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Economic Development 2025: TUCKER, TELLY
Tucker spent six years as Danville’s economic development director before leaving to serve the same role in Arlington County, where he helped land Boeing’s corporate headquarters relocation. But the pull of Southern Virginia is strong for Tucker, who left in 2022 to become president of Danville’s Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, a regional economic […]
Economic Development 2025: EL KOUBI, JASON
Leader of the state’s economic development arm since 2022, El Koubi oversees numerous initiatives designed to attract business expansions and relocations in the commonwealth. El Koubi joined VEDP as executive vice president in 2017 under his predecessor, Stephen Moret. During his time at VEDP, El Koubi has played key roles in landing blockbuster deals like […]
Economic Development 2025: BELCHER, JONATHAN S.
Leader of the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority since 2006, Belcher has helped bring new jobs to Southwest Virginia through numerous economic development deals. In April, VCEDA announced it closed a $1.3 million loan with Lawrence Brothers, a Tazewell County manufacturing company, for an expansion expected to create several dozen new jobs. Last year, VCEDA […]
Economic Development 2025: LANGSTON, JAY A.
Langston has led the Shenandoah Valley’s regional economic development organization since 2018, after previously serving in multiple roles at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership for more than 13 years. For fiscal year 2024, the Shenandoah Valley Partnership notes, the region saw $297 million in investment and 667 jobs created. Since 2019, the organization has helped create more [[...]
Economic Development 2025: HART III, H. GARRETT
Hart has more than four decades of experience in economic development and currently serves as vice president for the Virginia Economic Developers Association’s board of directors. Under his leadership, Chesterfield has landed big deals such as the $1 billion Lego Group manufacturing facility under construction in the county’s Meadowville Technology Park. In 2024, his department assis[...]
Economic Development 2025: TOUHILL, RYAN
Since joining Arlington County in 2022, Touhill’s efforts have included helping launch the Arlington Innovation Fund, which helps support local tech startups. Recipients have included SportAI, which provides analytics for fantasy sports and sports betting, and GenLogs, an AI company specializing in ground freight supply chains. Amid the Trump administration’s cuts to the federal workfo[...]
Economic Development 2025: SMITH, DOUG
Since 2019, Smith has led the Hampton Roads Alliance, a regional economic development organization representing 15 municipalities and numerous private sector investors. Before that, he served as city manager for Norfolk and as deputy city manager in both Virginia Beach and Portsmouth and is also a past president and CEO of Kaufman & Canoles Consulting. […]
Economic Development 2025: ROMANELLO, ANTHONY J.
Romanello announced in August that he plans to leave his post as Henrico’s economic development leader, a position he’s held since 2019, after working as a deputy county manager. He previously was county administrator for Stafford County and worked in local government for Richmond and West Point. In April, the Henrico EDA filed a lawsuit […]
Economic Development 2025: WAKEFIELD, JENNIFER
Before assuming her current role leading the Greater Richmond Partnership in 2021, Wakefield twice served as interim president and CEO for the regional economic development organization representing Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico. She has also been its chief operating officer and senior vice president of marketing. Wakefield previously served as Orlando […]
Economic Development 2025: GRDEN, NANCY
A longtime regional economic development and maritime leader, Grden was key in the 2023 merger of Reinvent Hampton Roads and the Hampton Roads Business Roundtable. That resulted in the creation of the Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable, a support organization for GO Virginia Region 5, the regional arm of the statewide economic development initiative. Before leading […]
Economic Development 2025: COONS, JULIE
Coons has led the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce since 2018, prioritizing efforts to support the region’s economic health and growth. Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, the chamber originated in 1925 as a Fairfax County- focused business advocacy organization. Today, it represents about 400 member businesses across a region that represents nearly 42% of […]
Economic Development 2025: SEGURA, JUAN PABLO
In March, reports circulated that Gov. Glenn Youngkin had tried to shift then-Commerce and Trade Secretary Caren Merrick to secretary of natural resources so that Segura, then Merrick’s deputy secretary, could have her post. Merrick left the administration instead. The son of billionaire ENSE Group Chairman Enrique Segura, Juan Pablo Segura ran as the GOP candidate in […]
