In encouraging each of us to consider choosing a DOT (or “doing one thing” differently), we are engaging the community in brainstorming about how each of us can contribute to making it a more sustainable place.  In sharing them publicly, over Facebook and in our Swem Library installation, we are committing to those changes with one another’s support. 

“Who else has made a DOT?” More than a thousand people have already chosen DOTs since the campaign pilot last fall at the Mason School.  W&M President Reveley has chosen two DOTs:  to print double-sided and to use nondisposable coffee mugs whenever possible.  Some of our most prominent alumni have also chosen DOTs, including James Comey (’82), former Deputy Attorney General and now Senior Vice President of Lockeed Martin, who pledged to trade in his SUV for a hybrid in support of DOT.

“What about the Earth Day party?” Details to come, but plan on joining us for a campus-wide celebration of the DOT initiative at our Earth Day event, April 24.

from Prof. Erin Ryan, Associate Professor of Law at William & Mary, guest blogger

That means many households and businesses, which have not had broadband available to them will be able to have the benefits of high-speed access to the Internet.

It is no secret that Virginia is bifurcated. The high-tech/military/government-based region in the northern portion of the Commonwealth has not been as negatively impacted by the economic slow-down as other regions. However the farther you go down I-95, the greater the impact of the recession. In southern and southwestern Virginia unemployment is running much higher than in the north, and is higher than the national average.

Most economists and just about every politician is pointing to small businesses as the principal driver in creating jobs. Many of those small businesses cannot exist without broadband.

Certainly buying or selling on eBay is a frustrating experience with a dial-up connection; and a service company needing online collaboration among a physically dispersed staff can’t operate without broadband.

In this economy many people are finding that they can hire themselves out to a number of companies to do bookkeeping, graphic design, technical writing, or programming while working from their homes. Again, this is difficult if not impossible without a high-speed connection to the Internet.

Companies which are reluctant to add to their full-time staffs until there is more economic clarity, are searching for telecommuters who can help ease the work load without adding to overhead by requiring parking, office space, light, heat, and equipment. Adding work-at-home contractors to their staff is a mutually beneficial arrangement in many cases.

Over the past several years the technology sector has been one of the few which has added jobs while the rest of the economy was shedding over eight million jobs. These jobs range from the major network providers, which have invested over $100 billion over the past two years, to individual programmers writing smart-phone apps in their homes.

The value of broadband extends well beyond high-tech activities. Utilizing broadband, retailers and small manufacturers can expand their marketing area from anywhere in their town or county, to anywhere in the world. Anyone who has lived in a smaller city or town knows how a relatively few new jobs, bringing a few new families can have a major economic impact because 30 – 100 new families need everything from groceries to shoes, to haircuts providing a significant multiplying effect.

Broadband access to the Internet may well turn out to be the fuse which lit the economic recovery in southern Virginia – and the nation as a whole.

As a member of the newly created Broadband for America (BfA) Virginia Advisory Board, I am working with a group of citizens in the Commonwealth to develop programs that deliver the message that broadband Internet creates jobs and provides opportunities, which foster the growth of small businesses and enhance the lives of every citizen.

Broadband for America’s core mission is bringing broadband Internet to every home and business in the nation, and there is no better to place to start than right here, in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Guest post by Timothy J. Early, President/CEO of Hampton Roads Technology Council and Vice Chairman, Virginia Technology Alliance. For more information on Broadband for America, please visit the website.

And on the Google Ultra High-Speed Internet front:

HAMPTON, Va. — More than 50 people gathered at the Hampton Roads Convention Center Tuesday, March 16th, as the city raced to finalize its bid to become a trial area for Google’s upcoming high speed Internet tests. Learn more on the city’s new website: http://www.First2Fast.com

A “Google war” has erupted across America, with a number of communities vying to attract the Internet giant as it looks for areas to test an experimental fiber-optic network said to be 100 times faster than those currently available.

Hampton is stepping up its efforts before a March 26 deadline. Although the city has ruled out a temporary name change to Google — a tactic adopted by Topeka, Kan., and City Island in Sarasota, Fla. — Hampton has pledged to pull out all the stops.

Assistant City Manager John Eagle said Hampton might even appoint a “Google czar,” while a Facebook campaign by the city is gathering momentum.

