FOCUS, Morris:  Let’s work proactively to build a brighter Charleston future

By Kyra Morris, contributing editor  | There are four key issues at the heart of every community.  These are jobs, housing, education and infrastructure. Charleston is very fortunate to have a diverse foundation of businesses and a plethora of jobs.  This is in large part due to many local business leaders, our local and state government, and the Charleston Regional Development Alliance, an association put together after we lost the Charleston Naval Shipyard in the early 1990s.

When the naval shipyard, our largest employer, closed, our community heard the need and came together at a critical point in time.  Leadership from all parts of the Tri-county area worked tirelessly to solve the jobs problem. We wanted strong, sustainable employment for our citizens.  This effort paid off over time. Charleston is now known all over the world, and people are coming by the thousands both as tourists and new residents. We have jobs.

Morris

The other three issues though are still in the “need” stage.  We are struggling with the availability of affordable workforce housing.  Our pipeline of skilled and educated workers from within our neighborhoods is lacking, and the complaints about our roads and snarled traffic are frequent and loud.  

Again the citizens, business leaders, and public servants need to work together as one region to look at these issues proactively.  In 2012, the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce created a program called Accelerate Greater Charleston. The chamber wanted to provide important data to show what the needs are and will be, and also to help channel the voice of the Charleston community.  They’ve done and accomplished many things with a lot of input from both the public and private sector.

• The chamber provides trips to sister cities to study housing, entrepreneurship, infrastructure and education.
• After the Nashville trip, regional career academies in 24 of 26 high schools were launched.  These career academies expose high school students to work experiences with partnering businesses.  The students have the ability to graduate with dual credits from Trident Technical College. And they have the potential for gainful employment upon graduation.
• After the San Antonio trip, the chamber helped fund the Youth Apprenticeship Program by collaborating with Trident Technical College and Apprenticeship Carolina.  This program is now being recognized as one to emulate across our country.
• The chamber provides the resources to gather the data, collate the information and determine what the high demand occupations are and where the trend is going.  This helps educators provide education that truly creates talent in our workforce.
• The chamber hired a lobbyist and formed an advocacy committee that led a statewide coalition to pass the motor fuel users fee,  resulting in over $600 million in on-going infrastructure funding.
• The advocacy committee also aided in the passage of the nuisance lawsuit bill and tax credits for early stage technology startup companies
• The chamber provided research to come up with a plan for functional mass transit for our region.  Lowcountry Rapid Transit is happening and it has a lot of positive features.
• The Investment Opportunity Study, a recent work of the chamber, puts the data together so that we can see our region the way an investor would view us.  It is enlightening, sobering and helpful.

The chamber has been part of positive change and vision for Charleston.  It is now creating the next plan to continue the momentum forward – Accelerate Greater Charleston 3.  The chamber is not an exclusive club, but the largest business membership organization in our area with over 1,600 members.  Their work is available to all. If you want to get involved, to learn more about the facts, and to have your voice heard, they will welcome your participation.

I’ve used the Chamber as an example, a strong example.  It has tentacles and processes to get involved in every issue of concern.  There are many other organizations also doing good things. There are many ways to get involved to work towards the sustainability of a thriving Charleston.  We should not bury our heads in the sand and pretend our problems will go away or solve themselves, nor should we be negative ninnies talking only of the existing problems.  All of us whether we are citizens, business leaders or public servants need to work together as a region to look at these issues proactively. We need an inquisitive eye to see the beneficial long term solutions.  

We have the potential to be a role model for the world.  We can have welcoming commerce, housing where workers can live near their jobs, beautiful green spaces and water playgrounds, and educational pipelines that catapult our youth into sustainable careers. It’s up to us.  Let’s gather the positives and shout them loudly. Go Charleston!

Kyra H. Morris, a Certified Financial Planner, is CEO of Morris Financial Concepts, Inc., in Mount Pleasant. A national leader in the financial planning profession, she has been named several times by leading magazines as one of the country’s top financial planners.  

• Have a comment?  Send to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com