Create West Virginia

ATTENTION - New Create WV Blog Site

Hey all you Create WV blog readers! We have finally launched our NEW createwv.com web site, which includes its own blog. We will no longer be posting on this createwv.typepad.com site, so please update your RSS readers with http://www.createwv.com/blog/feed.

It will take us a little while to migrate our blog roll and other content, but most of the historic posts are already there.

Thanks, and see you on the new site!

President-Elect Obama, West Virginia and Opportunity

Regardless of where your politics sits or how your candidate came out of last night's election, we all have to take a moment to ponder the historic significance of electing a person with a new skin tone and a completely unique name. Who, just a couple of years ago, would have predicted President-Elect Barack Obama?

Create WV, along with Vision Shared, is a non-partisan group by charter. We try to celebrate progress within all political stripes as it relates to building a better West Virginia through the development of creative communities that can grow new economies. These comments are meant purely in that vein.

Some Obama fans in West Virginia are lamenting the fact that our state went red again, at least at the top of the ticket, and voted for John McCain 55% - 45%. However, stepping back and looking at these results without any emotional attachment to the politics, you are left with this - 45% of the citizens of the whitest state in the union voted for a black man for president. That is historic.

Yes, some of the folks who voted against him, including Democratic voters, did so because of race. Past surveys have shown about 1/5 of our residents (and those of many other states) still use race as a primary decision criteria.

But 45% of voters in a lily-white, conservative-leaning state voted for an African-American. That is a higher percentage than some states with very large African-American populations, such as Alabama (39%), Arkansas (39%) and Mississippi (43%). It's a higher percentage than our Appalachian neighbor Kentucky (41%).

Let's agree that no one party or leader has all the answers. Let's agree that it will take all of us working together to affect positive change. Here's hoping that all citizens can appreciate the significance of this historic moment and unite to work for a better United States and a better West Virginia. Personally, I feel like we're all ready to move forward.

Vote for Creativity!

We're not so organized here at Create WV to have an actual voting guide, but we did want to outline some key themes that we look for in candidates who have the potential to affect positive change in West Virginia.

Before you hit those long lines on Tuesday, consider:

• Technology - Does the candidate understand the role that technology plays in today's economy and the absolute necessity for West Virginians to have high-speed broadband - including fiber optic - access for e-learning, e-commerce and e-government? Does he or she understand the potential of programs like "Bucks for Brains" to stimulate research and development in our universities, which leads to spin-off companies?

• Education - Does the candidate understand the need for 21st Century Learning skills? Is he or she willing to roll up their sleeves to work with educators, including teachers unions, to map a course towards innovation and excellence in our schools? Do they understand the need for lifelong learning and support a culture of academic achievement in our state? 

• Quality of Place - Does the candidate support the need for programs that lead to vibrant, healthy communities? For protecting the "wild" in "Wild, Wonderful West Virginia" so that we build on our outdoor asset as an attractor of young talent? Does the candidate support historic preservation so that we can enhance what is unique about our history and communities?

• Diversity and Inclusion - Does the candidate support basic civil rights for all? Do they go beyond the basics and understand the value of diversity in West Virginia and how it links to innovation and creative, growing communities? 

• Entrepreneurship - Does the candidate understand that long-term healthy economies are built from within through entrepreneurship? Does he or she realize the need for social entrepreneurship that supports creative risk-taking in non-profit and community organizations as well as business endeavors? Does the candidate understand the dire need for early stage investment resources in our state?

These are broad guidelines of course, but hopefully as we all become better versed at articulating the need for creative communities and new economy growth in West Virginia, candidates will get tuned in and begin to work hard for change. We've already seen some candidates include this language in their campaign speeches and advertising, and that is very encouraging.

Enjoy your constitutional right to vote this Tuesday!

Scenes from Create WV 2008

We wanted to share the success of the 2008 Create WV Conference with those who could not attend in hopes you can join us next year. PDF and PowerPoint files will be found on www.createwv.com/conference shortly, but for now here are some fun sights from the conference:

Reverend Matthew Watts of Charleston

Keynote presentation in the Expo

Speed networking event during Monday's welcome reception.

A little Mountain State hip hop....

Not sure what this is called, but it sounded cool....

Jeanne Mozier celebrates a creative cone award...

Crystal Nazario, Covenant House

Mike Basile, Spilman Thomas & Battle

Jeffrey Lusk, Hatfield McCoy Trails

Thank you to all 395 attendees, and here's wishing you a creative and prosperous year ahead in your community!