Nearly 1,000 fans were signed up to the First to Fast Facebook page by the time this was posted.

City Mayor Molly Joseph Ward said she was pleased with the turnout at the rally. “This has generated a lot of excitement and energy in the community,” Ward said. “I really look forward to hearing what people say.”

From David Macaulay at twitter.com/davidmacaulay

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – With your input, Virginia Beach may be one of possibly several areas across the nation to participate in a fiber broadband trial being conducted by Google.

According to the city, Google is planning to build and test ultra-high speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the US. Google’s stated intention, according to the city, is to deliver internet speeds of more than 100 times faster that what most Americans have access to today with fiber-to-home connections.

To be considered for the trial, the city must complete a Request for Information (RFI). That’s why the city is asking it’s citizens to complete a short survey in order to assess the level of interest and support for this type of trial.

Citizens wishing to participate in the survey are asked to visit www.VBgov.com/surveys and select the Google Fiber for Communities survey.

For years our region has been content to let its public transit infrastructure dwindle to the point that it is used only by the poor, the handicapped, the elderly and others who have no other choice. In some ways, we are a victims of our own affluence. The price paid for suburban sprawl is low population density that makes it difficult to provide cost-efficient public transportation.

But, in fact, our poor public transportation system is doing us even greater harm, particularly as we work to create a reputation for our region as a dynamic, progressive and fluid place to do business.

The other night my wife and I had dinner at a friend’s home with a young man from Chile who is doing research at Jefferson Lab and taking classes at Christopher Newport University as part of his Master’s degree program. He will only be in Hampton Roads for six months. Yet he is attempting to be part of our community in the same ways he was when he studied in Switzerland and France. As time allows, he attends local events and plays in two of the region’s smaller symphony orchestras.

This young man has a modern, international perspective and a bright future. He will “go places” in life. He will take and spread impressions of the Hampton Roads region with him wherever he goes in the world.

Unfortunately, the impression he is getting about our region is that we care very little about those who do not have or wish to use automobiles.

As the first person from his university to study in Hampton Roads, it was assumed by his university that there would be public transportation available in Hampton Roads equal to that found in provincial suburbs in Chile. Therefore, no accommodation was made for additional transportation support.

The young man lives in housing at Jefferson Lab and can walk to his work there. During the week he can eat lunch at the Lab’s cafeteria. But to go to CNU for classes, to shop for groceries or do anything else, he has to venture off campus on foot or by bus.

Living without a car in Hampton Roads requires a lot of travel time. To get to CNU, a 10-minute drive by car, takes more than an hour each way, and sometimes longer, by bus. To attend a Virginia Symphony concert in Norfolk is a 2-3 hour bus trip each way. To come to our friends’ home in Virginia Beach would have been a 4+ bus hour trip each way. Just to go to a Wal-Mart or Patrick Henry Mall requires walking down highways that have no sidewalks and crossing major intersections that have no pedestrian crossings.

It should bother us at a time when rising energy costs and greater environmental sensitivity is leading many people to want to reduce their use of personal vehicles that Hampton Roads has such an impractical public transportation system.

But, just as important, it should concern us all that the impression of Hampton Roads that this young Chilean engineer will take home and to wherever else his career takes him in the world will be about our poor regional public transportation infrastructure.

In his reports back home, his #1 recommendation for Chilean students headed this way in the future has nothing to do with academic matters. Rather, it is that they be provided with a stipend for the use of a car and, if this is not possible, that they should be directed to universities and research facilities in other cities where better public transportation is available.

From WTKR-TV3:  New survey ranks Hampton Roads 4 out of 100 when it comes to car dependency, and Hampton Roads drivers know a thing or two about sitting in traffic. A new survey gives high marks to drivers stuck in the Hampton Roads traffic jam. Men’s Health’s Motor Cities, USA Poll gives the Virginia Beach area an ‘A-’ on its list of most car-crazed metro areas. Hampton Roads ranks number four on the list of 100 areas surveyed.

The magazine looked at the number of people who used the government’s Cash for Clunkers program, the amount of money spent on car care and repair, and the availability and usefulness of public transportation.

