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SGPB 40th Anniversary Commentaries				Back to Top
Reflections on the Southern Growth Policies Board By The Honorable William F. Winter (Feb. 6, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board When the 1986 Commission on the Future of the South suggested in the title of its report that we were “halfway home and a long way to go,” it was stating the reality that still confronts the South, although I choose to believe that we are now considerably more than halfway home. It is, though, basically the same challenge that inspired the creation of the Southern Growth Policies Board 40 years ago and that still calls for our unified commitment. It is a task that will be a test of the will and resourcefulness not just of this generation but of a new generation of Southerners, who must make up for the mistakes and missed opportunities of the past that left us only halfway home. To get all the way there will require us to overcome the hardships that history and external events have imposed on us but that too often we have imposed on ourselves. Download the commentary here.

A CATALYST FOR CHANGE ©David Mathews, President and CEO, Kettering Foundation (Feb. 13, 2012) The challenge of producing reflections on the history of the Southern Growth Policies Board (SGPB) prompted me to dig through the records of my association with the organization at its founding as well as my experiences with the first two Commissions on the Future of the South. Since those formative years, I have known the SGPB as an ally in the Kettering Foundation’s research on how a democracy can work as it should. I prize the relationship and admire the role that the SGPB has played in the South. Download the commentary here.

My 25 Year “Love Affair” with Southern Growth By Tom Ballard, Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurial Initiatives, Pershing Yoakley & Associates (Feb. 14, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board Like so many people, I became very aware of SGPB as a result of its breakthrough report, Halfway Home and a Long Way to Go. I remember reading the report and being captivated with the presentation of information, the challenges that were outlined and the recommendations that were made. I remember att ending a presentation of the report by Governor William Winter and telling myself that our organization at the University of Tennessee had to help create a dialogue among Tennesseans about the report in the hope that some of the recommendations would find their way into implementation. At the time, I was Executive Director of Public Service for UT with responsibility for the Institute for Public Service, a multi-program organization that worked with state, city and county officials and industry managers and owners. Download the commentary here.

A Partnership Focused on Economic Transformation By Phil Paradice, Regional Director, Atlanta Regional Office, U.S. Economic Development Administration (Feb. 15, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board Change is nothing new, until it happens to you. And change is happening with greater velocity, greater intensity and greater consequence. Identifying and collaborating on common interests with fellow partners-in-change brought the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration’s Atlanta Regional Office together with the Southern Growth Policies Board. In the past decade, this has resulted in a funding partnership to support the transformation of the economy in the South to one that is knowledge-based, technology-led and globally competitive. Download the commentary here.

SGPB and SGA: Partners in Promoting the American South By Diane Duff, Executive Director, Southern Governors’ Association (Feb. 16, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board Congratulations to the Southern Growth Policies Board (SGPB) on 40 years of leadership and contributions that have helped transform the American South into an economic powerhouse. Created by Southern Governors who, in 1971, already had a long history of working together to forge a stronger, more prosperous economy for the American South, SGPB became an important contributor to regional economic development policies and strategies. The products of regional collaboration can be seen in the fabric of today’s economy, where businesses and residents across the American South enjoy some of the nation’s lowest taxes and business costs and a low cost of living, access to world renowned institutions of higher education, an integrated transportation network, and a diversified economic base. Paired with the region’s comfortable weather, enjoyable recreation and spirited culture, it’s no wonder nearly 40 percent of the nation’s population has chosen to call the American South “home.” Download the commentary here.

HIGHER EDUCATION: PROGRESS AND PROBLEMS By Constantine W. Curris, President Emeritus, American Association of State Colleges and Universities (Feb. 20, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board Over the course of several decades the South has embraced the potential of higher education and reaped the fruits of considerable investments from the region’s taxpayers. Today, we citizens benefit from having a more literate populace, strengthened workforce capabilities, significantly improved college attendance rates, enhanced research capabilities, superb university-based medical facilities, research-based technology parks, the extension of knowledge beyond campus walls, and expanded access to continuing education across a broad demographic spectrum. The racial integration of higher education institutions begun in earnest a half a century ago has markedly benefitted the South, though several of the region’s HBCU’s (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) struggle with the loss of students to historically white, but now more inclusive institutions. Download the commentary here.

Regional Cooperation Focused on Key Industry Sectors Can Help States Recover and Rebound By Les Range, Special Assistant to the Executive Director, Mississippi Department of Employment Security (Feb. 22, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board We’ve all heard that the Great Recession is over. Yet millions of people remain unemployed. Despite high unemployment, large numbers of small businesses, manufacturers, and other employers say they are unable to find the skilled workers they need. What can states do to recover and rebound? One workforce development strategy worth an in-depth look is regional cooperation that focuses on key industry sectors. It’s an approach we’re using in Mississippi and that’s gaining traction across the country. Download the commentary here.

Workforce Development and Postsecondary Education Partnerships By W. Michael Bailey, President, Alabama Technology Network (Feb. 24, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board Workforce development and postsecondary education have long shared the common bond of preparing individuals to be productive workers. This bond is particularly important now, as workforce development entities and educational institutions are viewed as crucial in revitalizing America’s economy. It stands to reason that the partnerships between these two entities must be enhanced and strengthened. Opportunities for improved communication and collaboration are evident. Professionals in both areas must develop new and improved ways to support each other in order to create growth and improve efficiency and productivity for the next generation of American workers. Download the commentary here.

The Future of Manufacturing in the South By Jeffrey M. Lacker, President, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (Feb. 28, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board The U.S. economy is about two and a half years into its recovery from the recession of 2007–09. The recovery that began in the second half of 2009 has yet to produce a sustained period of above-trend growth, but one bright spot has been manufacturing. This surprised many people because manufacturing was not a particular source of strength in the preceding expansion, but the average annual growth rate of industrial production during the recovery has been more than 6 percent compared to less than 3 percent from 2002 through 2007. In the manufacturing sector, employment tends to grow much more slowly than output, reflecting gains in productivity. Thus, manufacturing employment has grown 1.5 percent per year during the recovery, not as fast as output, but clearly better than the 2 percent annual declines from 2002 through 2007. Download the commentary here.

NORTH CAROLINA MANUFACTURING: CRAFT LEGACY TO TECHNOLOGICAL FUTURE By Terri Helmlinger Ratcliff, PhD, PE, Executive Director, Industrial Extension Service and Assistant Vice Chancellor of Extension, Engagement, and Economic Development, North Carolina State University (Mar. 1, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board Drive around any small town in North Carolina—or, I suppose, most towns throughout the South—and you will likely find stark evidence of the changes in manufacturing over the last few decades. Factories that once bustled with activity are now deathly still: gates closed, parking lots empty, lights off, doors locked. Often it is easy to tell by the number of broken windows, how overgrown the grass is, and how much the paint has faded which ones were affected by the recent recession and which ones have been closed for years. Download the commentary here.

The Importance of Thinking and Acting Regionally By Jerry Gist, Mayor, Jackson, Tennessee (Mar. 6, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board Imagine that you are a site selector for a company wanting to locate an operation within the Southeast. You are seeking a location within a mainly rural area with access to a dependable workforce and efficient transportation systems. Your preliminary research has led you to two regions. To gain more information on demographics, infrastructure, and workforce availability, you will need to make contact with local economic development officials. Download the commentary here.

Coalescing To Achieve Community Improvement By Ivye L. Allen Ph.D., President, Foundation for the Mid South (Mar. 8, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board In 1989, visionary leaders from the private and public sectors in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi began a dialog about the importance of working together to address poverty in the region. With one in five (or about 2 million people) living below the poverty level, it was acknowledged that state and local governments, nonprofits, and corporations could not effectively tackle this problem on their own, but, together, could marshal and combine significant resources to overcome regional disparities. Download the commentary here.

Tomorrow’s Innovation Economy is a Work in Progress By Keith Burdette, Cabinet Secretary, West Virginia Department of Commerce (Mar. 13, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board In 1971, the first email was invented. That year, a young engineer named Ray Tomlinson sent to himself the first email over the ARPANET, the ancestor of today’s Internet. Now, based on 2010 data, the market research firm Radicati Group estimates that the number of emails sent per day is around 294 billion. In 1971, Intel introduced the world’s first single chip microprocessor. The 4-bit Intel 4004 designed for use in calculators was a step forward in the faster, smaller microprocessors used in today’s smartphones, microcomputers and other digital devices. Also in 1971, the region’s governors formed the Southern Growth Policies Board, a non-partisan economic development think tank. The years since 1971 have produced a series of innovations that dramatically affected commercial products and how we use them. One of the goals of the Southern Growth Policies Board is to encourage more innovation and commercialization to emerge in this region. Download the commentary here.

