo credit: AP

Once citizens complete all of the training and become credentialed as an official CERT volunteer, with the specialty in Pet Shelter OPS, they will be called upon during times of disaster when it becomes necessary to provide Newport News residents with emergency shelter. Newport News CERT volunteers will help set-up the shelter, register people and their cats and/or dogs and monitor the shelter until it is closed. Once it is closed, volunteers may be asked to assist with dismantling the shelter so that a contractor can clean the cages and shelter. People who bring in their pets are still responsible for feeding, medicating, and walking their pets while they are in the shelter on a pre-established schedule. Volunteers and staff would monitor those pets to ensure they are being cared for by their owners.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Dana Perry at (757) 269-2904 or dperry@nngov.com. Class size is limited and all applicants must be a Newport News resident, complete a criminal history background check and be at least 18 years old.

If you are not a Newport News resident, contact your city or county to learn about the CERT program in your community.

The Medical Reserve Corps is a national organization of volunteers engaged in strengthening public health, emergency response, and community resiliency. Virginia has 31 MRC Units with nearly 11,000 volunteers. Peninsula MRC is the largest unit in the eastern region with 500 volunteers.

Additionally, the Peninsula Medical Reserve Corps in collaboration with Newport News CERT and the Hampton Roads Chapter of the American Red Cross (HRCARC) is providing Pet Preparedness information at Care-A-Lot Pet Supply, 301 Oyster Point Rd., Newport News on August 7 from 10 am until 2 pm.

“Paws Preparedness, and Pictures” is aimed at providing information to pet owners on packing a pet preparedness kit (to include a free photo taken at Care-A-Lot), having a plan for pet care, and getting them to think about accommodation choices such as pet friendly shelters or hotels should there be a need to evacuate.

To many, pets are an important part of the household. Hurricane Katrina taught us that the number one reason people refuse to evacuate their homes during an emergency is because they don’t want to leave a pet behind.  All responsible pet owners need to think about how they will take care of their animals when disaster strikes. The same advice for human preparedness goes for preparing pets. Animal Disaster Preparedness (ADP) has historically been overlooked as part of Disaster Preparedness Programs. Only recently, numerous organizations began dealing with this issue. Information is widely available to pet owners to help make informed decisions around the growing number of choices available.

Peninsula MRC volunteer Veterinarian, Dr. Sam Tate will be on hand at the event providing 15 minute informational sessions at the top of every hour. Dr. Tate will discuss drilling evacuation plans with pets, crate training, the importance of readily available vaccination records, and practicing the plan to ensure everyone can be accommodated in vehicles and destinations after evacuation. Visitors to this Care-A-Lot event can enter drawings for a hand-painted portrait of their pet by local artist, Dana Perry, an MRC waist pack supply kit, and perhaps other donated items.

The Newport News Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) will be on hand to recruit volunteers for its Pet Shelter Operations, and the American Red Cross Hampton Roads Chapter will be emphasizing the importance of learning Pet First Aid.

Submit your recommendations to:  http://www.reform.virginia.gov.

In light of the unprecedented budgetary challenges facing the Commonwealth and the increasing demand for core public services, government must become more effective and efficient. Governor McDonnell’s Government Reform & Restructuring Commission will work to put forth bold and innovative ideas to ensure that duplicative, outdated, unnecessary and ineffective services and service delivery methods are eliminated and that state revenues are dedicated to the core functions of government. We must make government simpler and easier to use, more efficient and more effective. That is the work of this Commission.

Mission of the Commission on Government Reform & Restructuring:

• Identify opportunities for creating efficiencies in state government, including streamlining, consolidating, or eliminating redundant and unnecessary agency services, governing bodies, regulations and programs;
• Explore innovative ways to deliver state services at the lowest cost and best value to Virginia taxpayers;
• Seek out means to more effectively and efficiently perform core state functions, including potential privatization of government operations where appropriate, and restore focus on core mission-oriented service;
• Examine ways for state government to be more transparent, user friendly and accountable to the citizens of the Commonwealth.

How Governor McDonnell Defines a Successful Commission:

The Commission will succeed if recommendations are implemented in the next 3 ½ years through executive, legislative and administration action to:

1.   Reduce the overall scope of government through either the elimination of unnecessary state functions or by privatization;
2.   Cut state government costs;
3.   Make government more transparent, open and accountable to the citizens of Virginia;
4.   Simplify the process for citizens to access government services;
5.   Enhance Virginia’s standing as the “Best Managed State” in the nation;
6.   Ensure more taxpayer dollars are dedicated to effectively functioning core services like public safety, education and transportation and decrease administrative and overhead costs;
7.   Maintain Virginia’s longstanding commitment to the Dillon Rule while reducing unfunded mandates on localities and providing local governments with more flexibility to manage the operational needs in their jurisdictions;
8.   Consolidate and unify the disparate back office functions found throughout state agencies and ensure communication and data sharing among all areas of government;
9.   Improve Virginia’s attractiveness and competitiveness to investors and employers;
10.   Restore the long term fiscal health of the Commonwealth of Virginia; and 
11.   Improve customer service, responsiveness and helpfulness of state government functions.