Most traveling in Hampton Roads requires a trip over a bridge or through a tunnel, or both, suggesting those in Hampton Roads are more dependent on their cars than drivers in other areas. <end WTKR>

I took a look at this article in depth and found it very interesting as to who our “peer” metro areas in car-craziness were:

#1 – Arlington, TX
#2 – San Jose, CA
#3 – Sioux Falls, SD
#4 – Virginia Beach, VA (actually the Hampton Roads MSA)
#5 – Anchorage, AK
#6 – Salt Lake City, UT
#7 – Charlotte, NC
#8 – Austin, TX
#9 – Fargo, ND
#10 – Riverside, CA

While Hampton Roads has certainly compared itself to the likes of Charlotte, I doubt that anyone would have thought to compare the region to sparsely populated areas such as Alaska or the Dakotas.

Unfortunately, Men’s Health didn’t bother to use a real picture from the region; instead showing what appears to be a Pacific coastal shot of a winding road with small mountains and thunderous waves. The old convertible pictured was pretty cool, though.

This survey / article is one more example of the Hampton Roads region’s identity crisis, not to mention the public transit issues. It’s been said on more than one occasion:  if you are in a Port/maritime- or DoD/defense-related industry anywhere in the world, then you know Hampton Roads. Not so much with other industry sectors.

SmartRegion: we’ve got work to do.

The first organizational meeting of Women in Defense (WID) Greater Hampton Roads (GHR) will be held on Thursday, April 8, 2010 from 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. at the Marriott Hotel, 725 Woodlake Drive in Chesapeake. WID’s International Vice President will handle the welcome and introduction of GHR WID Board of Directors and provide a brief overview of the goals and objectives of the organization. Charter members will be recognized as well.

Speaking on “Women In Leadership” is Rear Admiral Michelle Howard Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group.

Please RSVP no later than Friday, April 2, 2010 to Jennifer Walsh at walsh_jennifer@bah.com.

Rear Admiral Michelle Howard is a 1978 graduate of Gateway High School in Aurora, Colo. She graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1982 and from the Army’s Command and General Staff College in 1998, with a master’s degree in Military Arts and Sciences.

Howard’s initial sea tours were aboard USS Hunley (AS 31) and USS Lexington (AVT 16). While serving onboard Lexington, she received the Secretary of the Navy/Navy League Captain Winifred Collins award in May 1987. This award is given to one woman officer a year for outstanding leadership. She reported to USS Mount Hood (AE 29) as chief engineer in 1990 and served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. She assumed duties as first lieutenant onboard the USS Flint (AE 32) in July 1992. In January 1996, she became the executive officer of USS Tortuga (LSD 46) and deployed to the Adriatic in support of Operation Joint Endeavor, a peacekeeping effort in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. 60 days after returning from the Mediterranean deployment, Tortuga departed on a West African Training Cruise, where the ship’s Sailors, with embarked Marines and U.S. Coast Guard detachment, operated with the naval services of seven African nations.

She took command of USS Rushmore (LSD 47) on 12 March 1999, becoming the first African American woman to command a ship in the U.S. Navy. Howard was the Commander of Amphibious Squadron 7 from May 2004 to September 2005. Deploying with Expeditionary Strike Group 5, operations included tsunami relief efforts in Indonesia and maritime security operations in the North Persian Gulf.

Her shore assignments include: course coordinator/instructor for the Steam Engineering Officer of the Watch course; action officer and Navy’s liaison to the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Military Services in the Bureau of Personnel; Action Officer J-3, Global Operations, Readiness on the Joint Staff from 2001-2003; executive assistant to the Joint Staff Director of Operations from February 2003 to February 2004; and deputy director N3 on the OPNAV Staff from December 2005 to July 2006; deputy director, Expeditionary Warfare Division, OPNAV staff from July 2006 to December 2006.

She was the senior military assistant to the Secretary of the Navy from January 2007 to January 2009 and currently serves as Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 2.

Cultivating and supporting the advancement and recognition of women in all aspects of national security is the mission of Women In Defense, A National Security Organization (WID). Members of this non-profit professional organization, which includes men and women, have careers related to the defense of the United States and national security. For more information, visit http://wid.ndia.org

Tech Nite 2010 will be held on Thursday 6-May-10 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Register now.

Nominations are now open through Sunday, April 18th. Nominate Now.