WAKING THE REGION: THE ROLE OF THE SOUTHERN TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL By Louis Tornatzky, Professor of Industrial Technology, Co-Director, Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and former Director, Southern Technology Council (Mar. 15, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board Earlier this year, amidst the usual Monday morning wash of email and attached documents, I received a copy of a formal letter (US Department of Commerce, 2011) from the National Advisory Council on Innovation & Entrepreneurship (NACIE) to the Secretary of Commerce, Gary Locke. As I understand it, the Council serves as somewhat of an ad hoc but distinguished body—composed of major US universities—that brings its viewpoints to the attention to senior Washington officials. The “letter” was 4½ pages of supercharged prose that championed the role of research universities in fostering economic growth via partnerships “with existing companies to commercialize federally-funded research, nurture startups, attract and motivate commercialization talent and educate a world-class workforce.” In the body it champions student innovation and entrepreneurship and programs to foster it, the encouragement of faculty innovation and entrepreneurship, the important roles of expanded technology transfer activities, business-university-state government partnerships and the celebration of exemplary “economically engaged” schools. While the letter was explicitly signed by only four university CEOs, an attachment thereto listed them along with 136 other signatories of leaders at universities all over the country. Of those, 35 were from institutions in Southern Growth Policies Board member states. Download the commentary here.

Investing in Innovation: A Proven Pathway for Economic Success By Mike Cassidy, President, Georgia Research Alliance ( Mar. 20, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board As we grapple with the challenges to our national and state budgets, it is easy to lose sight of the importance of investments in research and innovation as the foundation for the future. The payoff on these investments has a long horizon, creating difficult decisions for leaders debating investing for tomorrow versus covering current commitments. A little more than 20 years ago, this very debate led to the creation of the Georgia Research Alliance. At that time, with Georgia facing a severe economic downturn, a small contingent of Georgia’s corporate leaders urged then Governor Zell Miller to back a bold vision: a public/private partnership that would tap the innovation capacity of the state’s research universities to build a vibrant, technology-driven economy for the state. Recognizing that success required a long-term commitment, the Governor agreed, and GRA became a key component of his economic recovery plan for the state. Download the commentary here.

The Laboratory that is Arkansas By Jerry Adams, President and CEO, Arkansas Research Alliance (Mar. 22, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board Over 10 years ago, I had the good fortune to be invited to participate in a state-wide taskforce looking at knowledge-based job creation in Arkansas. This taskforce was an exceptional group of business leaders and this group eventually morphed into Accelerate Arkansas, an organization that still is providing policy leadership for building a knowledge-based economy in Arkansas. What I have learned over these past years with Accelerate Arkansas and now running one of its major initiatives, the Arkansas Research Alliance, is that it takes vision, a great deal of relationship building between state agencies and the private sector, and unending tenacity to make progress. Download the commentary here.

The Lightly Regarded Population/ Income Churn By R. H. Becker, PhD, Director of Economic Policy and Strategy, Clemson University (Mar. 27, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board All places gain and lose people during the course of a year, and they gain or lose the income and wealth associated with those population transactions. This intertwining population and economic churn has not carried the caché of state driven economic development strategies that usually involve large tax breaks and incentive packages to attract investment dollars and jobs. This oversight is unfortunate. I suspect the incremental nature of migration flows is the basis of this ambivalence. Also, it just seems to happen. Fortunately, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tracks those flows and has developed a series of multi-year databases that report the number of returns, the number of exemptions and the adjusted gross income (AGI) for both the inflows and the outflows between every county in the United States. These are also aggregated upward to show state level figures. Download the commentary here.

How the World Has Changed! By Ed Bee, CEcD, President, Taimerica Management Company (Mar. 29, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board Nothing reflects the fundamental change in the South over the last 40 years more than the foods that we eat. Forty years ago, Chinese food was something the adventuresome traveler ate on trips to the big city of Atlanta; Mexican food was something eaten when they traveled to Texas. Standard fare in most small towns was good barbeque, good fried chicken, and home-style pies. Yet when Ted Abernathy and I worked on a project five years ago for a client in Barnwell, South Carolina, population 5,035, we could choose from two Chinese buffets or “Mi Rancho.” How the South has changed in 40 years! Download the commentary here.

Education: A National Security Issue By Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus (April 3 , 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board Forty years have passed since the Southern Growth Policies Board was formed to tackle the unique challenges facing the American South. I am well aware of the importance and quality of the work carried out by the Board. In 1987, when I was running for Governor of Mississippi, I used the 1986 report of the Board’s Commission on the Future of the South Halfway Home and a Long Way to Go as one of the main resources for my platform. As Governor, I relied on the Board and its careful, thoughtful and incisive analyses as policy aids for my Administration. In 1992, after my tenure as Governor, I was privileged to serve as the Chairman of that Commission on the Future of the South. The report of that Commission, Measure By Measure: The South Will Lead the Nation was a comprehensive analysis of the considerable resources and opportunity available in the region, and the potential of the South to become a leader in economic development and technological innovation. The South has witnessed great transformations over time, but the ambitious agenda staked out in 1986 and 1992 has yet to be fully realized. Significant challenges remain, particularly in education. Download the commentary here.

Mapping a Bright Economic Future for the South By Jason Jones, Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI) Consultant with NASA’s DEVELOP National Program, John C. Stennis Space Center, MS (April 10 , 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board A few weeks ago I heard a song that halted me in my tracks. Performed by popular country music artist Dierks Bentley and simply titled “Home,” the song describes America as a blessed motherland that is truly beautiful, yet not all it could be. Though the lyrics reminded me of the reality of tough economic times, they also encouraged me to consider the road ahead. In the true spirit of American optimism, the song affirmed “From the mountains high, to the wave crashed coast, there’s a way to find better days I know.” As a young American and a proud Southerner, I wholeheartedly agree! With the Southern Growth Policies Board (SGPB) entering its 40th year and looking forward to 50, the South stands poised to serve as an integral part of our nation’s economic success. Through its strategic research focus on major drivers of economic development and its visionary advancement of an economics-based policy structure, the SGPB has played a pivotal role in creating a climate for Southern success and equipping the South to enter a bright economic future. Not only do we have the people and the mindset to make this future a reality; we also have the assets to empower our progress. Download the commentary here.

Image, Arts, Culture and the Creative Industries in the South By South Arts (April 17 , 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board A few weeks ago I heard a song that halted me in my tracks. Performed by popular country music artist Dierks Bentley and simply titled “Home,” the song describes America as a blessed motherland that is truly beautiful, yet not all it could be. Though the lyrics reminded me of the reality of tough economic times, they also encouraged me to consider the road ahead. In the true spirit of American optimism, the song affirmed “From the mountains high, to the wave crashed coast, there’s a way to find better days I know.” As a young American and a proud Southerner, I wholeheartedly agree! With the Southern Growth Policies Board (SGPB) entering its 40th year and looking forward to 50, the South stands poised to serve as an integral part of our nation’s economic success. Through its strategic research focus on major drivers of economic development and its visionary advancement of an economics-based policy structure, the SGPB has played a pivotal role in creating a climate for Southern success and equipping the South to enter a bright economic future. Not only do we have the people and the mindset to make this future a reality; we also have the assets to empower our progress. Download the commentary here.

Auto Alley Comes South By Dennis P. Lockhart, President and Chief Executive Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta (April 24 , 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board Since 1980 automotive assembly has become a leading Southern industry, mainly because of foreign automakers establishing plants in the region. A minor player in the industry in the 1970s, the South today produces nearly a third of the light vehicles made in the United States. This commentary will explore three facets of the emergence of automotive manufacturing in the South. First, it will trace the industry’s rise to prominence in the region, and examine the reasons behind that rise. Next, it will examine the economic impact of automotive manufacturing, with a look at the role the industry played in reshaping factory work and manufacturing in the South. Finally, it will briefly consider the prospects for Southern auto manufacturing. (In this commentary, “the South” refers to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee.) Download the commentary here.

