2021 State of the Commonwealth Report

This is Old Dominion University’s seventh annual State of the Commonwealth Report. While it represents the work of many people connected in various ways to the university, the report does not constitute an official viewpoint of Old Dominion, its president, Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., the Board of Visitors, the Strome College of Business or the generous donors who support the activities of the Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy. With the 2021 election in the rearview mirror, the question now becomes: Where does Virginia go from here? Our work seeks to contribute to this conversation without glossing over the challenges we face. We want to encourage the difficult conversations to help Virginia improve the outcomes for all its residents in the coming years

2022 State of the Commonwealth Report

This is Old Dominion University’s eighth annual State of the Commonwealth Report. While it represents the work of many people connected in various ways to the university, the report does not constitute an official viewpoint of Old Dominion, its president, Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., the Board of Visitors, the Strome College of Business, or the generous donors who support the activities of the Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy. Our work seeks to contribute to the conversation about how Virginia can foster growth across the Commonwealth over the coming decade without glossing over the challenges we face. Instead of retreating into partisan enclaves where affirmation is sought instead of information, we want to encourage difficult conversations to improve economic outcomes for all of Virginia’s residents

The State of the Region: Hampton Roads 2022

[From the introductory material] This is Old Dominion University’s 23rd annual State of the Region Report. While it represents the work of many people connected in various ways to the university, the report does not constitute an official viewpoint of Old Dominion, its president, Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., the Board of Visitors, the Strome College of Business or the generous donors who support the activities of the Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy. Over the past year, we have experienced the continued uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of inflation, and geopolitical shocks that have affected our daily lives. We live, for better or worse, in uncertain times, and our resilience is likely to be tested in the coming years. The question before us remains the same as in many previous reports: How can we invigorate economic growth as a region that raises the fortunes of all, not just the most fortunate? We only need to look at neighboring metropolitan areas for examples of how setting aside parochial differences and working together can yield a sum that is greater than its parts. Hampton Roads faces two generational challenges: sea-level rise and the revolution in military affairs due to the transformative impact of unmanned weapons on the modern battlefield. If challenge and opportunity are two sides of the same coin, we must move beyond talk and into action, else we may be left behind. Our work seeks to inform without minimizing the challenges facing the region or downplaying the opportunities to emerge stronger and more resilient from the experiences of the past

The State of the Region: Hampton Roads 2021

[From the introductory material] This is Old Dominion University’s 22nd annual State of the Region Report. While it represents the work of many people connected in various ways to the university, the report does not constitute an official viewpoint of Old Dominion, its president, Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., the Board of Visitors, the Strome College of Business or the generous donors who support the activities of the Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy. Over the past year, we have endured the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, the introduction of vaccines and a return to a semblance of normality in Hampton Roads. Even as the economy recovers in the region, Virginia and the nation, we cannot forget that some have been left behind. Invigorating growth that raises the fortunes of all is the challenge that lies before us. This task will involve difficult discussions about how to diversify our economy in the coming years. Hampton Roads plays a significant role in national security, provides college education to thousands of Virginians and is culturally diverse. Given these realities and the fact that many residents live in one community and work in another, solutions to our regional challenges will require conversations and policies that span jurisdictional boundaries. If there is an overarching lesson to be learned from the pandemic, it is simply that we are all in this together