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byline: Kate Andrews

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative funds $1M for student cybersecurity projects

The Commonwealth Cyber Initiative has allocated $1 million toward experiential cybersecurity projects for students at universities across the state, the organization announced Thursday.

The seven projects involve student researchers from George Mason University, Longwood University, Marymount University, Old Dominion University, Radford University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and William & Mary.

“By building experiential learning programs in central, coastal, southwestern and northern Virginia, CCI is giving students the hands-on experiences they need to enjoy successful careers in cybersecurity,” Luiz DaSilva, CCI executive director, said in a statement. “These programs are designed to grow to help meet the ever-expanding cybersecurity workforce needs of Virginia and the nation.”

CCI is a state-funded network of 21 Virginia universities and 320 faculty members that supports and funds research and projects to promote the cybersecurity workforce training pipeline in the commonwealth.

The funded projects include:

  • Workforce development in cyberbiosecurity, including agricultural and data security management, Virginia Tech
  • Cyber risk management and analytics, focusing on threat intelligence, defense and mitigation, William & Mary
  • Cybersecurity monitoring and assurance training for port operations, a collaboration involving ODU, Longwood, U.Va. and the Port of Virginia
  • Cyber startups, giving students real-world experience in starting and scaling cybersecurity businesses, Marymount
  • Autonomous vehicles and transportation cyberphysical systems, including defending systems from bad actors, U.Va.
  • Improving quality of internships, including assessments of students and businesses to create “measures of success” metrics, Virginia Tech
  • Power system communication and cybersecurity, creating a workforce training program to defend the national power grid from cyberattacks, Virginia Tech

Va. new jobless claims up 171%

For the April 19-24 filing week, 37,356 Virginians submitted initial unemployment claims, a 171.6% increase from the previous week, but a 48.4% decrease from this time a year ago, when jobless claims were near a peak during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Virginia Employment Commission reports that last week’s number of initial claims has reverted to earlier months’ trend after seeing lower volumes in previous weeks.

Last week’s new claims rose by 23,605 compared with those from the week ending April 17, when 13,751 people filed, according to the VEC’s Thursday report. This week a year ago, 72,488 people filed initial claims in Virginia.

The number of continued claims filed last week — 54,281 — dropped by 992 from the previous week. This week a year ago, 341,295 continued claims were filed, 84% higher than last week. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits.

More than half of the claimants who filed for benefits last week (and the prior four weeks) reported being in the accommodation/food service, administrative and waste services, retail trade and health care and social assistance industries, according to the VEC.

The regions of the state that have been most impacted continue to be Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads. 

Below are the top 10 localities, listed by number of initial unemployment claims, for the week ending April 24:

  • Richmond, 2,051
  • Prince William County, 1,845
  • Norfolk, 1,774
  • Fairfax County, 1,672
  • Virginia Beach, 1,538
  • Alexandria, 1,498
  • Portsmouth, 1,400
  • Fredericksburg, 989
  • Roanoke, 913
  • Newport News, 749

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims last week was 553,000, a decrease of 13,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 3,468,261 initial claims during the same week last year.

Virginia Business wins four VPA awards

Virginia Business received four Virginia Press Association journalism awards this week, including two first-place prizes for news writing and magazine cover design in the specialty publications division.

Deputy Editor Rich Griset placed first in the news writing portfolio category for three stories he wrote in 2020, including: Firing up Fairfax, a profile of Fairfax County that focused on its business prospects in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic; (Re)open season, which turned the spotlight on businesses across the state struggling to stay afloat during the state’s shutdown; and The new normal, a look at how commercial real estate firms adapted offices to keep employees safe as they returned to work mid-pandemic.

Art Director Joel Smith won first place for his front cover designs in the August, October and November 2020 issues — hailed by the judges as “very creative covers that go beyond the usual look of business publications.” Smith assembled a photo illustration for the November 2020 cover, depicting Virginia’s potential future as a commercial casino home; October’s illustration of a cartoon cardinal with a Trumpian hairdo was art directed by Smith and illustrated by Chris Danger; and August’s cover photo of Busch Gardens Williamsburg President Kevin Lembke was shot by Caroline Martin.

Virginia Business Editor Richard Foster received second place for headline writing, which the judges said were “strong and clean plays on words.” Among Foster’s submitted headlines were “The New Dominion” atop the January 2020 cover story about Virginia Democrats retaking control of the General Assembly after nearly 30 years. Griset snagged third place in business and financial writing for his August 2020 story (Re)open season, which judges praised for providing a broad account of “how businesses are, and aren’t, reopening in the time of virus.”