Manufacturing in the South: Past, Present, and Future By Stu Rosenfeld, Principal and Founder, Regional Technology Strategies, Inc. and former Director of the Southern Technology Council (April 26 , 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board The 1980s were a rough time for manufacturing in the rural South. After decades of rapid industrialization fueled by low-cost surplus labor, incentives, and customized training programs, the recession in the U.S., combined with vigorous competition from companies in western Europe and Japan, hit the region’s manufacturing sector particularly hard. Yet the slowdown across the rural South attracted little attention, in part because the effects were distributed, and because it was overshadowed by massive plant layoff s concentrated in very large cities in the rustbelt. Download the commentary here.

Counting Jobs in Not Enough: Entrepreneurship in the New New South By Monica Doss (May 1 , 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board In 1982, when a handful of future Research Triangle business leaders loudly announced that we better get busy mining its entrepreneurial potential or be left in the dust, I am pretty sure most figured it for a “solution looking for a problem.” After all, the Triangle region was one of a handful of Southern communities boasting a vibrant knowledge economy and was home to the largest industrial research park in the world. I joined that movement in 1986 as the first full-time executive director at the Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED), the same year that the Southern Growth Policies Board published its landmark Commission on the Future of the South report Halfway Home and a Long Way to Go. I grew up outside of Boston, where my dad worked at Honeywell on the legendary “Route 128,” but for the 16 years preceding my landing in North Carolina, I’d chosen to live, study, work and build a family in an array of small towns and cities across the Southeast. The report confirmed my deep tie to the South, in all its variety and complexity. Download the commentary here.

University Engagement in Economic Development since the Publication of Southern Growth’s Halfway Home and a Long Way to Go By Jesse L. White, Jr., Ph. D. (May 8 , 2012) This document was originally written for the Global Research Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and published in “A Way Forward: Building a Globally Competitive South” in late 2011. Objective V of Halfway Home and a Long Way to Go stated: “Increase the economic development role of higher education by 1992.” As far as I know, this statement was the first—and certainly the most important— acknowledgement of the critical relationship between two domains that had been historically placed in separate policy “smokestacks.” This recommendation led to a greater focus on the role of post-secondary education in the development process. The Commission understood that the economy was moving rapidly from one based on brawn to one based on brains, or human and intellectual capital. And, since higher education had a huge role in creating human capital, the report focused on ways to improve it and to include minorities, disadvantaged, and rural students. The subrecommendations called for improvements in structure of governance (arguing that the “systems” should be rationalized), for higher quality tied to funding formulas, for more and better remediation, for more scholarships to disadvantaged students, and for the building of bridges between the private sector and academia. Download the commentary here.

Higher Education as the Engine of the American Economy By Teresa A. Sullivan, President, University of Virginia (May 10 , 2012) This article originally appeared in the Virginia NEWS LETTER (Oct. 2011) and is reprinted here with permission from the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, University of Virginia. It’s no secret that higher education serves as the engine, or driver, of the American economy, and by extension, the Virginia economy as well. To give an appropriate mental image for this topic, let me begin by describing a news story and photo that appeared on the CNN website recently. The story explained how the American economy had begun to languish in recent months, after promising growth in the earlier part of 2011. The story cited slow economic growth of 1.8 percent in the second quarter and mentioned falling consumer confidence, a slowdown in hiring, a drop in home prices, a reduction in manufacturing, and other symptoms of a sluggish economy. Download the commentary here.

Education – Southern Growth of the Future By Richard Riley, senior partner, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP and its affiliate, EducationCounsel LLC, former U.S. Secretary of Education and former Governor of South Carolina (May 15 , 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board In 1986, I was finishing my second term as governor of South Carolina. We were in our second year of the Education Improvement Act (EIA), which Rand Corporation called the most comprehensive education reform measure in the nation. South Carolina was making real progress and, in the South, education was our ticket to the future. We had systematically under-educated much of our African-American population in the South and we were in the middle of an education-driven society and economy. Southern governors provided leadership for the nation’s education focus and improvement. We clearly connected education with economic development, which was the battle cry for jobs and progress. Our Southern governors travelled to other states and foreign countries to convince investors that we were serious about raising our commitment to provide quality education for all of our children—including our heretofore under-educated black youth. Download the commentary here.

Investing in Our People By James B. Hunt, Jr., founder of the Institute for Emerging Issues (May 17 , 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board Education equals jobs. In today’s world, it seems hard to imagine a time when that statement represented a new approach to economic development. Yet when Halfway Home and a Long Way to Go highlighted this imperative 25 years ago, it helped galvanize an emerging consensus within the South that investing in people was crucial to the region’s ability to progress. In North Carolina, we made significant new investments in education that brought higher levels of achievement and supported the development of new knowledge-driven areas of the economy. Whole areas of the state have been transformed as a result. For all of our successes to date, however, there is still much work to be done. The world did not stand still, waiting for us to raise our game. Rather, competitors in other countries increased—and continue to elevate—the education and skill levels of their workers, requiring that we do the same. If we want to retain and grow higher wage jobs in this knowledge economy, we must do an even better job of raising achievement and skill levels among all of our students. Download the commentary here.

Do I Need to Know That for the Test? By Linell Strandine, college business educator and member of Southern Growth’s Global Strategies Council (May 22 , 2012) Copyright © 2012, Linell Strandine As I watched the television pictures of the plane landing in the New York Hudson River, the teacher in me said out loud “Thank goodness he learned more than he needed to know for the test.” It was not just the pilot’s superb skill at piloting the jet aircraft, but also the skills from his hobby as a glider pilot that saved all on board that day. As we look towards the future, we see that learning, and the development of many unrelated skills, will determine our citizens’ future survival and that of our nation as the world leader it has been. Much has been discussed since the death of Apple Corporation founder and CEO, Steve Jobs, about how his unusual blend of “hippie” love for the arts with his tough business skills built the successful company. We need to recognize that the rapidly changing world will require much more spontaneous blending of unique skills to succeed in the future. This raises some questions about the education system that will train our future workforce. Download the commentary here.

The Appalachian Region and Its Challenges: The Next Steps By Earl F. Gohl, Federal Co-Chair, Appalachian Regional Commission (May 29 , 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board The Appalachian Region, home to more than 25 million people, covering 420 counties in 13 states from New York to Mississippi, was once completely dependent on mining, forestry, agriculture, chemicals, and heavy industry. The Region’s economy has become more diverse over the past two decades, with assorted manufacturing and professional and technical service industries taking hold along with several auto assembly plants and a vast network of suppliers. The economic progress of Appalachia is clear and measurable. In 1965, when President Johnson signed the Appalachian Regional Development Act into law creati ng the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), there were 295 counties within the Region with poverty rates at least 150 percent of the national average. President Johnson then called on all of us to work for a great society, not a needy society. In 2009, according to the Census Bureau, there were 120 such counties. Over the 40-year history of the Southern Growth Policies Board, ARC and the Board have had complementary missions, and each has made important contributions to the growth of the Region. Download the commentary here.

A Delta Workforce Program, A National Workforce Model By Chris Masingill, Federal Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority (May 31 , 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board In his State of the Union Address, President Obama laid out a strong blueprint for the American economy, an economy that is built to last. He challenged us to “turn our unemployment system into a reemployment system that puts people to work.” Here in the Delta, we know that 10 million people continue to work hard. We know that Delta residents will drive 50 miles one way for work. We know that this is the commitment and conviction of our people to locate good-paying jobs that will allow them to support their family and their economy. As I travel from state to state, visit new communities, and meet with folks across the Delta region, I have the privilege of personally witnessing the resilient spirit of rural America. And yet, here in the Delta, we continue to face a variety of challenges when it comes to reaching the President’s goal. Our high school graduation rate is barely above 50 percent. Less than 13 percent of our workers have attained a bachelor’s degree. Costly, chronic diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, are 50 percent above national averages due to a lack of education and access to quality, affordable health care and nearly one-third of our children live in poverty—much higher than the national average. Download the commentary here.

Generation Z Poised to Transform Our Region By Anita Brown-Graham, Director, Institute for Emerging Issues, North Carolina State University (June 5 , 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board The South’s 14 million members of Generation Z know only a world in which technological, social, and cultural shifts happen in months rather than decades. These young people, born between 1990 and 2002, will serve as the emerging core of our workforce and community leadership by 2020, and they stand poised to transform our region in the process. Keeping pace with the rapid changes that are the norm for Gen Z requires overhauling the way we deliver fundamental services. We will need to reimagine how we educate our young people in preK-20, provide them access to healthcare and technology, align their distinct talents with the needs of Southern employers, and make smart investments in providing social supports to an increasingly diverse population of Gen Zers. If we cannot adapt with agility, we will lose the overall upward trajectory of the past 50 years and our ability to offer adequate opportunities to a generation filled with promise. The stakes are high. Download the commentary here.

