THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 17, 1996 TAG: 9607170379
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MYLENE MANGALINDAN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 36 lines
Never one to mince words, the commander in chief of the Navy's Atlantic Fleet advised the cities of Hampton Roads to relinquish their need for individual power in order to promote the entire region.
``You've got to give up a little bit of power to get some,'' said Adm. William J. Flanagan Jr., the keynote speaker at the quarterly meeting of the Virginia Peninsula Economic Development Council on Tuesday. ``There won't be any greatness achieved unless you take a chance.
``We really need to roll up our sleeves, put away our differences and go to work,'' Flanagan said. ``If that doesn't happen, you'll become the victim of your own demographics.''
Billions of federal dollars find their way into Hampton Roads' coffers each year because of the Navy's huge presence in the region, Flanagan said. Yet, the community has a difficult time facilitating requests or assisting the Navy because the municipalities have no convenient method of helping organizations as large as his that cross various geographic boundaries.
``I always thought diversity was the great strength of this country,'' he told the more than 100 people who attended the luncheon in Hampton's Radisson Inn. ``But it's not very convenient when you want to get big things done.''
He praised Hampton Roads Partnership, a new public-private regional organization, as a step in that direction. The partnership, which comprises members of the educational, municipal, military and business communities, wants to establish and focus on regional priorities concerning the port, privatization of government functions and high-tech economic development.
Flanagan, one of the 53 board members of Hampton Roads Partnership, invited the audience to help set the region's goals.
``We hope you'll think of it not as the Peninsula vs. the Southside; not as Virginia Beach vs. Norfolk,'' Flanagan said. ``The opportunities here are endless.'' by CNB