Dear KnowledgeWay Subscriber,

On September 30, 1999, the Board of Directors of the Potomac KnowledgeWay voted to acknowledge that the organization's work has been completed. The KnowledgeWay's mission to help the Greater Washington region become recognized, both inside and outside the region, as a global leader in advanced telecommunications, content and Internet- related industries – has been fulfilled and it is time to bring the Project to a conclusion.

The KnowledgeWay leaves the Greater Washington region an important legacy. It set forth a vision for the future that acknowledged how the Internet would be the new economic driver of telecommunications, Internet services and information. It increased awareness among business leaders and politicians of the region's potential in the New Economy. It incubated the Netpreneur Program, now run by the Morino Institute, which has helped build a strong entrepreneurial community benefiting thousands in the region. It influenced a New Economy focus for the Potomac Conference. It acted as a catalyst to help in the formation of the Internet Policy Institute, which will be researching and helping to shape policy matters of the Internet. And, it was a positive influence to so many other events and achievements here in the region.

The KnowledgeWay will be concluding with several actions. We will publish an article that describes what this region has become and the role the KnowledgeWay played as visionary, evangelist, catalyst, and incubator to help fuel the critical mass of New Economy activity now burgeoning here. We will provide project leadership and support to help advance "Citizenship in the Digital Age," an effort of the region's business and education communities that evolved out of the Potomac Conference and was incubated by the KnowledgeWay. And, we will do our part through other relationships and organizations to help the region move to the next phase of its growth.

We are very proud of our accomplishments and of the opportunity we had to contribute. We thank the members of our Board of Directors who have given their time, effort and support and who came together to form a great leadership base. We thank the firms and individuals who invested in the KnowledgeWay, for believing in the mission and having the conviction that we could make a difference. A special thank you to the KnowledgeWay staff for all they've contributed. And finally, thank you to so many others who helped in so many ways.

The KnowledgeWay is an initiative that etched a lasting imprint and its impact will continue to yield benefits for years to come. One person responding to the news said it so well: "the KnowledgeWay has had a wonderful, catalytic and long-lived effect, which the close of the organization itself will not end."

 
Sincerely,