This op-ed piece was written by Christopher Burns of the Rochester YP group in NY illustrating his frustration in not having resources to create such a position similar to the one the City of Roanoke has created for our region.

This candid article should illustrate to readers of this blog the creativity, vision and commitment the City Manager of Roanoke, Va. had when she created a position to address the brain drain phenomenon. Also, Lynchburg, Va. has recently created such a position as well.

Christopher is right. It is no one person’s role or responsibility. It is shared and others must buy in. Therefore, we must encourage and promote all folks who have an interest in this topic to get engaged, plan events, start groups, use new communication channels and create that buzz about our region.

I congratulate and admire the pasion and commitment Christopher has to the issue – a shared passion that I and many others in this region have. Keep pushing Christopher.