Less than a week ago, Dr. Robert Bentley stood before a large crowd gathered in front of the Dallas County Courthouse to talk about the Black Belt and how he, essentially, felt our pain.

Dallas County did not give Bentley a county in the win column. He took 25.71 percent of the vote cast in the governor’s race on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, less than 24 hours after his election, Gov.-elect Bentley named the individuals who would make up his transition team. Bentley said this team “is made up of people representing a broad cross-section of community and state leaders in Alabama. They will be working with me over the next two months to help identify strategies to accomplish he goals of our administration. They will also help me identify the most qualified people who are willing to join us to bring about the positive changes the voters called for in this election.”

The team is impressive. It includes Charles McCrary, president and CEO, of Alabama Power as the chairman and Lynn Beshear, executive director of Envision 2020 in Montgomery. The team also includes state bureaucrats and leading business people from Huntsville, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Mobile, Dothan and Andalusia.

The closest nod to the Black Belt came with inclusion of Beshear on the team — the River Region, but includes Lowndes and Autauga counties nearby.

Certainly, a county that did not support the incoming governor should not look to the administration for favors.

However, Gov.-elect Bentley must remember this state will be as strong as its weakest area with the highest unemployment and educational dropout rates.

Until this weak link is made stronger through more than just commissions to toss around money. Until the Black Belt’s infrastructure improves and its educational systems thrive, then will this region of Alabama grow and the remainder of the state will continue to prosper, even benefit from this growth.

This is what the governor-elect should keep in mind as he begins this two-month transitional period.