New year's resolutions would strengthen nation, Augusta, business school

Two weeks ago in this space, I made my 2022 predictions for the national economy and the Augusta economy. As promised, in this column I will present resolutions for 2022.

However, I am going to take a different tack with some of these resolutions. While I am going to make resolutions for the United States and for the Augusta area, they are more about things we should do rather than what we will do. Therefore, I have limited expectations as to whether they will be done.

However, when it comes to resolutions for Augusta University's Hull College of Business and me, I hope you will hold me accountable as to whether I keep those resolutions.

With those caveats, here we go:

Resolutions for the United States

Again, these are more hopes than resolutions. It is my feeling that for our country to move forward economically and socially, we need our leaders to do the following:

• Political consensus/finding common ground: Unfortunately, our two political parties have become more and more polarized and the parties themselves are being run by their extremes. This is a mismatch with the people of the United States who identify as mostly centrist, leaning slightly right. Most Americans are frustrated that not much gets done at any level of government, particularly at the federal level, because of the divide between our two major parties. I resolve that the moderate wings of each party work together to develop common ground and consensus on how to move the country forward.

• Investment over spending: At all levels of government – but again, particularly at the federal level – I resolve that we need to use our funds to better invest in the future of the country. While there has been some need for spending to help people out because of the pandemic, the country needs to invest its money more on things that will provide a return. The bipartisan infrastructure bill looks to me to be a good investment, but further investment should be made in areas such as research and development and job training that will provide a return on investment in the future. As regular readers of this column know, I promote investment in the development of a mandatory national service program as one such vehicle.

• Increase emphasis on foreign policy: Over the past couple of decades, we have seen a decreased emphasis on foreign policy. While we have been dealing with economic crises and a pandemic at home, it appears we have put less emphasis on foreign policy. I resolve that our country refocuses on how we deal with Russia, China, North Korea and Iran to protect our future national security.

• Equal Opportunity for All: Many of the social problems that we have been afflicted by in recent years have been driven by either the perception or reality of restricted opportunities for segments of our population. I resolve that many of our issues will be mitigated if equal opportunity is provided to all no matter the person’s gender, race or other perceived difference.

Resolutions for Augusta

Augusta is at a pivotal point in its ability to continue to thrive economically. Again, more hopes than resolutions, but based on what I have seen up close in Augusta, there is good reason for optimism.

• Unity over parochialism: One of the ongoing issues in the Augusta area has been parochialism, whether it be one part of the city vs. another, one county vs. another, or Georgia vs. South Carolina. While much progress has been made in my five years living in this region, this area will flourish if we resolve to choose unity over parochialism.

• Increase investment in K-12 education: Our future will be determined by our ability to support our local industries and attract other businesses to our areas. The No. 1 priority for organizations today is an accessible workforce. Therefore, I resolve that we increase our investment in education to ensure we have that workforce available for employers.

• Investment in community projects: For us to thrive economically, we need to continue to make Augusta a better place to live. I resolve for our area to continue to invest in projects like The Hub, which will make our community stronger. I see an investment in supporting financial literacy as a potential next step to complement The Hub.

• Investment in entrepreneurship: There is a vibrant entrepreneurial and small-business community in Augusta. Between the efforts of the Small Business Development Center and the Clubhou.se, we have the start of a solid ecosystem. I resolve that if as a community we support our local entrepreneurs, we can see our local economy grow even more.

Resolutions for Hull College of Business

Here are some resolutions that I, along with my faculty and staff, can deliver on – and hope you will hold me accountable:

• Community impact: As a business school, we play an important role in improving the community we live in. Whether it is through workforce development, the spread of financial literacy, supporting local entrepreneurs or numerous other opportunities, I resolve that Hull College will deliver a positive impact on this community.

• Invest in our people: I resolve that Hull College will continue to make its people – faculty and staff – and our students our top priority, and we will invest in their professional development to make their lives and our community more enriched.

• Support our pillars: While we are a business school, I resolve that the Hull College can do its best work supporting the pillar industries of our community – health care and cybersecurity.

I hope these resolutions provide a path forward for our country, our community and our business school. Personally, I have a resolution of “reflection over reaction” and will reflect on the resolutions presented in this column to help make my community a better place.

The writer is dean of the Hull College of Business at Augusta University.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Resolutions for 2022 would strengthen nation, Augusta, business school