The Danville Chamber of Commerce held a business at Breakfast event at the Institute for Advanced Learning and research Thursday. Beth Doughty with the Dan River Foundation spoke to over 100 community leaders about the recent successes of region bringing over $1 billion in economic projects with nearly 4,000 jobs since 2018. She also urged attendees to consider the future and what they hoped Danville would look like in 2042 not just where it is today. Danville City Council and the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors formed the Partnership for Regional Prosperity in 2020 to examine the change coming and knowing that planning for that change will produce the best outcomes. Doughty offered kudos to the growth of the River District and the public and private investments that have been made so far. Several of the questions posed to those community leaders in attendance were What is a barrier to the best feature for the Dan River region? What do you want people around Virginia to say about Danville in 2042? Attendees were encouraged to leave notes on those questions for review. 

Photo credit: Sandra Stone