Infrastructure Investments Are Key to U.S. Future

The issue that makes me most angry is the lack of investment in the infrastructure of the United States. From roads to mass transit to science to education, we are falling behind (or further behind) other regions. It’s a false economy, as lack of investment now means less capability to generate returns in the future. At the same time, our health care costs are absorbing more and more of our spending while producing poorer results on many dimensions than in other developed countries.

The issue that makes me most hopeful is recent action on climate change. It’s very encouraging to see international commitment to change and to see business often take the lead in reducing our carbon footprint.

[Editor’s note: To tap the wisdom of our distinguished group of Xconomists, we asked a few of them to answer this question heading into 2016: “What issue makes you most angry? Most hopeful?” You can see other questions and answers here.]

Author: Jan Davis

Jan Davis is retired CEO and active board member for companies in drowning prevention, software, analytics, database and digital marketing and information. These enterprises sell products and services to a broad range of industries, including retail, real estate, financial services and insurance as well as on-line to consumers. She presently serves on the boards of directors of ShowingTime.com, SEAL Innovation and GSP Marketing Technologies and on the boards of advisors of multiple companies, including Megalytics, Market Vue Partners, Spring Metrics and Three Ships Media. She is President of Triangle Angel Partners, an Executive in Residence for the Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network, and on the Investment Committee for the non-profit Launch Place Seed Fund in Danville, VA. Davis served as CEO of ShopperTrak RCT Corporation, the global leader in pedestrian traffic counting, from 2004 to 2008. Before joining ShopperTrak, she was an executive vice president and business unit president at TransUnion LLC, the international credit reporting giant. Previously, Davis was a marketing consultant in Boston, MA and in Warsaw, Poland, working with a US database marketing agency, multi-nationals and a Polish enterprise. She co-founded SmartNames, a venture-backed database marketing information, analysis and services company. Davis holds a BA and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.