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Vested interest
Eleven months into his first term in elected office, Gov. Glenn Youngkin can boast of several economic development successes and a few legislative wins, but one thing a lot of observers are discussing is his national profile and what it could mean in 2024. Youngkin — and his careful campaign to win over not only […]
Everything is not awesome
When Lego Group representatives toured Chesterfield County’s Meadowville Technology Park on a winter day early this year, they didn’t speak. As with most industrial site visits, the county economic development authority staffers conducting the tour didn’t yet know which company they were working with, although they’d answered a site consultant’s request for proposal. The execs […]
Petersburg approves Cordish Cos. for possible casino
Petersburg City Council is taking a gamble on Maryland-based The Cordish Cos. to develop a casino there — even though Petersburg doesn’t yet have permission to build a casino, according to state law. Council members voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of Cordish,, a commercial real estate company that has developed casinos across the mid-Atlantic and […]
Virginia Lottery reports record $3.75B in revenue
The Virginia Lottery posted record sales of $3.75 billion and a record of almost $779.6 million in profits for fiscal year 2022, the lottery’s board announced Tuesday. Sales increased roughly 15% from last year, and the lottery’s profits increased about 1.9% over the prior fiscal year’s record. The lottery’s fiscal year ends on June 30. […]
Va. ABC hires chief digital and branding officer
The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority has named Vida Williams as its first chief digital and branding officer, the authority announced Thursday. Williams will guide the state ABC’s digital and web operations, communications and education with prevention teams, and support e-commerce initiatives. She started at the end of July. “Virginia ABC is committed to its […]
Future shock
As companies across Virginia continue to adjust to workplace changes created by the COVID-19 pandemic, many human resources managers say one thing is clear: The way people work has changed for good. “This is a new work environment — the workplace has changed now,” says Kirstin Shelton, vice president of human resources for Octo Consulting […]
Virginia ranks 3rd in CNBC’s Top States for Business
After two consecutive years at the top, Virginia slipped to third place in CNBC’s 2022 America’s Top States for Business rankings, the business news channel announced Wednesday morning. North Carolina achieved the coveted No. 1 ranking this year. “A great education system is building a smart workforce,” CNBC said about Virginia this year. “But migration […]
Va. ABC telework plan diverges from Youngkin mandate
Employees at the Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Authority’s Mechanicsville headquarters will be returning to in-person work three days a week, not the four or five days a week that will be required of many state workers beginning July 5, following Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s telework order earlier this month. Virginia ABC CEO Travis Hill sent an […]
Rainmaker-in-chief
On Aug. 29, 2005, Jason El Koubi’s first day as research and policy director for Louisiana’s Baton Rouge regional chamber of commerce, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the state, resetting El Koubi’s and the state’s trajectory. It was a fast lesson in crisis management, but also one in economic transformation. That job was among his first […]
Jason El Koubi named VEDP’s permanent president, CEO
Jason El Koubi will stay on as the permanent president and CEO of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the state economic development authority announced Friday. El Koubi was named interim president and CEO at the beginning of the year after Stephen Moret left the organization to become president and CEO of Indianapolis-based Strada Education Network. […]
Va. AG hiring staff to target unemployment fraud
Virginia’s attorney general on Thursday announced he has signed an agreement with the Virginia Employment Commission to hire more staff dedicated to investigating and prosecuting fraudulent unemployment claims, a problem that has cost the state more than $100 million since 2020, a report estimates. According to Attorney General Jason Miyares’ spokeswoman, Victoria LaCivita, his office [...]
VEC reduces backlog by 89%
The Virginia Employment Commission has decreased its backlog by nearly 89%, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Monday. The VEC reduced the backlog of employment separation reports from 246,273 to 27,728 and unpaid pending claims from 24,887 to 15,846 claims. “Virginians deserve an unemployment insurance system that is responsive, efficient and customer focused,” Youngkin said in a […]