SOS: Save Our Sons By Howard N. Lee, President, Howard N Lee Institute for Equity and Opportunity in Education (June 12 , 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board In his book, “Death at an Early Age,” Jonathan Kozol chronicled the life of minority children in the Boston, Massachusetts School System. This book could have been written to describe the public school experiences of school children anywhere in America, but especially in the South. Looking back it is easy to discern that as time has changed many conditions, the public school experience for many minority and disadvantaged students has remained the same—especially for black boys. Download the commentary here.

Globalization and the Stewardship of Place: A Role for the American Comprehensive University By Doug Whitlock, President, Eastern Kentucky University (June 19 , 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board The phrase "Think Global, Act Local" was first used by the Scotsman Patrick Geddes in his book The Evolution of Cities in 1915. The variation "Think Globally, Act Locally" has a more disputed origin. The noted Harvard scholar Rosabeth Moss Kanter gave the concept a little different flavor in her book, World Class: Thriving Locally in the Global Economy. The subject of this commentary is another variation on this same theme and a descriptor of a major task before the type of institution I serve: that is, the task of embracing both regional stewardship and globalization. Download the commentary here.

SGPB: An Exciting Beginning By Brandt Ayers, Publisher of The Anniston Star and Chairman of Consolidated Publishing Co. (July 10, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board A surge of confident expectations accompanied the conception of the South’s premiere think tank, the Southern Growth Policies Board, in May 40 years ago. The second annual meeting of an early “New South” organization had convened in Atlanta where Duke University President and former North Carolina governor Terry Sanford gave the keynote address. The organization sponsoring the conference was tell-tale Southern. Its antique name—the Lucius Quintus Lamar Society—was intended to give comfort to traditionalists, suspicious of change-oriented, progressive groups. Download the commentary here.

Branding the South for Technology By Scott Doron, Director, Southern Technology Council (July 17, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board Almost ten years ago, I and other members of the Southern Technology Council encouraged branding the South as a national and international location famed for its vibrant technology environment. Last week at a meeting, I heard the identical idea proposed. Everyone nodded—yes, we need to do this. The idea has endured, yet its lack of progress illustrates the difficulties of technology in the South. It all begins with tech envy. Download the commentary here.

Economic Development Depends on a Pro-Business Environment By Otis Rawl, President and CEO, South Carolina Chamber of Commerce (July 24, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board For the past several decades, South Carolina has been home to many exciting economic development announcements. Numerous companies have recognized the advantages of locating and expanding in South Carolina, as the state’s competitive business climate makes it an ideal place to do business. As the unified voice of business and premier advocacy organization in South Carolina, the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce works closely with business and industry leaders, legislators and economic development organizations to sustain a pro-business environment. Download the commentary here.

Workforce Skills Gap: A Challenge and Opportunity By Allen Rose, Vice President for Business and Governmental Relations, The Sullivan University System (July 31, 2012) Copyright © 2012, Southern Growth Policies Board At a time when U.S. unemployment has hovered around nine percent, there are 600,000 jobs going unfilled in the manufacturing sector. This dichotomy highlights a skills gap in the workforce, and one that threatens manufacturing’s capacity for innovation and business success. Download the commentary here.

Southern Growth Retrospective: The 1986 Commission on the Future of the South Jesse L. White, Jr., Ph. D. (September 11, 2012) Much was changing in the economy of the South in the 1980s; less was understood about it. The decades-old landscape of row crop agriculture, low wage branch plant manufacturing, and extractive industries (coal, oil, timber) was fading; and with it, the pattern of vibrant small towns and a rural fabric of life. The brutal recession of 1982 accelerated and highlighted these stresses, and the political leadership at the time was searching for answers. The Southern Growth Policies Board (SGPB) took the lead in providing them. Download the commentary here.
For more information regarding our commentaries, contact Linda Hoke at lhoke@southern.org.


Seeing the Future - Resource Guides
Seeing the Future: Leadership and Social Capital by Linda Hoke Copyright © 2010, Southern Growth Policies Board The South has been transformed from the poorest region in the nation to one of the world’s largest economies in the span of a single lifetime. Much of the region’s progress—from bringing thousands of jobs to our states to developing world-class universities—is due to visionary leadership. Leadership and Social Capital—the first guide in *Seeing the Future* series—stresses the importance of leadership and social capital to the future of Southern communities For more information, contact Linda Hoke at lhoke@southern.org.

Seeing the Future: The Green Economy by Charity Pennock Copyright © 2011, Southern Growth Policies Board Technology and Innovation encompasses the creation, distribution, and consumption of products and services that reduce carbon emissions and diversify the region’s energy sources. This economy provides an opportunity to create jobs and wealth in the South. This module explores those opportunities and resources for Southern states. Download The Green Economy here. For more information, contact Charity Pennock at cpennock@southern.org.

Seeing the Future: Technology and Innovation by Scott Doron Copyright © 2011, Southern Growth Policies Board Technology and innovation are the main sources of economic growth. The Milken Institue says that “…high tech was the biggest factor in explaining why some communities recorded exceptional growth.” Michael Porter says “The vitality of the U.S. economy depends on creating innovation and competitiveness at the regional level.” This report describes why technology and innovation are so important and how to promote such within communities. Download Technology and Innovation here. For more information, contact Scott Doron at sdoron@southern.org.

Seeing the Future: Entrepreneurship by Linda Hoke Copyright © 2011, Southern Growth Policies Board Research has shown that regions that have embraced entrepreneurship tend to have stronger economies than those that are less entrepreneurial, with higher employment growth, higher wage growth, and higher productivity. Entrepreneurs are the key to capitalizing on innovation and growing jobs - and not only in high tech fields. Entrepreneurial efforts can be built around innovations in products, services, or marketing strategies in just about any field. This resource guide helps provide communities with ideas for creating a culture that supports entrepreneurship. Download Entrepreneurship here. For more information, contact Linda Hoke at lhoke@southern.org.


Technology and Innovation Publications				Back to Top

A Conversation on Southern Energy—The 2009 Report on the Future of the South by Scott Doron, Charity Pennock, Linda Hoke, Stephen Whitlow, and Ted Abernathy Copyright © 2009, Southern Growth Policies Board Focusing on the current and future role of energy in Southern economic development, *A Conversation on Southern Energy* is full of regional and individual state data about existing and alternative energy sources. The report also includes regional recommendations necessary for the South to participate in the future energy economy. Southern Growth, in conjunction with its Southeast Agriculture and Forestry Energy Resources Alliance, will continue to work on implementation of the recommendations. For more information, contact Scott Doron at sdoron@southern.org.

Innovation with a Southern Accent $10 by Scott Doron, Linda Hoke, Sandra Johnson, Charity Pennock and Jim Clinton Copyright © 2006, Southern Growth Policies Board Innovation with a Southern Accent focuses on creating a Southern culture of knowledge, where learning and innovation are primary social values, and essential to the region's global competitiveness. The report's recommendations include strategies for building the innovation capacity in the South through the creation, accumulation and application of knowledge. The report presents the Southern Innovation System (SIS) as a mechanism for individuals, communities, states, and the South to support and cultivate innovation and outlines several regional initiatives to grow emerging industries in the South, including the Southern Nanotechnology Initiative, VentureSouth, the Southern task force on venture capital, and the Southern Information Technology Initiative, among others. Innovation with a Southern Accent includes regional and state-level data on educational attainment, venture capital, an overview of state policies on R&D including survey results about the South's attractiveness for R&D, and profiles of innovative programs. Click here to download the report in pdf format . Companion DVD Innovation with a Southern Accent $10 Copyright © 2006, Southern Growth Policies Board Southern Growth Policies Board has produced a companion DVD for the Innovation with a Southern Accent report. The DVD presentation captures the thoughts and opinions of a cross-section of Southerners who took part in more than 100 community forums around the region to discuss the economic potential of innovation and technology. The DVD is representative of the more than 4,000 Southerners whose feedback helped shape the 2006 Report on the Future of the South, and is a great tool for discussions of the issue of innovation and technology.


