Last week, DCA Past President, Brian DiSabatino, EDIS, put on his most current leadership hat for a presentation of the Delaware Business Roundtable’s (DBR) Delaware Investment Agenda report. As Chair of the Delaware Business Roundtable, Brian addressed a room full of Delaware’s business, non-profit and government leaders providing the framework for this year’s effort. DCA participated in the discussions that informed the consultants contracted by DBR to develop the report. The discussion topics ranged from housing to workforce to development to land use policies in New Castle County.

The report states that, “the current Investment Agenda serves as a blueprint for addressing the most pressing long-term challenges the state faces.” The recommendations seek to build upon the success of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership which was the product of DBR’s 2016 report. The report proposes the creation of a non-partisan Delaware Futures Council intended to, “raise awareness among Delaware’s leaders on the fundamental challenges impacting the state’s future prosperity.” The Delaware Futures Council, as envisioned, would set numeric objectives, identify resources and partners needed for implementation, and create a structure for tracking and reporting progress in key policy areas for the state:

• Innovation and Entrepreneurship – building a more robust entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem.
• Talent and Workforce – Strengthen Delaware’s talent pipeline and increase support for the state’s workforce.
• Long-term Competitiveness – Enhance Delaware’s long-term competitiveness for new investment, jobs and talent.

As a small state with an aging population, we must always be exploring innovative ways we can stand out in the region, the nation and the world. As the report notes, Delaware has well established strengthens but economic and cultural environments are ever changing, and we need to be in position to succeed with the changes. It’s important to regularly exam where we are strong and where there is opportunity for us to be competitive and a leader. The Delaware Investment Agenda is the next step in our self-examination. It’s critical to the well-being of our economy and the quality-of-life Delaware needs to provide to our citizens. I would recommend you use the link above when you have a moment and give the report a read.