And the categories are:

• High Tech Company Community Award recognizes a technology organization whose leadership has made a significant impact in the Hampton Roads community. This work may confront societal or civic issues, address health or environmental concerns, or promote arts and humanities. The Technology Company Community award showcases organizational excellence in leadership as demonstrated by outstanding initiative, impact of work, and inspiration of others.
• Hampton Roads High Tech Emerging Company Award recognizes outstanding commercial potential by an emerging company that produces and markets predominantly high technology-based products or services.
• High Tech Leadership Award honors an individual. A nominee may be an individual inside a high tech organization whose personal leadership and efforts in the community have resulted in outstanding benefits to the region, or an individual outside a high tech organization whose personal leadership and example have resulted in outstanding, positive technology-related activities in Hampton Roads.
• STEM Educator Award honors an individual who has demonstrated effective, engaging, and innovative Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teaching in grades K-12. Appropriately credentialed teachers who work directly with children in grades kindergarten through twelve in a State-approved public or private school in Hampton Roads will be eligible for consideration. Nominations of excellent teachers with innovative practices from all members of the educational community including parents, students, business leaders, school staff, administrators, and teachers are encouraged.
• Hampton Roads Technology Incubator System Client Award, selected by HRTC’s Executive Committee, recognizes one of its newest Incubator clients as a promising technology-focused business success story. The company must have substantially completed a business plan and built a capable team to see it through. They need to be a Level 2 client poised to generate revenue in their commercial endeavor within the next year.
• Chairman’s Technology Resource Award, selected by the HRTC Chair, is given to a resource organization (law firm, CPA firm, bank, etc.) that has gone above and beyond to assist technology companies in their formation, growth, maturation, and sustainability. The awarded company has also contributed to the growth of technology in the region, advancing Hampton Roads as a center of innovation.

The Hampton Roads Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPAHR) is holding their 2010 Symposium: “Rethinking Governance: Changing Roles, Operations and Organizations” on Friday, March 19th from 8:30am to 1:15pm at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in Virginia Beach.

Sessions include timely topics:  Joining Forces to Solve Community Problems; Effective Networks and Multi-Sector Partnerships; Assessing the Impact of Federal Regulation; Fiscal Stewardship: How to develop, implement and enforce tough decisions; Innovations in Maritime Security and Emergency Response Teams; and Strengthening Public Service Values.  Featured luncheon speaker is Leslie Fuentes, Director of Information Technology for the City of Hampton on “MuniGov2.0 – Exploring Government Collaboration through Technology.”

Detailed information on speakers, topics, participating organizations, exhibitors and directions may be found at  www.ASPAHR.org. This Symposium is open to the general public but is specifically designed for public and non-profit organizations, students studying public administration, public policy or political science. For more information contact:  John Dunning at johndunning@cox.net or (757) 898-4960.

The American Society for Public Administration, founded in 1939, is the nation’s most respected society representing all forums in the public service arena.  ASPA advocates for greater effectiveness in government and represents a diverse membership of 9000 government and non-profit administrators, scholars, educators, and students.

All Green, All Technology Event – Engineering Unplugged -
To Bring Leading Environmentalists to ODU

Tuesday, April 13, Norfolk, VA
One Powerful Green Day of Earth Month 2010

Light rail, smart grids, reduced carbon footprints, LEED buildings, Maglev, and wind energy are a few of the favorite things on the docket for the second annual Engineering Unplugged conference slated for Tuesday, April 13 at the Ted Constant Convocation Center at Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk.

The ‘all green, all technology’ conference provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity for environmental leaders to share real-world applications yielding measurable returns on investments in three areas – green buildings, energy conservation/alternative energy, and greenhouse gases.

The one-day learning/networking intensive designed for today’s green professionals, aligns with Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s goal to “make Virginia the Energy Capital of the East Coast.” ODU president John Broderick opens the conference at 8:00 a.m. The Grow Green Marketplace wraps things up at 3:30 p.m. – green food, products, and social hour.

A statewide initiative, Engineering Unplugged is presented by the Virginia Applied Technology and Professional Development Center (VATPDC) of ODU. Attendees will represent architectural and design firms, military and government, construction companies, manufacturers, facilities managers, and others interested in green initiatives.

