
DATE: Tuesday, October 7, 1997              TAG: 9710070230

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 

SERIES: Focus: Election '97

SOURCE: BY LIZ SZABO, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:  111 lines

AT ISSUE: COMMITMENT TO TECHNOLOGY WILL WIN ODU COMPUTER STUDENT'S VOTE

Norfolk resident Nestor Lunasin has lived in Hampton Roads his whole life. A few years ago, when the local economy was suffering, he feared he'd have to leave his hometown to find work as a computer programmer.

Today, thanks to a growing local technology industry, he has been able to find a part-time job in Virginia Beach to help pay his tuition at Old Dominion University. Lunasin, 24, will graduate in December with a degree in computer graphics and animation.

Lunasin's job wasn't around two years ago. WebMarketeer, the Virginia Beach Web site developer where he works, has only been in business a year and a half. He recently completed a summer internship there, as well. When Lunasin goes to the ballot box in November, he'll be voting for the candidate he thinks is most committed to fostering technology in Hampton Roads.

``I really hope that they (Virginia's leaders) make sure that there are sufficient incentives for technology-based companies to maintain their headquarters and open new branches in this area,'' Lunasin said. ``As a graduating senior, one thing I had to worry about was whether I would have to relocate. Two years ago, there was a definite possibility that I would have to relocate or move to the West Coast. But now it looks like I can stay in the Hampton Roads area, which is something I really want to do.''

Many of his friends have the same goal.

``But if the government doesn't do something to make sure it's a favorable climate for technology-based businesses, that's not going to happen,'' Lunasin said.

Virginia needs to improve its infrastructure to attract technology businesses, he said. That means spending money not just on roads but on communications and fiber-optic networks.

Being a college student, Lunasin also has education on his mind. Lunasin hopes Virginia's new elected officials will improve both lower and higher education to ensure that the work force in Hampton Roads is the kind that technology companies are looking for.

``The work force in the area is already well versed in technology because it's a Navy area,'' Lunasin said. ``But we need to make sure that computers are taught very early in schools and people graduate with the proper skills to move into the next century.

``I think we need to keep on pushing as much as we can. When I hear about people lowering standards of making standardized tests earlier, 10 years from now when they try to enter the work force, they're not going to have the proper skills. That makes it harder for this area to compete. If it's not pushed early on (in grade school), it's going to get harder to learn. It's going to cost employers more because they will have to spend money training their employees later on.

``This area has been really - and probably always will be - military-minded,'' Lunasin said. ``But we also need to have the surrounding industrial base. We can't just rely on the military, considering that in recent times they've been looking to close some of the bases. That would make a lot of people unemployed. But if there's a solid business base, we'll have something to fall back on.''

Lunasin credits his computer skills for getting him a job.

``I'm pretty certain that I can find a job with the skills that I have,'' he said. ``I'm really glad that I did an internship. I'm pretty optimistic that I can find a job with a technology company. My friends and I have all found jobs in our field instead of having to take an internship or work in a job like a waiter or in a retail store. They can actually get jobs that fit their major.

``During the recession . . . when I was talking to my friends who were graduating, they were depressing me. They were telling me to stay in school as long as possible and not to enter the job market, that I would just it make it worse for myself.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

STEVE EARLEY/The Virginian-Pilot

Old Dominion University students Nestor Lunasin, 24, left, and

Cassandra West, 18, work as well as study: They have jobs at

WebMarketeer, above, in Virginia Beach. The Web site developer has

been in business for a year and a half.

Graphic with photos: Donald Beyer and James Gilmore

Nestor Lunasin's question: What would you do to recruit and to

keep technology-based businesses in Hampton Roads and Virginia?

Donald S. Beyer Jr.: As a founder of the Northern Virginia

Technology Council, I know technology businesses need capital,

business sites, properly trained employees and reasonable tax laws

to grow and expand. I will: