Is ‘Quality of Place’ Our Greatest Economic Asset?

Written by Jason Keeling on June 28, 2007

What will West Virginia’s economic future look in 10 to 25 years? According to various experts, the state should capitalize on opportunities to expand its “new economy” capacity, which includes more jobs in technology, science, research & development, and the creative arts.

Culture, Creativity, and Innovation: West Virginia in the New Economy was recently released via satelliete conference in Charleston. This whitepaper was composed by a group of professionals involved within the “A Vision Shared” initiative.

The report indicates that “Creative Class” type jobs in West Virginia expanded 4.6% from 1990 to 2000, while overall employment declined -1.3%. In 2005, the average salary for the “high-tech” worker in West Virginia was $55,490 compared to $30,545 for the average private sector employee, according to the report.

However, these type jobs are being exported as well, and according to Jeff James of Microsoft Corporation, the state should remain diligent in strengthening its global competitiveness.

They Come to Play Too

According to author Richard Florida, the “quality of place” is a significant determinate in where workers/companies choose to locate in the “new economy.” Could this be West Virginia’s most valuable economic asset?

IQ Media is a video and multimedia company based in Fayetteville, and their corporate culture best illustrates this advantage of working in West Virginia. “This is an amazing, wonderful place to work and live….it enfuses our team with energy and emotion,” said George Rogers, an IQ Media partner who added that climbing, paddling, and mountain-biking were regular company past times.

The arts and culture are also important to the “Creative Class,” and some communities are recognizing this. In Princeton for example, the Chuck Mathena Center for the Performing & Fine Arts is scheduled to open by mid-2008. “We want to afford the population of southern West Virginia increased exposure to the arts, so that everyone within our community has the opportunity to become more attuned to the world and its varing cultures,” said the center’s Spring Turner.

Scooter Scudieri, singer-songwriter-activist, chose to locate his family in Shepherdstown, where he promotes his music, career, and causes via firstrockstar.com. He discribed the town as “accepting and nurturing of ‘out of the box’ ideas.”

“Creative Communities Workshops” will be hosted by A Vision Shared in Shepherdstown (July 11) , Parkersburg (July 23), Hinton (July 24), and Charleston (TBA).

Other Relevent Media

• Whitepaper (PDF, 1.3MB) - “Culture, Creativity, and Innovation: West Virginia in the New Economy”
• Create WV Blog - www.createwv.typepad.com
• Charleston Gazette - Initiative to Help State Attract Creative Workers
• Charleston Daily Mail - George Hohmann: Hospitality the Mark of State Travel

Posted in Business, Culture, Economy, Tourism, West Virginia