ChamberLink May 2012 : Page 3

MAY 2012 • ChAMberLink 3 Chairman’s Report P roposed defense spending cuts, new round of BRAC cause for concern The American economy is show-ing some signs of life this spring. That is good news for individuals and businesses that have endured one disaster after another for the past four years. The Fredericksburg Region has been blessed, of course, as our proximity to Washington, D.C. has somewhat insulated many businesses from the worst of the recession. But a substantial threat looms for our regional economy and that of the commonwealth as a whole. I’m referring to proposals from the White House and the Pentagon to drastically cut defense spending over the next decade. In addition, the ongoing failure by Congress to move toward balanced budgets will likely trigger the process of “seques-tration,” which will spur even further defense reductions. Prof. Stephen Fuller, director of George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis, suggested in the March issue of ChamberLink that Virginia already is feeling the effects of ongoing federal spending reductions. Failure to plan for the deep cuts proposed to the defense budget could prove catastrophic. Already we’ve seen the commands at Naval Support Facility Dahlgren take a hit due to the shrinking and restructuring of JFCOMM in the Hampton Roads Region. Keep that in mind as the specter of BRAC – Base Realignment and Closure -arises. President Obama’s budget calls for two rounds of BRAC within this decade. The Fredericksburg Region was blessed in the last BRAC, with jobs being added to the area, especially at Marine Corps Base Quantico. We cannot assume fortune will smile on us again, regardless of our highly educated workforce and our ideal location as a hub for military and government operations. The Chamber is ready at a mo-ment’s notice to join local economic development agencies to tell this region’s story to the BRAC Com-mission in order to protect existing jobs and to lure new commands and agencies to the area. Leading our efforts on this front are members of our Military Affairs Council. MAC members have many decades of combined experience in both the military and business worlds. They are dedicated to safeguarding our region’s military installations; to strengthening America’s national security and doing all they can to expand our economy. The Chamber’s members, board of directors and staff are ready to join this fight. We will do so by working closely with our federal, state and local elected officials. We will do so by keeping you informed of the lat-est developments in federal defense spending. We are ready to meet whatever challenges may come our way. Mark Steele is Managing Partner of The Title Professionals, LLC. By Mark Steele Hiebert offers tips on building a life of excellence to Next Generation, Chamber members Linda Rivera (left) of Hilldrup Moving and Storage and Amanda Talbert of GEICO joined about 100 other people to hear Mr. Hiebert’s remarks. GEICO served as the event's Individual Sponsor Stephanie Lyles, Rhonda Clyborne and Sarah Johnson of NSWC Federal Credit Union, were among the attendees at “Cultivating a Life of Excellence and Discipline” at The Inn at the Olde Silk Mill. NSWC served as the event’s Gold Sponsor. Greg Hiebert, co-facilitator of Leadership Fredericksburg Creating a fulfilling life is hard work that requires constant striving for well-defined goals. Greg Hiebert, co-founder of leadership Forward and co-facilitator of the Leadership Fredericksburg program, recently outlined the steps for creating the mental discipline that spurs success. Mr. Hiebert spoke to about 100 members of The Next Generation of Business Leaders and the Chamber during an April 19 meeting at The Inn at the Olde Silk Mill. NSWC Federal Credit Union served as Gold Sponsor of his talk, “Cultivating a Life of Excellence and Discipline.” GEICO served as the event’s Individual Sponsor. Mr. Hiebert opened his hour-long talk by focusing on the nature of greatness, quoting from author Jim Collins – “Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice and discipline.” Mr. Hiebert then shared the story of Rob Summers, a promising young college baseball player who was para-lyzed after a car hit him in 2006. Told he would never walk again, Mr. Summers brought to bear all of the willpower he had previously un-leashed on the baseball diamond. In 2009, he had an electrical stimulator implanted in his spine. Current from the device has allowed him to stand and even walk on a treadmill. Mr. Hiebert marveled at the young man’s determination to walk and run again, arguing that applying such grit to daily routines will produce fantastic results. The key, he added, is disciplining the mind by being vigilant, working hard and – perhaps hardest of all – avoiding distractions. To create new, beneficial habits, a person must set a goal and then develop a series of steps for hitting that target. He or she must then find a cue that triggers the use of a routine used to achieve the goal. Reaching the mark must then pro-duce a clearly defined reward, which creates a positive feedback loop that will spur the person to continue striving to achieve. Mr. Hiebert urged the audience to set clearly defined dreams for themselves, which not only meet their personal needs but serve as a larger purpose. Gaining such de-sires, he added, will require spiritual alignment, mental focus, emotional connectedness and physical engage-ment.