Connecting the Dots: Creating a Southern Nanotechnology Network $10 by Scott Doron, Charity Pennock and Dr. Jan Youtie, Dr. Philip Shapira of the Georgia Institute of Technology, with contributions by Ajay Bhaskarabhatla, Erin Lamos, Uttam Malani, John Slanina, Alexa Stephens and Li Tang Copyright © 2006, Southern Growth Policies Board Connecting the Dots: Creating a Southern Nanotechnology Network outlines the South's strengths and weaknesses in nanotechnology in five key areas - human capital, knowledge generation, patents, funding and commercialization. The report includes data for all of the Southern Growth member states. Southern Growth's research revealed that although the South performs about 20 percent of all nanotechnology research activity in the U.S., the region lags the nation in nanotechnology patents. A consortium of Southern research institutions were involved in the report's development and creation including Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Technology Transfer and Economic Development Directorate, Southern Growth's Southern Technology Council and the Georgia Institute of Technology Program in Science, Technology and Innovation Policy. Click here to download the report in pdf format.


Not Invested Here: The 2004 Southern Innovation Index by Jim Clinton, Scott Doron and Karen Barlow Copyright © 2004, Southern Growth Policies Board Not Invested Here: The 2004 Southern Innovation Index is a progress report on innovation, entrepreneurship and technology-based economic development in the South. The fourth in a series of reports on innovation in the South, the 2004 Index provides updates on data for 50 benchmarks and 10-year targets of each of the Southern Growth member states. The report includes state-by-state data and summaries of activity on education, innovation and entrepreneurship. The 2004 Index also includes an analysis of the data and progress in reaching state targets. The report shows significant progress in reaching targets including core technology indicators, but a lack of investment in venture capital and private research and development. Click here to download the report in pdf format .


Pocket Guide to Biotechnology by Scott Doron Copyright © 2004, Southern Growth Policies Board One page printable brochure for policymakers that serves as an introduction to the biotechnology industry. Ideal for introductory meetings on biotechnology and information packets, the Pocket Guide to Biotechnology, includes definitions, industry data, applications and resources for further study-along with quotes from leading public figures in the South. To access the brochure in pdf, click here.


Innovation U.: New University Roles in a Knowledge Economy by Louis G. Tornatzky, Paul G. Waugaman and Denis O. Gray Copyright © 2002, Southern Growth Policies Board Innovation U. details the best practices and cultures of 12 major research universities that are leading the way in promoting technology-oriented economic development in their states and communities. The 12 universities are Georgia Tech, N.C. State University, Ohio State University, Penn State, Purdue, Texas A&M, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Virginia Tech, University of California at San Diego, University of Utah, Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University. Case studies of each of the universities include details about external partnerships, including industry research partnerships, technology transfer, industrial extension and technical assistance, entrepreneurial development, industry education/training partnerships, and career services and placement. The case studies also look at each institution's enablers, particularly the university's culture and rewards, and formal partnerships with economic development organizations and university/industry advisory boards and councils. Click here to download the report in pdf format.


Invented Here: The 2002 Southern Innovation Index $10 Copyright © 2002, Southern Growth Policies Board The Southern Innovation Index is a strategic plan created with the governments of 13 Southern states and Puerto Rico to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth in the South. The Index identifies 56 benchmarks and 10-year targets for each of the Southern Growth member states to track the progress of technology and innovation initiatives in the region, and includes state-level data and legislative summaries. The Index also contains an analysis of the region's university, industrial and federal R&D share in the last four decades drawing on data from the National Science Foundation. Click here to download the report in pdf format.


Invented Here: Transforming the Southern Economy $10 by Jim Clinton, Keecia James, Trent Williams, Jonathan Morgan, Carol Conway, Scott Doron, Yolanda Batts and Dr. Robert Gillespie Copyright © 2001, Southern Growth Policies Board Invented Here: Transforming the Southern Economy is the second in a series of annual reports designed to facilitate the creation of technology and innovation-based economies in the Southern region. The report contains the actual language of the strategic plan including the three overriding goals for the project: 1. Create a culture of learning throughout the South, in which the acquisition, creation, and application of knowledge is viewed as central to our health, happiness, and prosperity; 2. Encourage and support innovation and entrepreneurship; and 3. Create and sustain a quality of life that is attractive to globally competitive businesses and employees. The report contains the benchmarks set for measuring long-tern progress towards the goals and establishes a baseline for each participating state. Click here to download the report in pdf format .


Benchmarking University-Industry Technology Transfer in the South and the EPSCoR States: 1997-1998 $10 - Available on CD-ROM only by Paul G. Waugaman and Louis G. Tornatzky Copyright © 2001, Southern Growth Policies Board This CD-ROM based publication measured technology-transfer activities at 72 research institutions around the country. The report measures technology transfer in three ways: input measures, such as the number of patents institutions applied for and were awarded; outcome measures, such as the number of active licenses; and economic impact, such as the number of new companies started based on university technologies. Click here to download the report in pdf format .


*Invented Here: Measures of Southern Growth* $10 - Available on CD-ROM only by Joel Bauman, Aaron Cain, Jim Clinton, Joshua Drucker, Keecia James, Gordon Wilson Copyright © 2000, Southern Growth Policies Board Invented Here: Measures of Southern Growth is the first in a series of annual reports designed to facilitate the creation of technology and innovation-based economies in the Southern region. The report includes a broad spectrum of baseline data on Southern Growth member states including population, education and workforce demographics as well as industry trends and entrepreneurial development data. The state-level variables provide the basis for identifying strengths and weaknesses and for regional comparison. Click here to download the report in pdf format.


*Creating the CyberSouth* by James Bohland, Maria Papadakis and Richard Worrall, School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Organizational and Technological Advancement, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Copyright © 2000, Southern Growth Policies Board Creating the CyberSouth provides background information on the Digital Divide and it's four key dimensions-access to technology, computer literacy, information literacy and availability of content-- both from a national perspective and with statistical information for Southern Growth member states. The report also includes an overview of state initiatives and detailed discussion of five topics to address the Digital Divide-Primary and Secondary Education programs, Improved Infrastructure and Service Provisions, Community Access and Workforce Initiatives, Partnering with the Private Sector and mobilizing statewide response. Click here to download the report in pdf format.


Making Technology Happen: Best Practices and Policies from Exemplary K-12 Schools for Teachers, Principals, Parents, Policymakers and Industry $10 by Lucinda Casson, Joel Bauman, Elaine Rideout Fisher, Mark Lindblad, Jennifer R. Sumpter, Louis G. Tornatzky and Ben S. Vickery Copyright © 1997, Southern Growth Policies Board Making Technology Happen, one of the most popular reports ever produced by the Southern Technology Council, examines best practices in implementing technology in K-12 education. The authors interviewed education professionals and policymakers in more than 200 K-12 schools and districts in 18 states. The report contains descriptive data and case studies of implementation practices in the areas of training, planning, technical support, organizational design, resources, leadership, and change strategies for bringing technology into the classroom. Click here to download the report.


Best Practices and Policies for University-Industry Technology Transfer: Working with External Patent Counsel $10 by Paul Waugaman, Louis G. Tornatzky and Ben S. Vickery Copyright © 1994, Southern Growth Policies Board This report includes the results of a study that looked at 27 research universities in the South, as well as a comparison group of 10 universities from across the U.S. during a three-year period from 1990-1992. The study examines university transfer practices using external patent counsel, and includes the use of external patent counsel in applying for and obtaining patents on university inventions and related activities such as licensing, defending patents and event selecting inventions for patenting. Click here to download the report in pdf format.


State-Level Policy Instruments Promoting Wood-for-Energy Initiatives: A Blueprint for Southern U.S Policy Makers by Adam Saunders, 2009 Southern Research Fellow, Department of Forestry, University of Missouri Copyright © 2009, Southern Growth Policies Board Click here to download the research paper in pdf format.


Workforce Publications				Back to Top

EnterpriseSouth.biz $10 by Ray Taylor, Sandra Johnson, Linda Hoke, Scott Doron, Charity Pennock and Jim Clinton Copyright © 2007, Southern Growth Policies Board EnterpriseSouth.biz calls for a cultural shift in the South to an enterprise economy, characterized by a workforce that is knowledgeable, entrepreneurial and innovative. EnterpriseSouth.biz outlines a three-pronged strategy: CONVENE, CONNECT and COMMIT to create an enterprise economy and workforce. The strategy proposes that Southern leaders CONVENE a series of conversations that include all the stakeholders in workforce development, to CONNECT the public more directly to education, and to maximize effectiveness within various public and private workforce efforts. The process is designed to lead parties to COMMIT to a non-partisan compact to build a southern workforce that is both enterprising and globally competitive. EnterpriseSouth.biz includes regional and state-level data on educational attainment and economic achievements as well as profiles of innovative programs. Click here to download the report in pdf format. Companion DVD Building the Next Workforce $10 Copyright © 2007, Southern Growth Policies Board Southern Growth Policies Board has produced a 14-minute companion DVD for the EnterpriseSouth.biz report. The DVD presentation captures the thoughts and opinions of a cross-section of Southerners who took part in more than 145 community forums around the region to discuss building the next Southern workforce. The DVD is representative of the more than 4,100 Southerners whose feedback helped shape the 2007 Report on the Future of the South, and is a great tool for presentations and discussions on workforce development.