Griset also won VPA awards for work he did before joining Virginia Business, including three first-place awards in business and financial writing, feature story writing and feature story portfolio at Chesterfield Observer, and a second-place prize for feature story portfolio at Style Weekly.

UVA Health taps chief ambulatory operations officer

UVA Health has named John C. Bennett its new chief ambulatory operations officer, overseeing all UVA Health clinical outpatient operations effective July 1.

Bennett comes from PeaceHealth, a nonprofit health care system with facilities in Alaska, Oregon and Washington, where he was chief executive of ambulatory services.

“UVA Health provides significant outpatient services throughout the commonwealth,” Dr. K. Craig Kent, executive vice president for health affairs and CEO of UVA Health, said in a statement. “John is an innovative leader who will further enhance our efforts to maintain the highest quality of care for patients and to increase accessibility for the over 1 million patients who seek care at UVA Health each year.”

Bennett previously was with Providence St. Joseph Health for two decades, where he held several leadership roles, including chief executive of the system’s Southern California region. He holds degrees from West Virginia University and Brigham Young University and served as an administrative fellow at  Cleveland Clinic.

“I am excited to lead the outpatient operations at one of the nation’s premier academic health systems,” Bennett said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the incredible clinicians at UVA Health to provide our patients with convenient, easy access to our high-quality, coordinated care.”

New president and CEO of Towne Financial Services Group named

Brian K. Skinner has been named president and CEO of Towne Financial Services Group, which includes all financial divisions of Suffolk-based TowneBank other than the bank itself. Skinner, currently the company’s chief banking officer, starts his new role effective May 1, TowneBank announced Thursday.

His new duties include overseeing the company’s mortgage, insurance, realty and wealth management divisions, which account for more than 40% of TowneBank’s total revenues.

“We recognize the financial services industry is changing rapidly and allowing one of our most talented leaders to devote more time to these important lines of business will position the Company to further accelerate growth,” J. Morgan Davis, president and CEO of TowneBank, said in a statement.

Skinner has been with TowneBank since 2007 and previously served as president of TowneBank for the peninsula region. He will report directly to the CEO and will continue to serve on the company’s corporate management team.

Founded in 1999, TowneBank now has 40 branch offices throughout Hampton Roads and Central Virginia and in North Carolina, and it had total assets of $14.63 billion as of Dec. 31, 2020.

“Brian is one of the hardest working and most capable members of the Towne family, and I am delighted he will be leading this important area of our Company,” G. Robert Aston Jr., TowneBank’s chairman, said in a statement.

Traeger Grills plans $3M facility in Wythe County

Traeger Grills, manufacturer of the world’s top-selling wood pellet grill and signature hardwood pellets product, plans to build a $3 million manufacturing operation in Wythe County, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday. The company plans to purchase wood products exclusively sourced from Virginia and create 15 jobs in Wythe, the governor’s office said.

Salt Lake City, Utah-headquartered Traeger Grills will partner with Musser Lumber Co. Inc., which produces materials for wood pellet producers, decking manufacturers and plastic extrusion companies. Last August, Musser announced it would invest $2.4 million to expand its Wythe County operations, creating 12 jobs. Musser will provide Traeger with dried wood residual products to create flavored grill pellets for different types of cooking. At full production, the governor’s office says Traeger expects to purchase several million pounds of hardwood products each month, creating a strong market for the state’s sawmills and forest owners.

“Thanks to companies like Traeger Grills, forestry contributes $21 billion to our economy each year and supports thousands of quality jobs across our commonwealth,” Northam said in a statement. “Our administration remains focused on supporting our diverse hardwood forests, ensuring they continue to provide a sustainable and natural raw material for manufacturers. We thank Traeger Grills for their commitment to this shared goal and the economic impact they will have on Southwest Virginia and the commonwealth.”

The state is partnering with Wythe County and the Joint Industrial Development Authority of Wythe County, Wytheville and Rural Retreat on this project through the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund, which is administered by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). Northam approved a $75,000 grant from the AFID Fund to secure the project for Virginia, which Wythe County will match with local funds.

“Traeger’s collaboration and co-location with Musser Lumber is a perfect example of how we can find creative ways to add value to Virginia’s forest products,” Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Bettina Ring said in a statement. “I am pleased that we could partner with Wythe County to welcome Traeger Grills into our thriving forest products community and look forward to many years of working together to support this essential industry.”

Luna Innovations Inc. taps new COO

Roanoke-based Luna Innovations Inc. has named Brian J. Soller its new chief operating officer, effective immediately. He was previously senior vice president and general manager of Lightwave, Luna’s largest division.

