Virginia’s Gateway Region (VGR) and the Community College Workforce Alliance (CCWA) announced Monday that Michelle Rogers has been hired for the new joint position of director of workforce development, effective July 6.

This is the first time that a regional economic development organization and a community college have partnered to create a position to advance workforce solutions in the region, according to the Virginia Community College System.

VGR markets the cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell and Petersburg and the counties of Dinwiddie, Prince George, Surry and Sussex. Its focus is on new and existing business investment and job creation. CCWA is a workforce development partnership between John Tyler Community College and Reynolds Community College focusing on economic development and workforce needs.

“Better preparing our region’s workforce is a consistent requirement we hear from all stakeholders,” VGR President and CEO Keith Boswell said in a statement.“We are excited to embark on this new, tangible model with CCWA. Michelle will provide a human connection between new and expanding companies and our region’s workforce.”  

Rogers has more than 15 years of experience in economic development in Virginia and has worked in management roles at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

“Increasingly, the single biggest factor in businesses making a decision to locate or expand in an area is the quality of the workforce,” Elizabeth Creamer, CCWA vice president of workforce development and credential attainment, said in a statement. “The days in which economic development could focus solely on incentives and site selection are over, and Virginia is facing a dramatically increased need for education and training partners to demonstrate how our programs can and have produced these skilled workforce industry needs.” 

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