The Southern Workforce Index by Carol Conway, Sandra Johnson Copyright © 2005, Southern Growth Policies Board The Southern Workforce Index offers a bird's-eye view of the South's workforce development challenges. The Index is non-traditional in form and philosophy—it equates workforce and economic development and calls on states to respond on multiple fronts, not through a fragmented system of education programs. Specifically, The Index focuses on the need to tailor services to individual clients, tap into non-traditional sources of workers, and better inform students and teachers about the economy, starting at the earliest ages. The Index outlines 15 indicators for measuring the region's process and contains state-by-state data and summaries of workforce initiatives in the region. To download the paper in pdf format, click here.


Supporting Sector Strategies in the South by Dexter Ligot-Gordon, Sandra Johnson, Ravinder Mangat, Jack Mills, and Ray Taylor Copyright © 2008, Southern Growth Policies Board Supporting Sector Strategies in the South, a new white paper from Southern Growth and collaborator and the National Network of Sector Partners (NNSP) highlights the success of five Southern states with workforce development solutions that are leading to the establishment and success of high-growth, high-wage industries. The paper suggests steps toward replicating this success throughout the South. To download the paper in pdf format, click here.


Standards of Practice by Carol Conway Copyright © 2003, Southern Growth Policies Board Standards of Practice examines why special populations--older workers, dislocated workers, and disabled workers--are not served by the workforce development system. It concludes with recommendations and a draft Workforce Index by which states can benchmark progress-and set new standards of practice-in addressing these and other critical matters in workforce development. To download the paper in pdf format, click here.


*Welcome to the Real World: Educators in Industry* by Carol Conway Copyright © 2002, Southern Growth Policies Board Policy paper profiles five Southern programs that provide educators with access, information and hands-on experience in industry. Programs in Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Virginia are highlighted with additional information on programs of note in California, Kentucky, South Carolina and South Dakota. To download the paper in pdf format, click here.


*The Mercedes and the Magnolia*: Preparing the Southern Workforce for the Next Economy by Carol Conway, Jim Clinton Copyright © 2002, Southern Growth Policies Board The Mercedes and The Magnolia offers a bold new approach to workforce development in a South struggling with economic change. Based on input from governors, workforce experts and hundreds of other Southern leaders, the report demonstrates that knowledge, not low-cost labor, is the creator of jobs and wealth in this country, and that investment will flow to those locations with large pools of educated and entrepreneurial talent. As the title implies, the report calls on the South to strike a new balance between its heritage and modern production. It also sounds the alarm over an impending labor shortage that will strike the South even harder than the rest of the nation. The report makes three recommendations and includes best practices, extensive state-level data, and opinions from around the region. Click here to download the report in pdf format.


*Leave No Stone Unturned: A Human Capital Approach To Workforce Development* by Carol Conway Copyright © 2002, Southern Growth Policies Board A precursor to the 2002 Report on the Future of the South, The Mercedes and the Magnolia, Leave No Stone Unturned examines the human capital approach to workforce development. The paper describes some of the forces that are changing the Southern workforce demographics and outlines four strategies for expanding the current labor pool in the South. The paper concludes with recommendations and outlines innovative approaches from Kentucky, Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa and North Carolina. Click here to download the policy paper in pdf format.


Who Will Stay and Who Will Leave $10 by Louis G. Tornatzky, Denis O. Gray, Stephanie A. Tarant and Cathy Zimmer Copyright © 2001, Southern Growth Policies Board A follow-up to the 1998 report, Where Have All the Students Gone (see description below), Who Will Stay and Who Will Leave examines the factors that influence how college graduates, particularly those in science, math and technology, decide where they will live and work after graduation. The study is an exploration of some of the key factors that affect "brain drain," and hence a state's ability to build and retain a workforce capable of fueling the companies and industries of the knowledge economy. Click here to download the report in pdf format.


Where Have All the Students Gone: Interstate Migration of Recent Science and Engineering Graduates $10 by Louis G. Tornatzky, Denis O. Gray, Stephanie A. Tarant and Julie E. Howe Copyright © 1998, Southern Growth Policies Board Where Have All the Students Gone? examines the migration of skilled technology workers across state lines and at some of the factors that may influence those migrations. Among other findings, the report found large disparities among states in net retention and net migration of recent science and engineering graduates. The report has important implications for states seeking to build a science and technology workforce. Click here to download the report in pdf format.


Community Publications				Back to Top

*The Road to Recovery is Named Main Street* by Linda Hoke Copyright © 2010, Southern Growth Policies Board Southern states have lost over one-and-a-half million in jobs in the past two years and unemployment rates are at or near record highs. States and communities are facing some of their tightest financial constraints in decades. What does all this mean in terms of economic development? What can communities do to respond to current economic challenges, while at the same time positioning themselves for success in the future? These were the questions that Southern Growth Policies Board posed to citizens around the South in 2010, encouraging them to gather with others in their communities to discuss not only challenges and concerns, but also priorities and potential solutions. The findings of this process, called Listening to the South, are the centerpiece of Southern Growth Policies Board’s 2010 Report on the Future of the South: The Road to Recovery is Named Main Street. The Report also discusses the implications for state policy action and highlights creative initiatives in the region that aim to help communities recover from the recession. To download the report in pdf format, click here.


Brave New South $20 by Linda Hoke, Jim Clinton, Stephen Whitlow Scott Doron, Charity Pennock, and Ray Taylor Copyright © 2008, Southern Growth Policies Board Brave New South challenges Southern communities to better realize the talents and visions of youth for the betterment of all residents, young and old, in the South. The report was informed by troubling statistics that show Southern youth over-represented in a number of categories of at-risk youth, and by research indicating that greater rates of youth engagement can reduce at-risk behaviors. In preparing for the report, the input of over 4,000 Southerners was gathered, leading to three primary recommendations. The first recommendation is that Southern communities should engage people in community life. Second, the South should listen to young people, value them as resources, and act on their ideas. Third, young people should be supported in developing and using their passions, talents and skills to better themselves and their communities. Brave New South offers specific means by which to achieve these recommendations, and provides state-level data on at-risk youth populations and current levels of youth engagement. Read the executive summary. To download the full report in pdf format, click here.


Community Questions: Engaging Citizens to Address Community Concerns by Kettering Foundation's Citizens at Work project, including Linda Hoke of the Southern Growth Policies Board Engaging citizens in taking about and coming up with solutions to community problems is not just about creating a feel good or Kumbaya moment. Citizens must be engaged if communities are to solve some of their most difficult problems. Many problems, such as youth gangs, poverty, racial conflict, and crime, have multiple causes and cannot be solved with a technical fix. Effectively addressing these problems requires citizens to act—and keep on acting. Community Questions, a new publication developed by Auburn University’s Economic and Community Development Institute, the Southern Growth Policies Board, and other members of the Kettering Foundation’s Citizens at Work project, is designed to help community leaders take steps to create spaces where citizens can tackle pressing community concerns. Community Questions is designed as a workbook, organized around a series of questions that guide community leaders or facilitators through the planning and implementation of citizen engagement efforts. Click here to download Community Questions. Contact Linda Hoke at (919) 941-5145 or lhoke@southern.org if you have questions or would like more information.


Feeding the Lambs: Youth Engagement and Development Activities of Southern Megachurches by Joshua Ambrosius, 2008 Southern Research Fellow, University Fellow and Ph.D. Student, University of Louisville School of Urban and Public Affairs Copyright © 2008, Southern Growth Policies Board Click here to download the research paper in pdf format.


Freedom Schools 2.0: The Civil Rights Entrepreneurs of the New Orleans Public Education Reform Movement by Robert Tice Lalka, 2008 Southern Research Fellow, Master of Public Policy, 2008, Duke University Copyright © 2008, Southern Growth Policies Board Click here to download the research paper in pdf format.


