Tobacco commission head talks economic development ahead of Martinsville visit

For the second time since becoming head of the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, James Campos will visit Martinsville on Tuesday and will tour the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Training.

The visit comes almost a year after the facility, located at the Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre, officially opened its doors to provide workforce-related training.

Campos’ visit will be largely educational as he and his staff spread the word about the initiatives the commission seeks to pursue in the coming years, which will focus on issues including energy, loan programs, agriculture and housing.

Campos said the Martinsville visit is intended to promote these initiatives and isn’t necessarily the precursor to a larger project.

“It’s part of our job to make sure that we visit as many locales as possible,” Campos said Monday, adding that he feels it’s the commission’s responsibility to make sure all regions throughout the state experience growth.

Campos held a number of positions prior to heading up the commission. In 2018, he received a presidential appointment to serve as assistant secretary/director at the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the Department of Energy. He also served on several White House councils, including the White House Council on Hispanics in Excellence, the White House Council on HBCU and the White House Council on Opportunity and Revitalization Zones.

Campos’ visit comes during the commission’s 25th anniversary year. In the late 1990s, state lawmakers created the commission to help tobacco-dependent areas in the state’s Southside and Southwest regions. Funded by the national tobacco settlement, the commission provides grant funding to 40 localities.

“This is the silver anniversary, so we’re very happy about that,” Campos said, adding that the commission has pursued a number of projects including helping to expand broadband to more remote areas.

Campos, who has served as the commission’s director for over a year, said the Martinsville visit will allow him to get to better know local officials and listen to their economic development needs. Campos added that sites like the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Training are an ideal location for discussing economic development.

Campos noted that the center and similar places make a significant impact on their communities both by training residents and facilitating collaboration with groups like the commission.

Campos said that in the 25 years since the commission’s creation, the Martinsville region has experienced notable improvements.

“I believe that Martinsville and Henry County have great potential to be a forerunner for economic development success,” Campos said, before going on to praise the city’s workforce, among other assets.

Housing was among the concerns Campos mentioned, stating that a lack of it could discourage the region’s natural growth.

“We’re looking forward to increasing [economic] growth in the area,” Campos said. “Of course we want to do better. Of course … in the past decade or so we’ve lost some population, we’ve lost a few businesses, but we’re seeking to retain and grow that business sector.”

With Commonwealth Crossings’ proximity to the North Carolina border, Campos said Martinsville and surrounding area will always be a key strategic region.

“We have a lot of states that are competitive around us,” Campos said. “We just have to do a better job in maximizing what we have.”

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