News Summary

If you were trying to persuade someone to move to the Dayton region, what would you want them to know?

That's a question the Dayton Development Coalition and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base officials are working to answer. How they approach their pitch — and how well they do — will have big implications for us.

Especially after the region's recent doses of bad economic news, the moves that the Air Force is making as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission are a big opportunity. About 1,200 new military and civilian positions are coming to Wright-Patt from bases in Texas, Florida, Arizona, New York and Massachusetts.

Hundreds of other jobs are expected to follow, as contractors and companies come to the region for Air Force work.

About half of the Air Force's jobs are civilian. Of course, people who are in the service will simply be ordered to move. But civilians have to choose to uproot their families.

The new jobs that are coming here are important to the Air Force because many of them require advanced degrees in the sciences, math or engineering. The work these people will perform will make Wright-Patt even more important in the Air Force's orbit than it already is.

When work is moved, typically only a small percentage of civilians follow it. Different numbers are thrown around, but the Air Force plans on as few as 10 percent to 15 percent of civilians taking transfers.

Bert Cream, the BRAC community liaison for the coalition, and Jacque Fisher, director of BRAC issues for the base, want to do much better.

Cream already has had conversations with some possible transplants. But the big effort the base and the coalition are planning is Sept. 24 at Brooks City Base in San Antonio. (Brooks is sending a large contingent of work to Wright-Patt.)

This "open house" will be a big opportunity for the region to show off what it has to offer. There will be speakers, question-and-answer forums and plenty of booths touting our amenities. Folks representing real estate companies, banks, entertainment venues and individual communities will be on hand.

In his work so far, Cream, who moved here from San Antonio in 1970, has learned what people want to know.

"It's exactly what you'd expect," he said.

They want to know about quality of life, the cost of living, cultural events and opportunities. They're curious about specific communities, taxes, schools and entertainment. Many want to know about job possibilities for their spouses.

In the end, they're trying to decide if this is a good place to live.

The September event was scheduled for that month because children will be back in school, making it easier for spouses to attend. Cream acknowledged that spouses often are key.

Plans are still being finalized, but Cream knows that several points will be emphasized:

• When it comes to housing costs, commute times and many other of life's basics, we have plenty to offer.

• Scientists and researchers care a lot about the work they'll get to do, the facilities in which they'll operate and the nearby universities that can support them. Again, a regional strength is our colleges — including the University of Dayton, Wright State, Ohio State and the University of Cincinnati.

Cream, of course, points out that the folks who would move here will add greatly to our community. They'll bring intellectual capital, diversity and will themselves make this a better place to live.

In September, when our region puts itself out there, Cream wants "an easy, friendly environment to learn about our community."

In the end, Cream says folks at these other bases want to know this about the Dayton region: "Will I be happy there?"

It's our job to show them that they can.

Kevin Riley is the editor of the Dayton Daily News. Contact him at (937) 225-2161 or kriley@coxohio.com.