*The Southern Community Index* by Linda Hoke , Sandra Johnson Copyright © 2005, Southern Growth Policies Board The Southern Community Index is a working plan to track the Southern states' progress on building healthy and vibrant communities as part of an integrated economic development strategy for the region. The Index includes 15 quality of life measures considered to be the building blocks of vibrant communities including access to healthcare, home ownership rates, crime rates, employment rates and levels of civic engagement and leadership diversity. Southern Growth's research suggests that building quality communities is the underpinning of long-term economic development. The goal of The Southern Community Index is to bring attention to quality of life issues and to encourage communities to create their own vision and metrics for developing a successful and healthy community. The Index includes state-by-state data and summaries of community development initiatives in the region. To download the report in pdf format, click here.


Reinventing the Wheel: New Models for Southern Leadership $10 by Jim Clinton, Carol Conway, Linda Hoke Copyright © 2003, Southern Growth Policies Board Reinventing the Wheel presents a new model of leadership to strengthen the South's capacity to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities — from globalization and new economic forces to large-scale demographic changes. The report's foundation is the emerging research and awareness that civic infrastructure directly impacts both quality of life and economic opportunity. Regional focus groups and surveys yielded recommendations from citizens that call for more, diverse and better-prepared leaders in the South. The report includes research on social capital and civic engagement and practical examples of citizens that are addressing community challenges with inclusive, connected and collaborative strategies. Potential actions for communities are also presented in the report for strengthening leadership in the region by engaging youth and immigrants and for recruiting more diverse citizens to assume leadership roles. Click here to download the report in pdf format. Companion Toolkit - VHS **Leading the Future Toolkit $10** by Carol Conway and Linda Hoke Copyright © 2004, Southern Growth Policies Board Leading the Future is designed to help communities and organizations expand their leadership base and skills. It consists of a 10-minute video, a set of exercises and a moderator's guide. To download the moderator's guide and other materials, click here.



Pathways to Prosperity: Choosing a Future for Your Community by Tony Wharton and Linda Hoke Copyright © 2001, Southern Growth Policies Board Southern Growth's Pathways to Prosperity discussion guide and its companion video are designed to help groups discuss the different choices and issues that communities face in trying to deal with growth, encourage economic well being and strengthen their quality of life. Click here to download the guidebook.


Tools for Small Towns A publication of the Southern Consortium of University Public Service Organizations by David Harris and Danielle Tanaka, Auburn University Center for Governmental Services Copyright © 2002, Southern Growth Policies Board Tools for Small Towns introduces planning and decision making tools that can be used to help strengthen economic and community development in small towns. The materials were prepared by Auburn University's Center for Governmental Services, and serve as a companion piece to "Choices for a Growing South" - a joint project of Southern Growth Policies Board and the Southern Consortium of University Public Service Organizations. Click here to download the report in pdf format.


Black Wealth/White Wealth: An Issue for the South by Scott Doron and Elaine Rideout Fisher Copyright © 2002, Southern Growth Policies Board This Policy Paper examines the disparity that exists between the amount of financial assets owned by blacks and whites in the South. The paper presents data to indicate the long-term consequences for the South in both human terms and economic progress. The paper also presents solutions and resources for closing the wealth gap. Click here to download the paper in pdf format.


Results Oriented Government A Guide to Strategic Planning and Performance Measurement in the Public Sector $3 by Linda Hoke in partnership with the Southern Consortium of Public University Public Service Organizations. Copyright © 1996, Southern Growth Policies Board Results Oriented Government is an illustrated book that describes the general principles of strategic planning, benchmarking best practices, performance measurement, using performance results for project management, performance-based budgeting, performance-based contracting and creating an environment that supports these activities. The guide is designed for use by state and local public managers in training programs. Click here for an executive summary.


Annual Report on the Future of the South				Back to Top

*The Road to Recovery is Named Main Street* by Linda Hoke Copyright © 2010, Southern Growth Policies Board Southern states have lost over one-and-a-half million in jobs in the past two years and unemployment rates are at or near record highs. States and communities are facing some of their tightest financial constraints in decades. What does all this mean in terms of economic development? What can communities do to respond to current economic challenges, while at the same time positioning themselves for success in the future? These were the questions that Southern Growth Policies Board posed to citizens around the South in 2010, encouraging them to gather with others in their communities to discuss not only challenges and concerns, but also priorities and potential solutions. The findings of this process, called Listening to the South, are the centerpiece of Southern Growth Policies Board’s 2010 Report on the Future of the South: The Road to Recovery is Named Main Street. The Report also discusses the implications for state policy action and highlights creative initiatives in the region that aim to help communities recover from the recession. To download the report in pdf format, click here.


A Conversation on Southern Energy—The 2009 Report on the Future of the South— Now Available by Scott Doron, Charity Pennock, Linda Hoke, Stephen Whitlow, and Ted Abernathy Copyright © 2009, Southern Growth Policies Board Focusing on the current and future role of energy in Southern economic development, *A Conversation on Southern Energy* is full of regional and individual state data about existing and alternative energy sources. The report also includes regional recommendations necessary for the South to participate in the future energy economy. Southern Growth, in conjunction with its Southeast Agriculture and Forestry Energy Resources Alliance, will continue to work on implementation of the recommendations. For more information, contact Scott Doron at sdoron@southern.org.


Brave New South $20 by Linda Hoke, Jim Clinton, Stephen Whitlow Scott Doron, Charity Pennock, and Ray Taylor Copyright © 2008, Southern Growth Policies Board Brave New South challenges Southern communities to better realize the talents and visions of youth for the betterment of all residents, young and old, in the South. The report was informed by troubling statistics that show Southern youth over-represented in a number of categories of at-risk youth, and by research indicating that greater rates of youth engagement can reduce at-risk behaviors. In preparing for the report, the input of over 4,000 Southerners was gathered, leading to three primary recommendations. The first recommendation is that Southern communities should engage people in community life. Second, the South should listen to young people, value them as resources, and act on their ideas. Third, young people should be supported in developing and using their passions, talents and skills to better themselves and their communities. Brave New South offers specific means by which to achieve these recommendations, and provides state-level data on at-risk youth populations and current levels of youth engagement. To download the full report in pdf format, click here.

EnterpriseSouth.biz $10 by Ray Taylor, Sandra Johnson, Linda Hoke, Scott Doron, Charity Pennock and Jim Clinton Copyright © 2007, Southern Growth Policies Board EnterpriseSouth.biz calls for a cultural shift in the South to an enterprise economy, characterized by a workforce that is knowledgeable, entrepreneurial and innovative. EnterpriseSouth.biz outlines a three-pronged strategy: CONVENE, CONNECT and COMMIT to create an enterprise economy and workforce. The strategy proposes that Southern leaders CONVENE a series of conversations that include all the stakeholders in workforce development, to CONNECT the public more directly to education, and to maximize effectiveness within various public and private workforce efforts. The process is designed to lead parties to COMMIT to a non-partisan compact to build a southern workforce that is both enterprising and globally competitive. EnterpriseSouth.biz includes regional and state-level data on educational attainment and economic achievements as well as profiles of innovative programs. Click here to download the report in pdf format. Companion DVD Building the Next Workforce $10 Copyright © 2007, Southern Growth Policies Board Southern Growth Policies Board has produced a 14-minute companion DVD for the EnterpriseSouth.biz report. The DVD presentation captures the thoughts and opinions of a cross-section of Southerners who took part in more than 145 community forums around the region to discuss building the next Southern workforce. The DVD is representative of the more than 4,100 Southerners whose feedback helped shape the 2007 Report on the Future of the South, and is a great tool for presentations and discussions on workforce development.


Innovation with a Southern Accent $10 by Scott Doron, Linda Hoke, Sandra Johnson, Charity Pennock and Jim Clinton Copyright © 2006, Southern Growth Policies Board Innovation with a Southern Accent focuses on creating a Southern culture of knowledge, where learning and innovation are primary social values, and essential to the region's global competitiveness. The report's recommendations include strategies for building the innovation capacity in the South through the creation, accumulation and application of knowledge. The report presents the Southern Innovation System (SIS) as a mechanism for individuals, communities, states, and the South to support and cultivate innovation and outlines several regional initiatives to grow emerging industries in the South, including the Southern Nanotechnology Initiative, VentureSouth, the Southern task force on venture capital, and the Southern Information Technology Initiative, among others. Innovation with a Southern Accent includes regional and state-level data on educational attainment, venture capital, an overview of state policies on R&D including survey results about the South's attractiveness for R&D, and profiles of innovative programs. Click here to download the report in pdf format. Companion DVD Innovation with a Southern Accent $10 Copyright © 2006, Southern Growth Policies Board Southern Growth Policies Board has produced a companion DVD for the Innovation with a Southern Accent report. The DVD presentation captures the thoughts and opinions of a cross-section of Southerners who took part in more than 100 community forums around the region to discuss the economic potential of innovation and technology. The DVD is representative of the more than 4,000 Southerners whose feedback helped shape the 2006 Report on the Future of the South, and is a great tool for discussions of the issue of innovation and technology.


