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Economic Development 2023: TELLY TUCKER
A graduate of James Madison University, Tucker previously was director of Arlington Economic Development, and also served five years as director of economic development for Danville, before returning to Southern Virginia in May 2022 to head up IALR, a regional hub for advanced manufacturing training initiatives and economic development. This year, IALR’s Accelerated Training in […]
Economic Development 2023: DOUG SMITH
After serving as Norfolk’s city manager and Virginia Beach’s deputy city manager, Smith now leads the Hampton Roads Alliance, the regional economic development organization representing 14 municipalities and numerous private-sector investors. For the past four years, Smith and his team have helped establish Hampton Roads as an important center in the offshore wind industry, as [&hellip[...]
Economic Development 2023: NANCY L. GRDEN
In April, Grden oversaw the merger of Reinvent Hampton Roads, which she had led since 2022, with the Hampton Roads Business Roundtable to form the Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable. Grden will lead the new organization, which is focused on realigning the region’s economic development initiatives to boost growth. For the past seven years, Reinvent Hampton […]
Economic Development 2023: STEPHANIE LANDRUM
Economic growth in Northern Virginia continues surging with the ongoing construction of the $1 billion Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Potomac Yard. In February, development reached a milestone when officials raised a steel beam to the 11th floor of the campus’s anchor building. The 300,000-square-foot structure is expected to open by the fall 2024 semester […]
Economic Development 2023: TODD P. HAYMORE
Since 2018, Haymore has led Hunton Andrews Kurth’s global economic development wing, providing strategic advice to guide multinational and national companies to expand or relocate their businesses to Virginia. In July, he became rector of Virginia Commonwealth University. Formerly the state’s commerce and trade secretary and agriculture and forestry secretary under Govs. Terry McAuliff[...]
Economic Development 2023: LEONARD SLEDGE
Since 2019, Sledge has guided numerous economic development proposals in Richmond, culminating in the $2.4 billion Diamond District redevelopment project, approved by City Council this year. The site will feature a new baseball stadium for the Richmond Flying Squirrels Double-A baseball team, an 11-acre green space and mixed-income housing. Sledge was also instrumental in getting […]
Economic Development 2023: BUDDY RIZER
Head of Loudoun’s economic development since 2007, Rizer is best-known for helping build the county’s Ashburn area into the data center capital of the world. More than 70% of the world’s internet traffic comes through Data Center Alley in Ashburn, with data centers projected to pay $570 million in county taxes just in 2024. But […]
Economic Development 2023: VICTOR HOSKINS
Hoskins is well known in Virginia for the leading role he played in bringing Amazon.com’s $2.5 billion-plus HQ2 East Coast headquarters to Arlington County, where he previously led economic development. In 2019, he moved next door to lead Fairfax County’s authority. His wins so far have included last year’s announcement that hotelier Hilton Worldwide Holdings […]
Arts | Entertainment | Sports 2023: ANDY EDMUNDS
When Hollywood productions like “Dopesick,” “Cold Mountain,” “Wonder Woman 1984” and others want to film in Virginia, they come to Edmunds to get the ball rolling. As director of the Virginia Film Office since 2011 — and the office’s locations manager for 14 years before that — Edmunds helps productions access economic incentives and works […]
Economic Development 2023: CHRISTINA WINN
Winn, who became Prince William’s economic development head in 2019, is president of the Virginia Economic Developers Association. She came to the county after leading Arlington Economic Development’s Business Investment Group, where she was a key member of the team that landed Amazon.com’s $2.5 billion-plus HQ2 East Coast headquarters. Last year, Prince William reported more [&h[...]
Economic Development 2023: CAREN MERRICK
After 25 years as a Virginia business founder and leader, Merrick was appointed the commonwealth’s secretary of trade and commerce in early 2022, her first role in state government. She helped encourage Amazon Web Services to invest $35 billion to build multiple data center campuses across the state, an initiative announced in January. She also […]
Economic Development 2023: CORRIE BOBE
Bobe is sparking growth in rural Southern Virginia, which is still rebuilding from losing its textiles industry decades ago. In January, city officials participated in the groundbreaking for Dan River Falls, the $85 million public-private mixed-use redevelopment of the shuttered White Mill textiles factory building. And in May, Caesars Entertainment opened a temporary casino in […]
