It looks like the Piedmont Triad Partnership wants to take the reins of this aerotropolis concept from what the Heart of the Triad could not do.. Reading the article in the ideas section of the News & Record from our local urban geographer Keith Debbage click on the title above or CLICKHERE
In the article Keith Debbage had this to say
"The Piedmont Triad Partnership last week announced the establishment of an impressive 25-member aerotropolis leadership board charged with developing a competitive strategy for our region and advocating for it."
Who are the most impressive 25 member leadership board? Well let's take a look.
We start out with mayors of 5 triad cities in Winston Salem, Kernersville, Burlington, High Point, and Greensboro with also a county commissioner from Montgomery County, he must be on the board for all the transportation needed to haul off the trash to montgomery county because the City of Greensboro won't reopen the white street landfill.
Then we can start looking at the usual suspects from the triad area in the 2 zoning stud lawyers in Jim Morgan from High Point and Henry Isaacson from Greensboro. Like these 2 people need to be on any more boards and commission.
There is also a unusual circumstance in that there are 3 people from the same company in Old Dominion Freight nice to share the wealth on this board with 3 people from the same company. There isn't room for one person from Fed Ex who has spearheaded this aerotropolis concept.
You can also know that Jim Melvin former mayor of Greensboro can't be left out in the cold so we see his second in command Ed Kitchen the former greensboro city manager now at the Bryan Foundation on this board.
Last but not least is Marlene Sanford from the Triad Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition(TREBIC).It should be that if TREBIC gets to put a person on any board then there needs to be a regular citizen as well to be appointed to this board because government should be by the people for the people not special interest .
If you can see by the makeup of this leadership board you will notice one thing missing any local citizen who might just bring a little perspective in the process. This is what got Heart of the Triad in trouble with screwing the citizens who actually live in the area that is being impacted from this aerotropolis concept. It looks like they have not learned their lesson again on this board as well. The same usual suspects.
Below is a list of all the members.
Mr. Douglas Atkinson
VP of Business Development
WFU Baptist Medical Center
Medical Center Blvd.
Winston-Salem NC 22157
336-716-7846
dcikinso@wfubnrc.edu
Mr. Greg Chabon
Attorney
Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice
300 N. Greene St., Suite,1900
Greensboro NC 27401
336-574-8068
gchubon@wcsr.com
Mr. Graham Bennett
President
Quality Oil Company
P.O. Box 2736
Winston-Solem NC 27102-2736
336-721-9505
gbennett@qocnc.com
Mr. F. Hudnall Christopher Jr.
Ex VP (retired)
Reynolds American Inc.
110 Oakwood Dr., Suite 320
Winston-Salem NC 27103
336-724-2759
fhcjr@aol.com
Dr. Joyendu "Joy" Bhadury
Associate Dean- Research and Graduate
UNC Bryan School of Business
P.O.Box 26165
Greensboro NC 27402
336-334-5338
joy_bhadury@uncg.edu
Mr. L.B. Clayton
VP of Mid SOuth Region
Old Dominion Freight Line Inc.
500 Old Dominion Way
Thomasville NC 27360
336-822-5377
lb.clayton@odfl.com
Dr. Donald Cameron
President of Guilford Technical Community College
P.O.Box 309
Jamestown NC 27282
336-334-4822
dwcameron@gtcc.edu
Mr. David Congdon
CEO & President Old Dominion Freight Line Inc.
500 Old Dominion Way
Thomasville NC 27360
david.congdon@odfl.com
Mr. Dale Carroll
Deputy Secretary NC Dept. of Commerce
4301 Mail Service Center
Raleigh N.C. 27699
919-733-1374
dcarroll@nccommerce.com
Mr. Michael L. Herman
President, Best Services Group
829 Graves Street
Kernersville NC 27284
1-800-229-4787 ext 1406
mike@bestservicesgroup.com
Mr Brent McKinney
Executive Director Piedmont Area Regional Transportation
7800 Airport Center Dr. Suite 102
Greensboro NC 27409
336-662-0002
brentm@partnc.org
Mr. Brian Quinn
Plant Manager Steelcase Inc.