*The New Architecture of Rural Prosperity* $10 Copyright © 2005, Southern Growth Policies Board The New Architecture of Rural Prosperity builds on the premise that the prosperity of the rural South is crucial to the prosperity of the South as a whole. Gathering input from more than 2200 Southerners to prepare the report, Southern Growth puts forth two recommendations for building rural prosperity. The first recommendation is to expand the view of economic development beyond industrial recruitment to include community-building activities as part of the actions that create, expand and recruit business to the rural south. Among other things, this means that economic development should operate within the context of quality of life. The second recommendation urges that economic development activities be managed along regional lines, without regard to traditional or state boundaries. The New Architecture of Rural Prosperity also includes action items for states and communities to build rural prosperity, an analysis of the research and recommendations from rural economic development experts and profiles of successful rural initiatives in the Southern region. Download the Click here to download the full report in pdf format. Companion VHS The New Architecture of Rural Prosperity $10 Copyright © 2005, Southern Growth Policies Board, Southern Growth Policies Board has produced a companion VHS for The New Architecture of Rural Prosperity. The VHS presentation captures the thoughts and opinions of a cross-section of Southerners who took part in community forums around the region to discuss rural development and prosperity. The VHS is representative of the more than 2,200 Southerners whose feedback helped shape the 2005 Report on the Future of the South, and is a great tool for discussions on rural development.


The Globally Competitive South (Under Construction) $10 by Jim Clinton, Carol Conway, Linda Hoke, with contributions from Scott Doron and Karen Barlow Copyright © 2004, Southern Growth Policies Board The Globally Competitive South (Under Construction) report focuses on globalization and both the opportunities and challenges it presents to Southern states and communities. The report encourages the states and communities to act on their own to create better jobs, more wealth and stronger communities in response to the changes in business climate and demographics. The report includes research on the gap between what the South exports and what it could export, and the number of jobs lost or unrealized as a result of this under-performance. Recommendations in the report include increasing exports and international education, and building relationships with foreign communities at home and abroad. The report also includes examples of how the South’s public, private and academic sectors are addressing globalization. Click here to download the report in pdf format.


Reinventing the Wheel: New Models for Southern Leadership $10 by Jim Clinton, Carol Conway, Linda Hoke Copyright © 2003, Southern Growth Policies Board Reinventing the Wheel presents a new model of leadership to strengthen the South's capacity to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities — from globalization and new economic forces to large-scale demographic changes. The report's foundation is the emerging research and awareness that civic infrastructure directly impacts both quality of life and economic opportunity. Regional focus groups and surveys yielded recommendations from citizens that call for more, diverse and better-prepared leaders in the South. The report includes research on social capital and civic engagement and practical examples of citizens that are addressing community challenges with inclusive, connected and collaborative strategies. Potential actions for communities are also presented in the report for strengthening leadership in the region by engaging youth and immigrants and for recruiting more diverse citizens to assume leadership roles. Click here to download the report in pdf format. Companion Toolkit - VHS **Leading the Future Toolkit $10** by Carol Conway and Linda Hoke Copyright © 2004, Southern Growth Policies Board Leading the Future is designed to help communities and organizations expand their leadership base and skills. It consists of a 10-minute video, a set of exercises and a moderator's guide. To download the moderator's guide and other materials, click here.


*The Mercedes and the Magnolia*: Preparing the Southern Workforce for the Next Economy by Carol Conway, Jim Clinton Copyright © 2002, Southern Growth Policies Board The Mercedes and The Magnolia offers a bold new approach to workforce development in a South struggling with economic change. Based on input from governors, workforce experts and hundreds of other Southern leaders, the report demonstrates that knowledge, not low-cost labor, is the creator of jobs and wealth in this country, and that investment will flow to those locations with large pools of educated and entrepreneurial talent. As the title implies, the report calls on the South to strike a new balance between its heritage and modern production. It also sounds the alarm over an impending labor shortage that will strike the South even harder than the rest of the nation. The report makes three recommendations and includes best practices, extensive state-level data, and opinions from around the region. Click here to download the report in pdf format.


Invented Here: The 2002 Southern Innovation Index $10 Copyright © 2002, Southern Growth Policies Board The Southern Innovation Index is a strategic plan created with the governments of 13 Southern states and Puerto Rico to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth in the South. The Index identifies 56 benchmarks and 10-year targets for each of the Southern Growth member states to track the progress of technology and innovation initiatives in the region, and includes state-level data and legislative summaries. The Index also contains an analysis of the region's university, industrial and federal R&D share in the last four decades drawing on data from the National Science Foundation. Click here to download the report in pdf format.


Invented Here: Transforming the Southern Economy $10 by Jim Clinton, Keecia James, Trent Williams, Jonathan Morgan, Carol Conway, Scott Doron, Yolanda Batts and Dr. Robert Gillespie Copyright © 2001, Southern Growth Policies Board Invented Here: Transforming the Southern Economy is the second in a series of annual reports designed to facilitate the creation of technology and innovation-based economies in the Southern region. The report contains the actual language of the strategic plan including the three overriding goals for the project: 1. Create a culture of learning throughout the South, in which the acquisition, creation, and application of knowledge is viewed as central to our health, happiness, and prosperity; 2. Encourage and support innovation and entrepreneurship; and 3. Create and sustain a quality of life that is attractive to globally competitive businesses and employees. The report contains the benchmarks set for measuring long-tern progress towards the goals and establishes a baseline for each participating state. Click here to download the report in pdf format .


1998 Report of the Commission on the Future of the South - Southern Connections: Connecting with Each Other, Connecting with the Future $10 Copyright © 1999, Southern Growth Policies Board Southern Connections: Connecting with Each Other, Connecting with the Future was the final report from the Commission on the Future of the South, a group of Southern leaders that was formed every six years to prepare regional objectives. This report contains regional goals and objectives for supporting and investing in Southern communities and their citizens. Regional goals presented in the report include building vibrant and secure communities; building healthy environments for children; building quality education and world class work skills; and building broader economic partnerships. Click here to download the report in pdf format.


Globalization Publications				Back to Top

The Globally Competitive South (Under Construction) $10 by Jim Clinton, Carol Conway, Linda Hoke, with contributions from Scott Doron and Karen Barlow Copyright © 2004, Southern Growth Policies Board The Globally Competitive South (Under Construction) report focuses on globalization and both the opportunities and challenges it presents to Southern states and communities. The report encourages the states and communities to act on their own to create better jobs, more wealth and stronger communities in response to the changes in business climate and demographics. The report includes research on the gap between what the South exports and what it could export, and the number of jobs lost or unrealized as a result of this under-performance. Recommendations in the report include increasing exports and international education, and building relationships with foreign communities at home and abroad. The report also includes examples of how the South’s public, private and academic sectors are addressing globalization. Click here to download the report in pdf format. Companion Toolkit - VHS *Globally Positioning the South Toolkit* $10 by Carol Conway and Linda Hoke Copyright © 2003, Southern Growth Policies Board The Globally Positioning the South toolkit is designed to help communities plan their future in the global economy. Materials are designed to guide citizens in a discussion of possible approaches with the help of a moderator's guide and a discussion guide. An introductory video on the topic of globalization and placemats that provide fun facts and games to get citizens thinking about their community's connections to the global economy are also available. To view the tool kit materials, click here.


Fast Forward: Mobilizing the South for Prosperity in a Global Economy by Carol Conway Copyright © 2003, Southern Growth Policies Board Developed by the Global Strategies Council, Fast Forward calls on states to work towards creating a globally educated, engaged and competitive South. The paper makes the case for taking a comprehensive looks at globalization's effects and opportunities, and elevating the issue to a high policy level. The report includes benchmarks on the South's standing in exporting, foreign direct investment, immigration, international education and international relations. To download the 20 page executive summary, click here. To download the entire paper in pdf format, click here.
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Phone: (919) 941-5145, Fax: (919) 941-5594