Pittsburgh Diaspora Council

Neat idea from Tidewater country in Virginia:

Scores, if not hundreds, of Franklin natives are succeeding at the highest levels of business, government, academia and military service in this country. They’ve had first-hand experience with companies, organizations, communities and economies that are thriving. More important, they understand Franklin — its strengths and its limitations — in a way that no outside consultant ever could. Imagine the power of a single brainstorming session, much less an ongoing effort.

I scanned the membership roster of the Franklin Rotary Club recently and immediately made a mental list of 15 adult children of Rotarians who’d make terrific members of such an advisory group. That’s barely scratching the surface

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The aim isn't to entice these people to return. More modestly, the proposal is to tap the brains that have drained from coastal Virginia. Few communities have the wherewithal to face up to the realities of out-migration. That should provide Franklin, VA with a considerable advantage.