Economic Development: TAYLOR V. ADAMS

Adams’ favorite vacation spot is Virginia Beach, and his favorite beverage is the city’s famous orange crush, a mixture of vodka, orange liqueur, a splash of lemon-lime soda, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Nevertheless, this summer Adams was a finalist for the position of city manager in Salem, Oregon, a job that went to a Washington city administrator.

Adams joined Virginia Beach in 2015 as a purchasing agent and was promoted to finance operations administrator before stepping into his current position in 2018 after his predecessor resigned amid an embezzlement scandal. Prior to 2015, Adams served as chief administrative officer and director of finance for Starkville, Mississippi, and worked for Mississippi State University.

While tourism is a major economic engine in Virginia Beach, Adams has been working to diversify the city’s economy, capitalizing on assets such as the city’s subsea high-speed internet cable landing point and Dominion Energy Inc.’s $9.8 billion offshore wind farm under development 27 miles off the city’s coast.

EDUCATION: Mississippi State University (bachelor’s degree), Hult International Business School (MBA)

FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM: New Orleans Saints

FAVORITE APP: Duolingo

FAVORITE SONG: “Tall Boy,” by Widespread Panic