Chambers’ excitement speaks volumes about W.Va’s potential

I asked the question as simple as it gets, "why West Virginia?" 

Why would John Chambers, a billionaire tech guru who established global renown after turning Cisco Systems into a telecommunications conglomerate, want to help West Virginia? 

Yes, he calls the Mountain State his home after growing up in Charleston and attending the namesake high school. But it's his answer, ‘why’ that explains the genuine reasoning.

"There's something magical about the state," Chambers explained. "Whether it's capturing the image of the state, its beauty, the kindness of the people ... it's Almost Heaven. It's very unique."

When John grew up in the capital city in the 50s and 60s, the Kanawha Valley was the Silicon Valley of chemical plants. Thousands of the country's leading engineers lived in Charley West. 

At the same time, there were over 125,000 coal miners employed, powering parts of the world with the black rock mined in the Appalachian hills. 

But as circumstances changed and those industries scaled back, West Virginia failed to acclimate. A fall from grace like only Chambers' generation fully understands. 

"There were more millionaires living in Charleston than the United Kingdom," Chamber said. "I saw what our state can do. My memories are all great."

Those memories are part of his drive to get West Virginia back on top now. 

And as we discussed with Chambers in the latest episode of the Mountaineer Media Podcast, our state is in a window of time where an opportunity exists to reclaim some shine, and it's in large part because of COVID-19.  

Although the pandemic has caused irreversible damage, West Virginia is in a position to build a solid economic foundation. 

Now that there's an emphasis on working from home -- people can live in West Virginia but work remotely from New York, Chicago, Charlotte, Washington D.C. or beyond. 

"We have to have the courage to take a risk, fail and learn from those failures," Chambers said confidently. 

And with the expansion of the Virgin Hyperloop, a quick ride from Tucker County (or other parts of West Virginia if they expand) to Washington D.C. for lunch doesn't seem unrealistic -- or very far into the future.  

Chambers said the go-getter attitude West Virginia had to get the HyperLoop is the same we need moving forward. 

"Seventeen states competed for this. We were 18 out of 17," Chambers laughed. "We weren't even on the list but we didn't go away. They had their pick with wherever they wanted to go and they wanted to go to West Virginia."

Yes, the Hyperloop is an exceptional addition to the Mountain State, which hopefully attracts tourists soon. But as Chambers explains, not one particular project or industry will be enough to revitalize the state. 

"We have the courage to dream again," Chambers said. "While we probably can't do this one swoop, we are taking small steps at a time and send a message this is where you outta work remotely, in West Virginia, a place with access to tourism and the outdoors."

So as we gaze into the crystal ball at West Virginia's future, it's incredibly comforting to know someone as globally recognizable as John Chambers is excited about its potential. But without a consistent want to improve, that potential is nothing more than a fantasy. 

"It isn't a question of will we fall, will we trip or will we get knocked on our tail? Everybody does," Chambers said. "What determines your future is how you handle those challenges and do you get back up?"

"I still believe our best days are ahead of us if we execute right and have the courage to change."

Chambers knows it. Hopefully, the people of West Virginia do too.