Committee Structure:

This Commission will continue to make reform recommendations to Virginia’s government until the end of the McDonnell Administration. (As Governor McDonnell says, the end state is “Reform, not a Report.”  The bulk of the Commission’s work during the next three years will be carried out by four committees. The task of the committees is to develop recommendations in their designated area of operations by receiving ideas, examining the viability of those ideas and supporting data and research.  Once satisfied, it will translate those ideas into a formal recommendation to the Commission.

The four committees are as follows:

• Government Simplification & Operations, Chair: Delegate Glenn Oder (94th District, Hampton Roads)
• Intergovernmental Relations, Chair: Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim
• Customer Service, Performance, Accountability & Transparency, Chair: Heather Cox
• Consolidation of Shared Services & Enterprise Architecture, Chair: Ron Tillett

Recommendation Process:

All recommendations proposed by the public to the Commission will undergo a rigorous review and approval process.  The Commission will likely adopt many recommendations, some requiring legislation, others requiring executive action.  All recommendations must be supported by verifiable and accurate statistics and data.

All ideas submitted will be considered and documented.  To the extent possible, the Commission and its committees should use analysis based on outcomes to inform decision making and in structuring recommendations. In considering recommendations, the Commission should identify whether the recommendation is for immediate implementation or whether it has an intermediate or long-term horizon. Recommendations should be narrowly worded and focus on specific, actionable items.  Omnibus recommendations should be distilled into their constituent parts before deliberating or voting.

Recommendations will be prioritized and evaluated according to:

• Speed of Implementation
  • Short Term (less than 6 months)
  • Medium Term  (6 – 12 months)
  • Long Term (12 months – End of McDonnell Administration)
• Cost Savings Potential
• Efficiency Improvement
• Increasing Transparency, Accountability, Customer Service or Performance

For more information on Governor McDonnell’s Government Reform & Restructuring Commission and to follow Town Hall meetings across the Commonwealth, visit http://www.reform.virginia.gov.

It’s been a busy hurricane season, and on October 15, Hurricane Nerissa, a Category 2 storm, makes a direct hit on Hampton Roads with the eye of the storm passing over the middle of the resort area of Virginia Beach and progressing through Norfolk, Hampton, Newport News and Williamsburg before dissipating on its way towards Washington, DC.  Amazingly, there weren’t any evacuation problems, but the storm did cause flooding in the Midtown Tunnel and Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, and the James River Bridge was damaged as well.  Fortunately, regional planners and experts on disaster response and recovery are standing by as well as others from around the country.

This was the scenario the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) walked through with a crowd of 75 people on Wednesday, July 14^th and Thursday, July 15^th at Lockheed Martin’s Center for Innovation in Suffolk, VA.  The hurricane was used as a backdrop to a broader conversation about disaster preparedness and appropriate policies.

Experts from inside and outside the region participated in panel discussions on the roles of governments, nonprofits and private businesses in each stage of the response beginning three days before landfall through 60 days afterward.  Panelists drew upon their experiences with previous disasters to speculate what actions should be taken or what policy changes need to be made to be more effective.

Participants had the opportunity to converse with each other by live blogging on discussion boards while presentations were made.  On the second day, participants separated into four breakout groups to delve into the more troublesome elements of disaster response and recovery in order to make recommendations for changes and highlight best practices.

BCLC  has posted all presentations and blog transcripts on their website: http://www.uschamber.com/bclc/programs/disaster/2010_workshop.htm

In the coming weeks, a detailed report based on the blogs and surveys taken by participants during the workshop will be added.  All of this information will influence future work and recommendations by the BCLC on how communities can better prepare, not just for disaster response, but also the economic recovery that follows.

2010 Disaster Assistance and Recovery Workshop
Hurricane in Hampton Roads: An Analytical Approach to Recovery

Workshop Objectives:

1. Develop a better hand-off mechanism between disaster response and community recovery leaders;
2. Gain a better understanding of the National Disaster Recovery Framework and how each sector can best utilize it after a disaster;
3. Better understand the timeframes needed for recovery actions to take place;
4. Understand who is responsible for doing what to achieve recovery;
5. Apply lessons learned to other disaster situations in the U.S.;
6. Improve communication, coordination, collaboration and mutual understanding among  public, private, and non-governmental sectors; and
7. Determine what successful recovery looks like.

The Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC), affiliated with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, strengthens collaboration and understanding among businesses, corporate foundations, chambers of commerce, non-governmental organizations (NGO), humanitarian agencies and governmental offices.

by Andrew Sinclair, Program Manager, Hampton Roads Partnership

Save the Hampton Roads Film Office