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The Mailroom
Thanks for inviting me to participate in the 2020 Virginia Business Political Roundtable. It was a very stimulating and thought-provoking discussion. One loud message came through following the Nov. 3 election — America is a nation divided. The results showed that the path forward must address that divide, or we will never achieve the unity […]
OurView: How did it get so late so soon?
On the subject of time, the much-beloved children’s book author Dr. Seuss once wrote, “How did it get so late so soon?” With December here, that’s an almost perfect description of 2020. How did it get so late, so soon? Most of the past 8 to 9 months have been characterized by an almost immutable […]
Walking around
Back in 1982, Tom Peters and Robert Waterman Jr. co-authored a business book titled, “In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies.” Among many topics popularized by this bestseller was a concept called “management by walking around.” This wasn’t an entirely new idea. It was practiced in[...]
The Mailroom
A deserving legend Congratulations on the Virginia 500 Power List issue. It is thorough and very well-researched. It will be on lots of people’s desks. You in my opinion picked the appropriate person to lead off the living legends section. Bill Goodwin has been incredibly successful and generous. I have had the pleasure of representing […]
Privacy matters
That unintended consequences come with innovation should be no surprise. Today, technology and social media are global cultural obsessions with a tremendous impact on business. Not that long ago, who would have thought a wallet-sized object like a smart phone would replace nearly every piece of office equipment — telephones, t[...]
Big accomplishments
The motto of Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. (HII) is “Hard Stuff, Done Right.” That easily fits the work of HII, parent company of Newport News Shipbuilding, Virginia‘s largest industrial employer. Its projects — including the construction of U.S. Navy submarines and aircraft carriers — are huge, require complex engineering and are vital to our national […]
The Mailroom
More balance needed After reading Carol Hazard’s “Blurred Lines” article in the August 2020 issue, I noted the full-page ads from United Bank, Atlantic Union Bank, PNC Bank and TowneBank. Given the strong advertising support your publication receives from banks, I believe you have a moral obligation to ensure fair treatment of credit unions. The […]
Antitrust matters
On a bright spring day in May 2009, I was on the campus of Hampden-Sydney College near Farmville for my son’s graduation — obviously a proud moment for any parent. U.S. Sen. Mark Warner delivered the commencement’s keynote address. During his first term as senator and one of the first times I had heard the [&hellip[...]
OurView: It’s time to speak up
Whenever there is injustice, business pays the price. Can you say his name? George Floyd. The Confederate generals have taken multiple beatings in Virginia and elsewhere. Is it time for their statues to be gone? The business community needs to say “yes,” if for no other reason than because it’s good business. Virginia [...]
Opinion: How we can avoid the next health care supply shortage — essential generic medicines
Amid the COVID-19 crisis, America is witnessing something many of us once thought impossible: critical shortages of health care supplies. Doctors are devising ways to make one ventilator serve two patients, and citizens are sewing protective masks for donation to local hospitals. While this kind of American resourcefulness is uplifting, it is a situation that […]
Gov. Northam, sign the Virginia Values Act
As a business leader, I’ve seen firsthand how treating people with respect, dignity and fairness is a key to success. And as a lifelong Virginian, I know that achieving equality for all in the commonwealth has had a troubled history. That’s why I was personally moved to know our lawmakers passed the Virginia Values[...]
As COVID-19 crisis continues, SBA is saving small businesses
With the world economy in crisis, Congress and President Donald Trump are working at breakneck speed to pass a massive stimulus package. This package is necessary to restore jobs and to stop unemployment from reaching 20%. Lawmakers aren’t alone in taking action to stave off coronavirus-induced economic disaster. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued […]
