Another Arlington economic development official leaves for Fairfax

Longtime Northern Virginia economic development professional Alex Iams has been selected as executive vice president of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA), the agency’s president and CEO Victor Hoskins announced Monday.

Iams was part of the team that worked under Hoskins at Arlington Economic Development to help secure Amazon.com Inc.’s HQ2 East Coast headquarters. He had served as interim director of Arlington Economic Development (AED) since August, when Hoskins left to become the president of FCEDA. Iams, who spent 13 years at AED, including five years as assistant director, will start working at FCEDA on Jan. 21. Iams

“The EDA’s talent initiative is unprecedented in this region, and I am excited to have the chance to make a difference in such a large community and one that is emphasizing transit-oriented development,” Iams said in a statement.

The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority promotes the county as a business and technology center and is a member of the Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance, which jointly markets Northern Virginia outside the region.

An Ohio native, Iams received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and earned a master’s degree in city and regional planning from The Ohio State University.