The State of the Region: Hampton Roads 2021

[From the introductory material] This is Old Dominion University’s 22nd annual State of the Region Report. While it represents the work of many people connected in various ways to the university, the report does not constitute an official viewpoint of Old Dominion, its president, Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., the Board of Visitors, the Strome College of Business or the generous donors who support the activities of the Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy. Over the past year, we have endured the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, the introduction of vaccines and a return to a semblance of normality in Hampton Roads. Even as the economy recovers in the region, Virginia and the nation, we cannot forget that some have been left behind. Invigorating growth that raises the fortunes of all is the challenge that lies before us. This task will involve difficult discussions about how to diversify our economy in the coming years. Hampton Roads plays a significant role in national security, provides college education to thousands of Virginians and is culturally diverse. Given these realities and the fact that many residents live in one community and work in another, solutions to our regional challenges will require conversations and policies that span jurisdictional boundaries. If there is an overarching lesson to be learned from the pandemic, it is simply that we are all in this together