260 Swathmore Ave.
High Point NC 27263
336-434-8201
bquinn@steelcase.com
Mr. Jim Morgan
Managing Partner, Morgan Herring Morgan Green & Rosenblutt
P.O. Box 2756
High Point NC 27261
336-883-6177
jimmorgan@morganherring.com
Ms. Marlene Sanford
President of Triad Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition
115 South Westgate Dr.
Greensboro N.C. 27407
336-855-1453
msanford@trebic.org
Mr. Graham Pervier
President Rockingham County Partnership
P.O. Box 205
Wentworth N.C. 27375
336-342-8138
gpervier@ncnorthstar.com
Mr. Greg Plemmons
Vice President Old Dominion Freight Line Inc.
500 Old Dominion Way
Thomasville N.C.27360
greg.plemmons@odfl.com
Mr. Maurice S.S. Hull
President Capstone Property Group Inc.
1208 Eastchester Drive, suite 205
High Point N.C. 27265
336-883-6500
mh@mpmanage.com
Mr. Kelly King
CEO BB&T Corporation
P.O. Box 1250
Winston Salem N.C> 27102
336-733-2311
ksking@bbandt.com
Mr. Henry H.Isaacson
Partner Isaacson Isaacson Sheridan & Fountain
Piedmont Triad Airport Authority Board Member
101 west friendly avenue suite 400
Greensboro N.C. 27401
336-2757626
hisaacson@iislaw.com
Mr. Donald A. Kirkman
President & CEO
Piedmont Triad Partnership
7025 Albert Pick Road Suite 303
Greensboro N.C. 27409
336-668-4556
dkirkman@piedmonttriadnc.com
Mr J. Edward Kitchen
Vice President Joseph M. Bryan Foundation
P.O. Box 14829
Greensboro N.C. 27415
336-691-9803
edkitchenjmb@aol.com
Dr. John Kasarda
Director Institute of Private Enterprise
UNC Kenan Flagler Business School
Campus Box 3440
Chapel Hill N.C. 27599
919-962-8201
john.kasarda@unc.edu
Mr. Thomas McKim
Chairman Airport Commission
R.J. Reynolds
401 N. Main Street
Winston Salem N.C. 27102
336-741-3348
mckimt@rjrt.com
Mr. Ralph Womble
Partner Triad Street Partners
635 N. Trade St.
Winston Salem N.C> 27101
336-777-3876
rhw@triadbiz.rr.com
4 comments:
To the Wiki with it.
It's a LEADERSHIP Board. Key word is LEADER. You have to accomplish something in your life and or career that is somewhat relevant to economic development to be asked to gain entry into an organization of professionals such as Aerotropolis. A city with sincere plans to become the "premier logistics center for the East Coast" doesn't call on just anyone to do the job. Further, "perspective" is acheived by comprising the board of decorated citizens from all of North Carolina's greatest cities, including Greensboro.
The "leadership" problem is just that....the same old people with the same old concepts kissing the same old butts. They are followers who just do the same things over and over again, no matter how dreadfully they have failed in the past and no matter what it costs the citizens. The only true leadership and regional economic development cooperation yet displayed is the FedEX Ground facility being built with the cooperation of High Point and Kernersville. Greensboro was offered the opportunity and turned it down because the same old "leaders" said they didn't need the help and they weren't able to get their act together to do anything about it. Besides, there is already a study ready to move forward for this area around the airport prepared by the same people who brought us FedEx Ground!!! Why not let these leaders do it. Their creativity and resourcefulness have already been proven....or we can just proceed through another series of useless meetings and fake reports headed in the same direction as Heart of the Triad.....nowhere. Let's not just talk, let's actually DO SOMETHING!!!!!
Regarding the Aerotropolis, the concept is a fantastic one, but we would have to have people in charge who are not afraid to make changes and pass the torch to a new generation of leaders and decision makers. What are you scared of people? Aren't things scary enough now with the decline in the economy, prices rising and values declining, jobs gone forever, industries dead and never returning and all this in an area where our policy makers stick their heads in the sand because they are afraid to take a stand? Stop the bleeding before the area bleeds to death.
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