Proposed defense spending cuts, new round of BRAC cause for concern

Mark Steele

The American economy is showing some signs of life this spring. That is good news for individuals and businesses that have endured one disaster after another for the past four years. The Fredericksburg Region has been blessed, of course, as our proximity to Washington, D.C. has somewhat insulated many businesses from the worst of the recession. But a substantial threat looms for our regional economy and that of the commonwealth as a whole. I’m referring to proposals from the White House and the Pentagon to drastically cut defense spending over the next decade. In addition, the ongoing failure by Congress to move toward balanced budgets will likely trigger the process of “sequestration,” which will spur even further defense reductions. Prof. Stephen Fuller, director of George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis, suggested in the March issue of ChamberLink that Virginia already is feeling the effects of ongoing federal spending reductions. Failure to plan for the deep cuts proposed to the defense budget could prove catastrophic. Already we’ve seen the commands at Naval Support Facility Dahlgren take a hit due to the shrinking and restructuring of JFCOMM in the Hampton Roads Region. Keep that in mind as the specter of BRAC – Base Realignment and Closure - arises. President Obama’s budget calls for two rounds of BRAC within this decade. The Fredericksburg Region was blessed in the last BRAC, with jobs being added to the area, especially at Marine Corps Base Quantico. We cannot assume fortune will smile on us again, regardless of our highly educated workforce and our ideal location as a hub for military and government operations. The Chamber is ready at a moment’s notice to join local economic development agencies to tell this region’s story to the BRAC Commission in order to protect existing jobs and to lure new commands and agencies to the area. Leading our efforts on this front are members of our Military Affairs Council. MAC members have many decades of combined experience in both the military and business worlds. They are dedicated to safeguarding our region’s military installations; to strengthening America’s national security and doing all they can to expand our economy. The Chamber’s members, board of directors and staff are ready to join this fight. We will do so by working closely with our federal, state and local elected officials. We will do so by keeping you informed of the latest developments in federal defense spending. We are ready to meet whatever challenges may come our way. Mark Steele is Managing Partner of The Title Professionals, LLC.

Hiebert offers tips on building a life of excellence to Next Generation, Chamber members

Creating a fulfilling life is hard work that requires constant striving for well-defined goals. Greg Hiebert, co-founder of leadershipForward and co-facilitator of the Leadership Fredericksburg program, recently outlined the steps for creating the mental discipline that spurs success. Mr. Hiebert spoke to about 100 members of The Next Generation of Business Leaders and the Chamber during an April 19 meeting at The Inn at the Olde Silk Mill. NSWC Federal Credit Union served as Gold Sponsor of his talk, “Cultivating a Life of Excellence and Discipline.” GEICO served as the event’s Individual Sponsor. Mr. Hiebert opened his hour-long talk by focusing on the nature of greatness, quoting from author Jim Collins – “Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice and discipline.” Mr. Hiebert then shared the story of Rob Summers, a promising young college baseball player who was paralyzed after a car hit him in 2006. Told he would never walk again, Mr. Summers brought to bear all of the willpower he had previously unleashed on the baseball diamond. In 2009, he had an electrical stimulator implanted in his spine. Current from the device has allowed him to stand and even walk on a treadmill. Mr. Hiebert marveled at the young man’s determination to walk and run again, arguing that applying such grit to daily routines will produce fantastic results. The key, he added, is disciplining the mind by being vigilant, working hard and – perhaps hardest of all – avoiding distractions. To create new, beneficial habits, a person must set a goal and then develop a series of steps for hitting that target. He or she must then find a cue that triggers the use of a routine used to achieve the goal. Reaching the mark must then produce a clearly defined reward, which creates a positive feedback loop that will spur the person to continue striving to achieve. Mr. Hiebert urged the audience to set clearly defined dreams for themselves, which not only meet their personal needs but serve as a larger purpose. Gaining such desires, he added, will require spiritual alignment, mental focus, emotional connectedness and physical engagement.

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