THE PROGRAM
If you get the sense that Hampton Roads is entering an exciting new era, it's for good reason. Our recent guest, Steve Harrison, Chief Operating Officer of the Hampton Roads Alliance, walked Rotarians through the Alliance’s master plan.
It’s called the Hampton Roads Playbook — a shared regional strategy that highlights the strong industries that define our region while strengthening the key drivers that fuel future opportunity. Rather than waiting for opportunities to arrive, the Playbook proactively identifies and drives projects, partnerships, and investments that shape the region’s future.
The Playbook centers around the acronym D-E-A-L to highlight our area’s assets. It stands for Defense, Energy, Aerospace, and Logistics.
Defense - Our region is home to the largest Navy Base on the East Coast, as well as 25% of the shipbuilding industry for the nation, with approximately $15.5 billion in defense contracts.
Energy - Hampton Roads has one of the largest offshore wind energy projects in the country, along with advanced nuclear innovation, the Department of Energy’s Jefferson Lab, and next-generation energy research powered by a robust green workforce and over $200 million in R&D annually.
Aerospace - Innovation abounds, spanning from NASA Langley to Wallops Island, with significant R&D driving hypersonic, lunar, and autonomous flight innovation.
Logistics - The Port of Virginia is one of our nation’s most advanced ports with the powerful logistics ability to serve nearly half of the U.S. population within a one-day haul.
The plan also weaves in important drivers - workforce, innovation, infrastructure, and supply chain - to clearly identify projects that drive investment and create jobs. Harrison showcased eight exciting projects and initiatives already in play that were developed with this lens. You can see the Hampton Roads Playbook here.
Many thanks to Steve and the Hampton Roads Alliance for their outstanding leadership and commitment to the future of Hampton Roads.
GUESTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Kay Stein introduced this week's guests Stephanie Harron, Sophia Roe, and Joy Morbia.
President Dave Duncan offered a huge thank you to the Suds & Buds committee and everyone who volunteered, donated, and attended the fundraiser event on May 5th.
Tom Koller was pleased to report a preliminary estimate of the funds raised from Suds & Buds to be $60K to $63K. He will provide an updated amount once all costs are known and accounted for.
