Our Vision
To Flourish as One Cohesive Region
For 44 years, the Future of Hampton Roads has championed regionalism among the 17 municipalities. Here's who we are, what we are doing, and where we are headed.
What We Do
Our Approach for Regional Collaboration
Envision
We think beyond immediate challenges to shape the long-term future of Hampton Roads — identifying what the region could become and building shared vision across municipalities, sectors, and generations.
Convene
We aim to bring together regional stakeholders across all 17 municipalities — including city officials, business owners, nonprofits, and community voices — around issues that no single municipality can solve alone.
Advocate
We aim to champion cross-jurisdictional solutions and give voice to initiatives that require regional cooperation to succeed — from transportation funding to housing affordability.
Amplify
We aim to spotlight what's working across the region, highlight leaders who think beyond their borders, and tell the Hampton Roads story in a way that promotes regionalism and attracts investment, talent, and opportunities.
Rally
After ideas of regional initiatives are formulated, we will help to promote and execute them on a regional level.
44 Years of Impact
We Helped Build This Region
Future of Hampton Roads, Inc. grew out of a 1982 initiative of several local private citizens who recognized the increasing importance of regional cooperation for enhancing the economy and quality of life in Southeastern Virginia.
Henry Clay Hofheimer — long recognized as an outstanding business and community leader in Norfolk — together with Dr. William Mayer, president of Eastern Virginia Medical School; Thomas Chisman, Chairman of WVEC-TV; and retired Admiral Harry D. Train II, formerly the senior U.S. Atlantic Fleet and NATO Naval Commander, recruited business and civic leaders from the area's 16 cities and counties to engage in the region's first strategic visioning process.
Among our most lasting contributions: we played a central role in establishing "Hampton Roads" as the official name for this region — a unified identity that 1.8 million people now claim.
In late 2003, FHR held three regional forums with three speakers headlining the forums: Governor Baliles, Professor Larry Sabato, and civic expert Robert O'Neill. It's interesting that all three stressed the same point at these forums: that the biggest hindrance to improved economic performance in Virginia's regions is the structure of local government, by which they meant the lack of an effective governance structure for dealing with regional issues.
The Work in Progress
Most Common Themes Across All Interviews
Our Regional Discovery Task Force has been meeting with leaders across sectors — nonprofits, developers, city officials, community organizers — to understand where FHR can add the most value and where to step back because other regional organizations and their leaders are already doing the work.
#1 — The Region Is Ready for a Unifying Architecture
Every person interviewed, across completely different sectors, independently identified the same gap — which means there's rare, cross-sector consensus on what's needed. Municipalities are primed for a coordination model that lets them collaborate without surrendering identity. The demand is already there; the infrastructure just hasn't been built yet.
#2 — Hampton Roads Has an Untapped Regional Brand
Past campaigns to promote the "Hampton Roads" brand have had varying results. However, we know that a compelling, collective story lands. The opportunity is to inspire all regional stakeholders to own and amplify that narrative continuously, turning isolated wins into a sustained regional identity.
#3 — Talent Retention Is Connected Directly to Place-Making
Sometimes young people leave to go to other regions, including the feeling of lack of belonging here. That's actually a solvable problem. Investments in identity, culture, and place are directly correlated to keeping the talent the region is already producing or attracting.
#4 — Underserved Capital Markets Are an Untapped Economic Engine
We need more capital sources here. Underfunded founders exist and are already delivering results — they simply lack access to institutional capital. Bridging that gap doesn't require creating new capacity. It means amplifying what's already working.
Ready to Shape Hampton Roads' Future?
Join FHR as a member and add your voice to the region's future.