Project Rebound is an initiative to enable the re-opening of the regional economy post COVID-19 by engaging business leaders to share insights, identify challenges, and build actionable strategies.
Committees include local business and community leaders with deep subject matter expertise who convened to discuss strategy in the following areas:
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Reviving Small Businesses
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Restarting the Hospitality and Tourism Engine
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Leveraging Strengths of Anchor Institutions
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Protecting the Arts & Creative Economy
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Assessing Key Industry Clusters
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Business and Financial Services, Information Technology, and Manufacturing
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Biomedical and Biotechnology, Food and Beverage Manufacturing, and Defense
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Preparing Vital Infrastructure
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Restoring Nonprofit & Community Organizations
The OE Team was engaged to design and facilitate12 industry-specific committee meetings and three open community sessions to solicit insights and ideas for local economic recovery and renewal.
OUTCOMES
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Identifying best practices and responses with proven success
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Developing solutions for known challenges and pain points
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Creating future opportunities across multiple economic sectors
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Developing a blueprint for restoring local business operations
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Building economic resiliency in the wake of COVID-19
TIMELINE & DELIVERABLES
May 2020
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Solicitation of community input through sector-specific committees and community conversations
Late May – Early June 2020
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Synthesis of input into opportunities and blueprint
June 2020 & On-Going
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Blueprint report for economic resiliency and reinvention in the greater Charlottesville region
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A roadmap for implementation of immediate and later opportunities
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Additional resources to assist businesses during Virginia’s phased reopening
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Ongoing opportunities for the business community to convene, connect and collaborate to strengthen the economy
Project Leadership
Steering Team:
Elizabeth Cromwell, Chamber President & CEO
Chris Engel, City of Charlottesville Director of Economic Development
Roger Johnson, Albemarle County Economic Development Director
Pace Lochte, UVA Assistant Vice President for Economic Development
Denise Herndon, UVA Program Director for Economic Development
Rachael Hobbs, UVA Office of Ecnomic Development Project Associate
Project Manager:
Andrea Copeland-Whitsett, Chamber Director of Member Education Services
Communications:
Ann Marie Hohenberger, Chamber Marketing & Communications