Jolley shares expertise on Opportunity Zones at National Governors Association summit

Dr. Jason Jolley, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs Professor of Rural Economic Development and MPA Director, presented at the National Governors Association’s State Summit on Opportunity Zones last month, and was one of only 65 invited attendees to the event.

Held in Annapolis, Maryland, the meeting was hosted by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. It provided states with an update on the status of Opportunity Zones, highlighted current best practices in state policymaking, and identified strategies to maximize state investments through this program.

An Opportunity Zone is a low-income community where new investments may be eligible for preferential tax treatment. The purpose of identifying these areas is to spur economic development and job creation.

Jolley, along with Director of the Ohio Development Services Agency Lydia Mihalik, served on a panel discussion, “Community Foundations, Eds & Meds, and Other Anchor Institutions,” providing an overview of the Voinovich School’s Building Opportunities Beyond Coal Accelerating Transition (BOBCAT) Network project, a partnership with the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission. He also shared his expertise on the role that universities can play in leading Opportunity Zone development, based on his work with the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities.

“It was an honor to represent the Voinovich School and Ohio University at the National Governors Association State Summit on Opportunity Zones,” Jolley said. “Many of us at Ohio University, around the Appalachian Ohio region, and across the State of Ohio are working in partnership to prepare our communities to take advantage of the Opportunity Zones designated in the state.”

Through this work, Jolley continues on with the same commitment to Ohio as the School’s namesake, Sen. George V. Voinovich.

“On a personal level, representing the Voinovich School at the event was special to me because George Voinovich served as chair of the National Governors Association when he was Governor of Ohio,” Jolley said. “NGA is an organization that meant a great deal to Governor Voinovich because of it is focus on public-private partnerships and seeking innovative solutions to the challenges faced by states.”