Economic Development Spotlight: Megan Lucas

Name: Megan A. Lucas
Title: CEO and Chief Economic Development Officer
Organization: Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance
How long in the field? 20+ years

How did you get into the economic development profession? I got lucky! My background, believe it or not, was in higher education and leadership. One day while I was working as the Director of Student Activities at Briar Cliff College in Sioux City, Iowa, my husband, Tory, came home from his law office and said, “I’d like to join the Air Force to serve as a judge advocate!” So off we went to Montgomery, Alabama, where I ran an amazing non-profit called Jasmine Hill Gardens & Outdoor Museum (Google it!). After two years, we received a “PCS date,” or permanent change of station, for our next assignment at Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma, Tennessee. Because it was April, there really was no easy path back into higher education. So, wait for it, I started volunteering at a nearby chamber when the Tullahoma Area Chamber of Commerce began a search for an executive director. Armed with four months of chamber volunteerism and a solid background in executive leadership, I convinced the Tullahoma Chamber’s Board of Directors that I had precisely the skills to succeed in the chamber world. I got the job and never looked back. I next served as President of the Bellevue (Nebraska) Chamber of Commerce, which is where I began to get involved nationally in chamber leadership, and I also entered the economic development space. By the time Tory and I moved to the Lynchburg region, I had a unique profile to jump right into chamber of commerce and economic development work—first as the inaugural Economic Development for the Town of Altavista, then as the CEO of the Region 2000 Economic Development Partnership, and now as the CEO and Chief Economic Development Officer for the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance. I serve on lots of national boards and love being part of this region and community.

What is one thing about your community that makes it unique? Genuine natural beauty and genuinely kind people. The Lynchburg Region is located at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains and on the banks of the James River. Our region is rich in natural resources, talent, and academic institutions. The people make it special and unique. Our region has a phenomenal, unique story. I love it here.

If money wasn’t a barrier and you could fill a current resource gap at your community what would you do?  Oh, there are lots of possibilities, but at the top of the list is to continue our work with our public and private partners to advance industrial sites to “pad-ready” status. Competition in economic development—to attract capital investment for business and industrial projects—is fierce with 3,141 counties, 19,000 municipalities, and 90,000 taxing jurisdictions just in the US. And, of course, there is global competition. Speed to market often is a deciding factor for relocating and growing companies, and it has shortened tremendously over the years as communities have gotten aggressive in preparing themselves to recruit and retain businesses. Today as we compete globally for new capital investment, many companies require a pad-ready site so they turn on the lights right away and be up and producing as quickly as possible. Our region has pad-ready sites, but to market our region more competitively, we need to increase the options available to growing companies. 

As you look to the future, what do you feel will be the most important thing for communities and economic developers to focus on? Being a prepared community—pad-ready sites, accurate and substantiated data, an engaged and well-qualified workforce, regional collaboration, innovation to drive solutions, and business-friendly political leaders. We also need to be ready for any issues that present reputational risk. We must offer low energy costs, quality education at every level, and a business environment that cultivates growth. Be prepared!

Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to a new leader in this field? Business leaders should study business, leadership, collaboration, and communication! Also, I recommend that up-and-coming economic developers earn a business degree, remain flexible, be kind to everyone, get involved, move out of your comfort zones, and think big. Surround yourself with people who are better, smarter, harder working, and kinder than you are. As it has been said, you are a direct reflection of the top five people that you spend time with. Your future will be impacted in a major way by the people with whom you spend time with today. And vice-versa!