Virginia Beach hires economic development director

Virginia Beach has hired a new director of economic development.

City Manager Patrick Duhaney appointed Christian Green to the post, and he will join the city Feb. 24, according to a Tuesday announcement.

Green follows Charles E. “Chuck” Rigney, who resigned from the job in July 2024. In an August 2024 article in The Virginian-Pilot, Rigney said he requested an audited review following questions about travel expenses.

Rigney held the position officially for six months after serving as interim director for about eight months following the departure of Taylor Adams, who left in 2023 to take an economic development job in Nevada.

Amanda Jarratt, a deputy city manager for Virginia Beach, served as interim economic development director during the search for a new director.

Since September 2023, Green has served as director of economic development for Stonecrest, Georgia, according to his LinkedIn page. Stonecrest is a city in DeKalb County that is about 15 miles from Atlanta. In that role, Green led efforts to update the 2038 comprehensive plan and helped establish the Stonecrest Economic Development Plan, according to Virginia Beach’s announcement.

Previously, Green worked as economic development officer for Glendale, Arizona, and as an economic development manager for Scottsdale, Arizona.

“Throughout his career, Christian has worked with public, private and development communities to successfully facilitate projects with complex timelines and delicate situations,” Duhaney said in the announcement. “His vast and varied experience will be an asset to economic development’s efforts to identify new revenue streams that meet the ever-growing needs of the city.”

Green has a degree in business administration from Washburn University in Kansas.