The fiber optic tech company, which manufactures products for the aerospace, automotive, communications, defense, energy, infrastructure, security and silicon photonics industries, announced Soller’s appointment Wednesday, noting that he will lead the development and implementation of Luna’s strategic plan. In Soller’s previous position, he oversaw Lightwave’s product strategy and development, sales, marketing and manufacturing, and co-developed instrumentation for Luna’s fiber optic devices.

Soller holds multiple patents in optics and received degrees in mathematics and physics from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics.

“Brian is a well-recognized and respected thought leader within the fiber optic world,” Scott Graeff, president and CEO of Luna Innovations, said in a statement. “I have had the pleasure of working with Brian closely for nearly 20 years, and his guidance, experience and leadership have been instrumental to Luna’s growth. With a strong strategic mindset and vision, combined with a sharp focus on operational excellence, he is uniquely qualified to drive strategic prioritization and accountability within the company.”

Luna Innovations was founded in 1991 by a Virginia Tech electrical engineering professor, and it moved its headquarters to Roanoke in 2006 but still maintains operations in Blacksburg and Charlottesville, as well as in Michigan, California and Georgia.

VCU names two vice presidents

Matthew A. Conrad and Karah L. Gunther will become vice presidents starting May 1 at Virginia Commonwealth University and the VCU Health System, the university announced Wednesday.

Conrad has been named vice president for government and external relations for VCU and VCU Health System, a promotion from his previous position as executive director of government and board relations. Gunther has been named vice president of external affairs and health policy for the health system, VCU’s health sciences schools and college- and health-related research centers. She was previously executive director of government relations and health policy.

Before joining VCU in 2013, Conrad served as deputy chief of staff and deputy counselor to Gov. Bob McDonnell and also was deputy secretary of agriculture and forestry. He holds degrees from James Madison University and the former George Mason University School of Law (now Antonin Scalia Law School), and Conrad also served in the Virginia attorney general’s office and as a special assistant to the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Gunther joined VCU in 2011 as senior health policy analyst for the university’s Office of Health Innovation, and previously served as director of Bon Secours Richmond Health System’s coordination of care department. Gunther, who has degrees from the University of Virginia, VCU and the Washington & Lee University School of Law, also was a health care attorney at Hancock, Daniel, Johnson & Nagle PC.

Sentara Healthcare named one of top 5 U.S. large health systems

Norfolk-based Sentara Healthcare was named one of the top five large U.S. health systems in an annual ranking by Fortune and IBM Watson Health released Tuesday.

Sentara landed in fifth place, receiving five stars for clinical outcomes and operation efficiency and three stars for patient experience. This is the second year Sentara was ranked among the nation’s top 15 health care systems by Fortune and IBM. Also, Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk was named the No. 2 teaching hospital in the U.S., with five stars in all categories, including financial health, clinical outcomes, operation efficiency and patient experience.

In the top medium community hospitals category, two Virginia hospitals were ranked. At No. 9 is Sentara RMH Medical Center in Harrisonburg and in 17th place, Reston Hospital Center, which is owned by HCA Healthcare.

According to Fortune, IBM researchers evaluated 2,675 hospitals and 324 health systems for this year’s list, adding a new category judging hospitals on their community health engagement, such as offering home visits for the elderly and screening for drug and alcohol abuse and domestic violence. Also under consideration were hospitals’ treatment of their workers and suppliers, as well as patients who have trouble paying bills.

“Sentara ranked highly in a number of areas, including reduced inpatient mortality rates and fewer health complications,” Sentara Healthcare President and CEO Howard P. Kern said in a statement. “We were also recognized for significant improvements in patients’ average length of stay and reduced emergency department wait times. We are honored to be named a top 15 health system and will continue to focus on improved patient care and outcomes for the communities we serve.”

 

SAIC plans to purchase Seattle AI company

Reston-based Fortune 500 government and defense contractor Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) plans to acquire Koverse, a Seattle data management company focused on artificial intelligence, SAIC announced Monday. The companies have entered into a definitive agreement, and financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 2012, Koverse develops AI tools for federal and commercial customers, and SAIC will bring its capabilities to its government clients.

“I am excited to welcome Koverse to Team SAIC. Koverse’s impressive track record among its commercial and government customers, coupled with its unique data management platform, makes it a rare gem that enriches our current data modernization offerings,” SAIC CEO Nazzic Keene said in a statement. “We see many opportunities for Koverse across the federal defense, civilian and intelligence communities. Together, we bring a passion for service, innovation and integrity that will further drive digital transformation and innovation.”

SAIC, which provides technology services to customers in the defense, space, civilian and intelligence markets, employs more than 26,000 people and has annual revenues of approximately $7.1 billion.