"It's better to develop strategies than ulcers."
That's an old economic development joke, according to Economic Development Director Larry Rosenstrauch.
Take note of it, because a few years down the road when Loudoun County is prospering healthily rather than bleeding money, citizens will thank the newly revised county Economic Development Strategic Plan.
The new plan improves on the old one, which was crafted in the late '90s, in one significant way: it separates the ideas from the action. The old strategic plan had 101 actions tied to it. The new one is broader, more overarching for the county's future; the specific actions that will take it into the real world will be presented in an annual action plan, to be released by the end of the year.
"We looked at the current plan with the idea of, what's still good, what needs to be changed, what have we accomplished — that we can scratch off — and what do we need to add," said Cindy Richmond, deputy director of the Department of Economic Development.
What the Economic Development Commission (EDC) discovered when it looked at the previous plan was that "many of the overriding principles were good," said the EDC's Policy and Implementation chair Tamar Datan.
"We changed some goals around a little bit, made them more encompassing," Datan said.
Eventually, the EDC would like to have the strategic plan available online, and updated as often as an action plan is executed. Then, members of the community could access the latest information about the county's progress.
"Ideally, they'd be able to find better ways to get involved," Datan said.
TRANSPORTATION, education, workforce issues and quality of life are the top concerns of Loudoun businesses, according to a 2003 poll conducted by the EDC and the Chamber of Commerce. Facts like that drove the EDC to broaden the strategic plan's vision statement.
Loudoun should become "an innovative, globally competitive economy known for its favorable business environment, exceptional quality of place and strong sense of community," the new plan reads.
Datan stressed the county's need to protect and capitalize on its distinct living spaces — its blend of suburban and rural landscape.
"We won't be able to attract the high quality businesses unless we maintain, or in some way improve, the quality of life," Datan said.
Quality of life, as an intangible element, derives from many sources. That's why the Department of Economic Development hopes to get everyone in the county to approve the new plan, including the Chamber of Commerce, the school board and the Loudoun Convention & Visitors Association.
By the end of the year, the EDC will have an action plan — a list of desired accomplishments given top priority by the county. While this year's action plan is not yet complete, it can be expected to include installing broadband infrastructure to the county and giving the county a recognizable "brand name" for marketing purposes.
Rosenstrauch is enthusiastic about the plan's impact on the future of Loudoun.
"Not every county has a well-thought-out strategy," he said, "and now we're in the group that has a well-thought-out strategy."