Create West Virginia

Since its inception, Create WV has championed the growth of West Virginia's "creative class." The term "creative" and "class" often confuse people into thinking the initiative is either about a) narrow focus on the arts, or b) an elitist initiative that doesn't relate to ordinary West Virginians. So it's worth repeating the definition originating from researcher Richard Florida. This version is from Wikipedia: 

The Milken Institute recently published their report, "North America’s High-Tech Economy: The Geography of Knowledge-Based Industries." Says Ross DeVol, Director of Regional Economics at the Institute and author of the report: “High-tech industries are an important and sustaining anchor for regions to survive the slump and to rebuild their economies around high-wage jobs.”

Rick Remish of Imagine West Virginia pointed out this powerful reference on the influence of the creative class on communities that have thrived despite the global economic downturn: 

People who have just heard of Create WV or are not familiar with terms such as "creative class" or "new economy" often ask for a review of these concepts. If that is your case, or have a friend or colleague who would like a review of the Create WV initiative, this presentation may be helpful. This particular version was delivered to a Create WV workshop audience in Greenbrier County in Fall 2008: 

OK, so there are those who dabble in social networking and media. And then there are those who live social networking and media, blazing new trails and teaching the rest of us about its potential as they go.

There is no doubt that the rest of the country has placed a heavy emphasis on securing a key natural resource in today's innovation-based economy: young, educated professionals. Even major metro areas such as Philadelphia and Chicago fret endlessly over their own "brain drain" and fear that losing this scarce resource will make it more difficult to thrive in the new economy.

According to the research, they (and we) should worry. But more than worry, we should act on the available insights and devise a unique strategy to secure our own future talent.

The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation is out with their latest state rankings on what they call "Benchmarking Economic Transformation in the States." The study focuses on several criteria required for a thriving new economy and ranks states individually on the criteria and in aggregate.

Our nearby friends in Roanoke, VA, have discovered the "creative class" and are working aggressively to build their community to attract and retain talent in their region: 

In November, the board of directors for the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership announced new attraction strategies aligned in meaningful ways with Florida's work.