“Industrial”: Positive or Negative? Videos @ VLCIA 2012-04-17

Market study advisory panel forming up! Chairman Roy Copeland asked whether “Industrial” in VLCIA’s name is positive or negative for PR? Executive Director Andrea Schruijer made sure to announce a date change for a board meeting a month in advance. All that and much more!

Here are videos of the entire 17 April 2012 regular meeting of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA). Here’s the agenda.

VLCIA Executive Director Andrea Schruijer said they had shown contractor Market Street Services the area so they could go back and start working up data for a market study. In May an advisory panel of 10-13 individuals plus focus groups will meet with Market Street.

They went to the Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC) spring forum in Austin, Texas, and they moved their May meeting a week later than usual.

New PR and Marketing person S. Meghan Duke gave an update on her area. Chairman Roy Copeland flustered her by asking whether the word “industrial” in VLCIA’s name reflected positively or negatively? She fell back on saying they were doing a survey towards a unique identity.

I’ll answer: as long as VLCIA includes as “industry” boondoggles like a health-threatening biomass plant and a job-destroying private prison, why yes, “industrial” reflects negatively on VLCIA. But a mere name change through a D.B.A. won’t fix that problem. Only a change in behavior will fix that problem. Changes such as doing some due diligence so they know when a private prison company is playing them along by saying they’re the primary site. Changes such as weighing the community’s health when considering potential jobs. And especially changes such as listening to people outside the VLCIA and Chamber bubble when others do useful and important research. The community can be an asset for VLCIA, providing research and contacts VLCIA either does not have the resources to do or might not think of to do, if VLCIA will listen to the community.

There’s more in the videos. Gretchen took these videos, as Chairman Roy Copeland welcomed guests, “even those with cameras.” Here’s a video playlist:

Videos
Regular Meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA),
Norman Bennett, Tom Call, Roy Copeland chairman, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett,
Tom Davis CPA, Allan Ricketts Project Manager,
S. Meghan Duke Public Relations & Marketing Manager, Lu Williams Operations Manager,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 17 April 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).

-jsq