"Statistically speaking, Lexington's workforce is quite well-educated — it's one of the top ten cities in America for college degrees per capita. The area's leaders have made a point to recruit larger high-tech businesses to the region to build a knowledge-based economy. However, technological evolution may be outpacing economic development strategy. While high-tech companies may not be in Lexington in force, knowledge-based workers are — and they have plenty of work.
Lexington is transforming itself into a diverse and vibrant knowledge-based economy not necessarily by attracting massive, high-tech businesses, but thanks mainly to three things: low cost of living, an attractive landscape, and broadband Internet access. While the city still needs employment anchors — the higher-ed and health care industries provide much of the base here today — couples are finding that in Lexington, both partners can live locally and work globally.
Elle Cayabyab Gitlin and Jonathan Gitlin are among Lexington's best examples of a local/global couple. Jonathan is a postdoc at UK's college of pharmacy, where he does research on heart disease. Elle is an independent consultant specializing in corporate training and information development. Both contribute to one of the world's most popular online science and technology publications, Ars Technica.
Elle is from the Philippines, while Jonathan grew up in the "other" UK. One can easily see they're quite close — they chose to respond to e-mailed questions not individually, but as a couple.
The couple met in an increasingly common fashion. "We met, as many couples do, through the workplace," they said via e-mail. "Jonathan lived in San Diego at the time, and Elle was currently in Chattanooga, but that didn't stop our coworkers from throwing us together — virtually, of course."
The two hit it off and obviously wanted to be together. "An excellent opportunity for Jonathan's career presented itself at UK, and so we moved here in 2004," they said. The location, cost of living, and proximity to several major cities made the move an attractive proposition, and we've enjoyed our time here so far." So while the university played its customary role as employment anchor for Jonathan, the existence of broadband access meant that Elle could continue her work as well.
Many young, knowledge-based professionals don't really know what to expect when moving to Central Kentucky. They usually know there are horses and rolling hills, but there isn't much talk about a thriving downtown or a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Still, it seems Lexington may be drawing enough from the outside to make the community hospitable to people from across the globe. "We've been pleasantly surprised at the diversity we've found here in Lexington," the Gitlins said. "If we count ourselves, here in our neighborhood there are immigrants from Brazil, the Philippines, Ireland, and the UK. Within our greater circle of local friends, there are both Kentucky natives and out-of-state transplants, which makes for an interesting mix of life experiences and stories."
Elle and Jonathan like to travel, but thanks to technology, they don't always have to. "Elle is fortunate enough to have excellent relationships with her clients, and so she's able to keep travel to a minimum, preferring instead to keep in touch via telephone and e-mail," they said. "Most of our traveling is done purely for pleasure."
To that end, the couple knows what they like here, and what they like elsewhere. "We're avid motorsport fans, and so we combine that with our love of travel to go to races around the world," they said. The couple also likes to take advantage of what's here. "We love to read and watch movies, so we're often at the Kentucky Theater or the Movie Tavern with friends. Elle is also a co-host of Lexington's Drinking Liberally chapter (an informal social group for left-leaning individuals), which meets on a bimonthly basis."
This places a greater sense of urgency for community leaders to make Lexington an attractive and enjoyable place to live. Jonathan and Elle are smart and accomplished, and their position at the forefront of information technology means they can live almost anywhere they want.
"As Elle is an independent consultant, she has clients all across North America," they said. "Jonathan is expanding his science writing career, and he hopes to make the move into full-time medical and scientific communications in the near future, which will give us the added flexibility of being able to live and work anywhere there is an Internet connection and cell phone reception."
So what must Lexington do to make sure they continue to attract and retain people like Elle and Jonathan? Interestingly, the emphasis isn't so much on bringing the next IBM to Lexington, but making sure people can live here comfortably while working for the next IBM. "The increased mix of urban and suburban real estate gives those looking to move to Lexington their choice of lifestyles, while the cultural opportunities provided by the local universities and arts organizations give worldly residents a wide variety of entertainment choices," they said. Furthermore, Jonathan and Elle strongly believe that the city must remain accessible to global travelers. "The expansion of the Lexington airport is a welcome addition, and hopefully it will make traveling to Central Kentucky that much easier."
David Wescott is a Lexington-based senior associate for APCO Worldwide, a global public affairs firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. He writes a blog about technology and communications issues called "It's Not a Lecture," which can be found online at http://itsnotalecture.blogspot.com.