“Engineering Unplugged is a stellar example of how our faculty, students, corporate and industry partners come together with one goal: to explore, share, and create solutions that will improve individuals’ lives, our communities, and the planet,” said ODU’s Broderick.   

The luncheon keynote speaker is noted environmentalist Edward “Ed” Nixon, youngest brother of former President Richard Nixon. Currently, he is president of Nixon World Enterprises, Inc. and chair of Pyron Solar Advisory Board in San Diego. He recently published his memoirs, The Nixons: A Family Portrait. He will address “Energy Sources for the Future.”

The Engineering Unplugged curriculum will provide expertise for engineering firms to:

• Prepare for changes in environmental practices with experts from the Hampton Roads Green Building Council, ODU, U.S. Department of Energy, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency;
• Identify areas where known energy loss and consumption waste money; and
• Learn about real cost-savers in Alternative Energy.

The educational component of the conference features workshops and demonstrations by recognized leaders in the field of environmental engineering. Participants will earn 0.8 CEUs/ eight PDHs.

To learn more or to register, go to www.EngineeringUnplugged.com.

About VATPDC and ODU
The Virginia Applied Technology Professional Development Center is the continuing education arm of the Batten College of Engineering at ODU, providing non-credit classes and exam prep courses for engineers.

Old Dominion University is Virginia’s forward-focused, public doctoral research university. Its entrepreneurial approach to problem solving drives cutting-edge research, eminent scholarship, and strategic partnerships with government, business, industry, organizations, and arts.

Connecting the Past, Present & Future:  Through a generous donation from Frank Batten, Sr., the City of Norfolk will soon build a new downtown library to be called the Colonel Samuel L. Slover Main Library. The new library will be comprised of the historic Seaboard Building on Plume Street, the current location of the interim Norfolk Main Library, and a new structure to be constructed between the current Main Library and Selden Arcade, with the two structures connected by a glass-enclosed courtyard and atrium.

Please take a moment to fill out an online survey about what you think the new Colonel Samuel L. Slover Main Library should be all about for the City of Norfolk.  Above is a conceptual design by Newman Architects of New Haven, Connecticut, the firm selected to design the new Main Library.

TAKE THE NORFOLK LIBRARY SURVEY

View the “21st Century Libraries” video from Providence Associates, the firm helping with the design of the Slover Library features. View here.

Waterside Marketplace in downtown Norfolk first opened in June, 1983.  It has been a critical part of the City’s revitalization.  Over the years, Waterside has evolved through numerous business cycles and is now in need of a major redesign and refocus.  Your help is needed to shape this new direction by responding to this survey.

TAKE THE NORFOLK WATERSIDE MARKETPLACE SURVEY

It is serious this time.  Not just the Navy, but the Secretary of Defense have said they want to base a nuclear aircraft carrier in Jacksonville rather than Norfolk. Troubling to area economists and business and political leaders, the defense department’s stated desire to permanently base a flattop in Florida, rather than in Hampton Roads, could cost the region thousands of jobs and millions in lost income.

On Wednesday, March 17, from 7:45-9:00am at the Town Point Club, World Trade Center in downtown Norfolk, LEAD Hampton Roads will stage a provocative panel discussion on the subject, featuring civic leaders who are working to keep all east coast carriers in Norfolk.  Moderated by former TV talk show host Joel Rubin, the event, entitled “Anchors Away?” will feature the following guests:

• The Honorable Joe S. Frank, Mayor, City of Newport News
• RADM Fred Metz (Ret.), Blogger
• Greg Grootendorst, Chief Economist, Hampton Roads Planning District Commission
• C. Grigsby Scifres, Partner, Williams Mullen; Board Member, Hampton Roads Military & Federal Facilities Alliance and Past Regional Board Chair, Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce
• Jeanne S. Evans, Hampton Roads Representative, Office of Senator Jim Webb

If interested in attending, contact Amanda Gant at agant@hrccva.com.

LEAD Hampton Roads, a program of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, is a 501-C3 leadership development program now entering its 22nd year of serving the region. The organization has over 1,200 graduates who actively provide bold leadership to more than 600 regional businesses, non-profit organizations and governmental agencies. LEAD Hampton Roads serves the 17 communities that comprise the greater Hampton Roads area.