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Economic Development 2023: BRYAN K. STEPHENS
Stephens has headed the Hampton Roads Chamber for the past 10 years, promoting business concerns in the region, home to Naval Station Norfolk, the world’s largest naval complex, as well as significant manufacturing and hospitality sectors. The chamber maintained its U.S. Chamber of Commerce five-star accreditation in 2022, placing it in the top 1% of […]
Economic Development 2023: ROBERT J. ‘BOB’ STOLLE
Editor’s note: Stolle announced his resignation on Aug. 31, after publication of the Virginia 500. A former state secretary of commerce and trade under Gov. George Allen, Stolle brings years of experience in economic development and public policy to his role leading VIPC. Formerly the Center for Innovative Technology, VIPC is a not-for-profit corporation created […]
Economic Development 2023: ANTHONY ROMANELLO
In the past year, Romanello was instrumental in growing Henrico’s data center footprint, as QTS Data Centers announced a 1.5 million-square-foot expansion to be completed in 2024, and the DE-CIX Richmond internet exchange opened in November 2022. In other sectors, education research firm EAB announced it was bringing 200 more jobs to Henrico, and plans […]
Economic Development 2023: WILL PAYNE
A Richmond native, Payne is now a full-fledged Southwest Virginian who leads marketing efforts to readapt former coal-mining land into other uses. Under Payne’s guidance, invoice automation company Paymerang expanded into Big Stone Gap’s downtown coworking space with 50 jobs. Working with Coronado Global Resources, Payne helped the Australian metallurgical coal producer boost operation[...]
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: JONATHAN S. BELCHER
In addition to leading the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, Belcher has also headed up the Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority since 2020. This year, the Virginia Department of Transportation received $7 million from the federal government, which the expressway authority will use to widen a 2-mile stretch of U.S. Route 460 in Buchanan County into […]
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 […]
