S AND SAFTER LOSING 1,100 JOBS IN TWO YEARS, THIS SMALL VIRGINIA CITY BETS ON HOMEOWNERSHIP, FESTIVALS, AND FIBER INFRASTRUCTURE TO REBUILD ITS ECONOMY Emporia, Virginia, finds itself at a critical juncture. The seven-square-mile city just lost 550 jobs when Georgia-Pacific shuttered its plywood plant in May, following Boar’s Head’s closure in nearby Jarratt. Yet City Manager William E. Johnson III sees opportunity where others might see a crisis.“We are a resilient community,” he says.“We are in a great region. We have good regional partners, and we are going to continue to push and move the community forward in a positive direction.” 2 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
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