Earlier this year I was invited to present at CityWorks, a conference in Roanoke, Va. The focus of the conference is to enhance connectivity within and between smaller cities and to explore exponential impact across six major themes: Capital and social entrepreneurship, leadership and good government, arts and design, knowledge and new media, outdoors and recreation, and food and drink.
Last Thursday morning I found myself climbing into a rental car with my co-presenter, Tom Kohler. We were presenting on the topic of radical trust. The seven-hour drive was enjoyable, and, for the most part, the changing of the leaves and somewhat empty highways made the journey easy.
Roanoke is smaller than Savannah. And younger. If Savannah can claim the ocean, Roanoke claims a valley surrounded by mountains. We have the river and the port. Roanoke was founded on the power of the rail, and the ever-present sound of trains remains.
Roanoke is beautiful. Their City Market and urban core remain vibrant, and the people are welcoming. Much like Savannah.
Based on the conference, it is obvious small towns throughout the South are focusing on accentuating the positives within their communities and battling to combat the negatives. We met people from Jackson, Miss.; Roanoke, Blacksburg, and Charlottesville, Va., and numerous others from small towns in Alabama, Florida and various states from the West and Northeast.
The various messages and lectures were inspiring, anchoring around ideas of innovation, sustainable development and creative ways to transform our landscape.
Ed Walker, a social entrepreneur and major investor/developer in the Roanoke region, was one of the main hosts for the weekend. Walker has reshaped some of the city’s most significant buildings, breathing life into once defunct neighborhoods and commercial districts.
“I got into real estate development not because I was interested in real estate but because I was interested in community strength and community capital,” said Walker in an interview with the Washington & Lee University School of Law. “It turns out that real estate is a super effective way to do that.”
I spent time wondering if Savannah has anyone with the insight, resources and integrity to focus all their time and energy to redeveloping our community. Many people came to mind, but I couldn’t think of one who was currently investing millions of dollars in an effort to single-handedly change our city. I couldn’t identify our Ed Walker.
I never had the honor of meeting Mills B. Lane, but I have heard stories of him, and I imagine that he and Mr. Walker would have had quite a bit to talk about regarding transforming their respective communities.
One of the major undertones of the conference was co-cooperation between regional governments. We spoke at length with city of Roanoke employees, including their city manager and members of the Roanoke City Council. The common thread was one of mutual understanding.
It seemed to us, as outsiders, that Roanoke’s private, public and nonprofit sectors have an incredible line of communication and all shared the same mission: Move Roanoke Forward! The lasting impression for me was the power of Roanoke, which could be summed up in a single word: Unification.
While Roanoke may have a far way to go, its goals seem to be within reach. Together, it seems, they are moving in the right direction. Together, Savannah. Together.
We will have important choices to make in the coming years, including whom we elect to our City Council and our county commission and whom we pick as our next city manager. I suggest that paramount to the selection or election of these individuals is this notion of togetherness. If we work together, harnessing the strengths of our individual offices toward a shared set of values, we can reach our goals.
If we remain divided over simple issues, we will watch towns like Roanoke pass us by.
Jake Hodesh is the executive director of The Creative Coast, a not-for-profit organization that promotes the creative and entrepreneurial community within the region. Jake can be reached at 912-447-8457 or jake@thecreativecoast.org.