By Steve Case
CEO of AOL
Washington Post
Thursday , March 16, 2000 ; A27

We've all heard the expression, "Think globally, act locally." The truth is, in an increasingly global world we should also be thinking--and acting--regionally.

At America Online, our mission has always been to build a global medium that changes the way people live their lives. As our company has grown, we've learned that if you're going to try to change the world, a good place to start is in your own backyard.

There has never been a better time. Propelled by the power of the Internet, governments, businesses and people are connecting in ways we only dreamed about even five years ago.

In this new global environment, regional culture counts, maybe more than ever before. A region that welcomes change--building new bridges between the private and public sectors, connecting assets and resources--while preserving its own unique culture will thrive in the global economy. And a region that uses its prosperity to tackle tough problems and improve the lives of all its citizens will be a model for the world in the Internet Century.

Fifteen years ago, AOL hung out its shingle--not in Silicon Valley but in Northern Virginia. At the time, there wasn't much here to indicate that this region would become the most wired community in America.

Since then, our region has undergone a renaissance. Fueled by the booming economy, driven by new technology and fostered by a new atmosphere of entrepreneurship, greater Washington is no longer just the locus of government. It has become a region known for innovation, competition and commercial power.

Companies like ours have grown strong in this climate of change. With that growth has come a new sense of responsibility that we must use our leadership--and the power of the Internet--to ensure that our prosperity reaches every community and classroom in our region.

For decades, organizations such as Fannie Mae, the Marriott Corp. and The Washington Post Co. have set a high standard of corporate citizenship, spurring community investment and inspiring other companies to do the same. Today, it is up to all of us to raise the bar.

To build a strong, self-sustaining region in changing times, we should take a page from the Internet's playbook--creating a network of connections between the public and private sector, between commercial and nonprofit ventures, between traditional and new industries, and between institutions and the communities they serve.

Today representatives from companies across the region are coming together at the third annual Greater Washington Business Philanthropy Summit to help build that network, because as well as our region is doing, we know that we have to use these good times to keep them rolling.

There has always been a gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots" in our society. The question we face today--as a region and as a nation--is whether the powerful forces of the Internet Revolution and the global economy are going to widen that gap or close it.

This is an equal challenge for industry, for government and for communities alike. Companies like AOL can play a special role--leveraging the enormous resources of our industry to benefit our region, and scaling our efforts to reach around the country and even the world. It's a role we welcome and will continue to embrace even as our company merges with Time Warner. We've committed to ensuring this new company is as dedicated to the Washington region as AOL is today.

Already, we are reaching hundreds of kids in our region--and thousands of young people around the country--through such initiatives as PowerUP. PowerUP is a unique public-private partnership that can help close the "digital divide" by giving young people access to technology, teaching them the skills to use it and providing the guidance they need to make the most of their potential. Another great partnership is Medical Care for Children Partnership, the Fairfax County initiative that marshals private and public resources to provide medical care to low-income families. And just recently a group of universities and local high-tech businesses joined with government to create LEARNet, a program to introduce technology and the Internet into our local schools.

These are just a few of the ways our region is coming together. And we shouldn't stop there. Companies and organizations of every size should be exploring new ways to help their employees give back to their communities.

As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." There is no better definition of a region--and no greater principle to guide us in the Internet Century.

The writer is chairman of America Online Inc.

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