PARTICIPANTS AGREE COLLABORATION IS KEY TO ECONOMIC SUCCESS

Hundreds of business leaders, state and local elected officials, and interested citizens gathered in Tysons Corner on December 8, 2015 for the Capital Region Business Forum. They heard elected officials from Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC discuss how to work together to improve the regional economy. The event was intended to kick-start and put more focus on regional cooperation.

NVAR partnered with the Fairfax and Prince George’s County Chambers of Commerce and the Greater Washington Board of Trade to sponsor the forum, which featured Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and Maryland Senate President Mike Miller.

NVAR leaders who attended learned about sequestration, workforce training and education, commercialization of intellectual property, professional sports teams, increased exports and, of course, transportation. 

Transportation issues dominated much of the discussion with all three leaders agreeing that Metro needs more funding. Officials agreed that congestion reduction is the key to bolstering the region’s economy. Governor McAuliffe and Senator Miller both pledged to push for improved Potomac River crossings. This would include an enhanced American Legion Bridge and another crossing to the west.  When discussing the river crossings, McAuliffe stated “Virginia is all-in!” Senator Miller lauded the Commonwealth for showing Maryland the way on transportation by passing a budget in 2013 with new, desperately needed, revenues for transportation.

During the panel discussion, each leader extolled the region’s virtues. 

“When we work collaboratively there’s not a region in the world that can compete,” stated Governor McAuliffe. “Together, this is greatest region in the world,” Senator Miller agreed, highlighting the history and attractions. “The region should be the jewel in the crown of the world.”

While the discussion was not without disagreement – McAuliffe and Miller, only half-jokingly, traded jabs about the competition for the Marriott International headquarters –, all three leaders agreed that collaboration and progress is impossible without cooperation from all of the jurisdictions.  

While many issues were covered and the region’s top political leaders hit all the right notes, the real value of the forum lies in the follow-through of discussions that began at this inaugural event.

Josh Veverka is the NVAR government affairs director.