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byline: Kate Andrews

Magellan Federal wins potential $2B DOD contract

Magellan Federal Inc., the Arlington-based subsidiary of Magellan Health, was awarded a Department of Defense contract worth up to $2 billion, the company announced Thursday. It will provide counseling services on military bases on the eastern half of the United States, as well as overseas installations in Europe and Africa.

Magellan Federal first began offering counseling services to military families in 2012 through the Military and Family Life Counseling program. The new contract was awarded by the General Services Administration, Federal Systems Integration and Management Center (FEDSIM), supporting the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP), Office of Military Community Support Programs (MCSP). It includes a one-year base period with four one-year option periods and two one-year potential additional incentive periods, totaling seven years.

According to Magellan Federal, more than 1,200 counselors will provide services to adults and children in the military community and help them address issues like relocation adjustment, stress, homesickness, grief and loss, isolation, anxiety and more. Magellan Federal has a workforce of 2,700 people working on 300 bases, installations and agencies around the world.

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Herndon-based Peraton acquires mobile robot subsidiary

Herndon-based national security contractor Peraton Inc. announced Thursday it has acquired Remotec Inc. through its $3.4 billion cash purchase of Northrop Grumman’s integrated mission support and IT solutions business in February.

Now branded as Peraton Remotec, the Tennessee-based subsidiary is a global leader in mobile robot systems for hazardous duty operations. Peraton also announced the launch of the Andros Spartan Unmanned Ground Vehicle System, its new robot that can handle possibly hazardous materials, such as bombs, for military and law enforcement clients.

“Peraton Remotec’s industry-leading track record in unmanned ground vehicles complements Peraton’s 25 years of experience serving government customers operating in the unmanned surface, underwater and ground domains,” John Coleman, Peraton’s president of global defense and security, said in a statement. “We look forward to building on the synergies to meet future unmanned system needs while continuing to innovate on behalf of our loyal customers in the military, law enforcement and the broader first responder community.”

Along with the purchase of the Northrop Grumman business unit, Peraton has acquired Chantilly-based federal contractor Perspecta Inc. for $7.1 billion.

In 2017, the former government services business Harris Corp. became Peraton after it was acquired by Veritas Capital. Peraton, through the U.S. federal contracts, provides systems development and mission capability integration.

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Pamunkey tribe hires EVP of gaming, resort operations

The Pamunkey Indian Tribal Gaming Authority, a non-corporate entity owned by the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, announced Thursday that Rodney Ferguson has been hired as executive vice president of gaming and resort operations, effective April 12. He also will serve in a senior leadership role at the tribe’s forthcoming Norfolk casino resort.

Ferguson was most recently CEO and general manager of the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and has worked in commercial and Native gaming resorts for more than 30 years, according to the tribe’s news release. His hiring marks a return to Virginia, where he received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Virginia State University. Ferguson also is a member of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants.

“I am honored the tribe has put their trust in me to bring their vision of a premier destination resort and casino to an area I know well,” Ferguson said in a statement. “It feels great to return home to Virginia and Hampton Roads.”

The Pamunkey tribe plans to break ground this year on the $500 million Norfolk Resort & Casino, which will include a Four-Diamond convention hotel, onsite restaurants, an entertainment venue, spa and pools. The tribe also is one of six proposers in Richmond’s casino negotiations, having put forward a $350 million plan for a casino and 300-room hotel, along with a spa, pool, fitness center and several restaurants on the city’s South Side on 24.5 acres off Interstate 95. An advisory committee appointed by the Richmond mayor’s office will recommend one project to the Richmond City Council in early summer, and city voters will vote on a referendum allowing the project to go forward in November. Norfolk voters approved its casino project last November.

“The tribe and the gaming authority could not be more excited to welcome Rodney to our team,” Tim Langston, chairman of the Pamunkey Indian Tribal Gaming Authority, said in a statement. “He brings decades of experience to our Norfolk casino and understands the mission of our tribe and our goal of bringing a world-class casino to the region and investing back into the community.”

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Transurban names North American operations VP

Amanda Baxter, Transurban’s former project director for the 495 Northern Extension project in the Washington, D.C., region, has been promoted as vice president of operations in North America, the toll road operator and developer announced Thursday. Baxter will be based at Transurban’s Alexandria headquarters.

In her new position, Baxter will oversee all operations, maintenance and pricing of Transurban’s 53-mile Express Lanes network and construction projects totaling 49 miles in Northern Virginia and Maryland. Before joining Transurban, Baxter served as a consultant with Kimley-Horn and Whitman Requardt and Associates, as well as leading development of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s first express lanes along Interstate 66 inside the Beltway.

She also was involved in federal infrastructure improvements, working with several agencies, including the Federal Highway Administration, Department of Defense, National Park Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency. She replaces Pierce Coffee, who was recently named president of Transurban North America.

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Va. allocates $20M for broadband infrastructure projects

Seventeen localities statewide are receiving $20.1 million in grants to improve broadband internet infrastructure, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday. The funding will support 11 projects that will connect 13,400 customers, the governor’s office said in a news release.

The localities — primarily in rural areas — are receiving funding through the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI), which has provided $73.1 million to Virginia local governments and broadband partners since 2018 to strengthen access to broadband internet statewide. In January, five projects received $29.6 million in funding in the first round of grants. In total, more than $49.8 million has been awarded this year to 28 localities, connecting more than 25,000 households, businesses and other institutions. Last fall, the General Assembly allocated nearly $50 million to VATI funding, a commitment maintained in the next fiscal year’s state budget.

The following projects will receive funding in round two:

  • Mount Rogers Planning District Commission and Point Broadband, $7,870,000. This broadband network will be extended in Smyth, Washington and Wythe counties and the town of Damascus, creating access for 5,301 units, including 110 businesses.
  • Mathews County and Atlantic Broadband, $4,201,234. This project will provide access to 1,249 customers, including 142 businesses, in Caroline, Lancaster, Mathews and Middlesex counties.
  • Albemarle County and CenturyLink, $2,276,110. The partners will construct about 100 miles of fiber-optic cable, providing broadband access to 1,675 locations, including 455 businesses in the county.
  • King and Queen County and RiverStreet, $1,482,678. The project will connect 524 locations, including 12 businesses.
  • Augusta County and MGW/Lingo, $1,270,413. The county will construct a fiber that will provide broadband access to 1,099 locations, including 15 businesses in Augusta and Highland counties.
  • Franklin County and Briscnet, $1,107,700. A fixed wireless network will provide access to 1,996 locations in the county.
  • Localities receiving less than $1 million: Montgomery County and Gigabeam; Goochland County and Port 80 Internet Services LLC; Gloucester County and Open Broadband; city of Chesapeake and Cox Cable; Halifax County and Empower Broadband

According to the governor’s office, VATI received 45 applications from local governments partnering with 26 internet service providers, requesting $105 million in funding.

Also announced Thursday was the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration’s $800,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant awarded to the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corp. (MBC) in South Boston to increase broadband capacity in 14 counties in Southern and Central Virginia. It will be matched with $200,000 in local investment, according to the agency.

The funding will go toward expanding an existing fiber-optic network and also provide connections to more than 4,500 acres in industrial and technology parks, health care facilities, medical research centers and existing businesses.

“The Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative has been the commonwealth’s core pillar for broadband expansion since its creation during my time as Governor,” Sen. Mark Warner said in a statement. “With the COVID-19 crisis underscoring the importance of broadband for telework, telehealth and remote learning, the cooperative’s work is more important than ever to bridge the digital divide. I’m pleased to announce this critical federal funding that will assist with expanding infrastructure to get more families connected to broadband.”

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In past year, 1.5 million filed unemployment claims in Va.

Marking one year since mass layoffs began due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Virginia Employment Commission said Thursday that the number of initial claims filed statewide in the past year — 1.5 million since the March 21, 2020 filing week — has exceeded the total number filed during the past three economic recessions since 1990.

According to VEC stats, 441,817 people filed claims in 1990; 326,190 in 2001 and 664,792 in 2007, compared with 1,508,365 in the past year.

Also, the number of initial claims increased last week compared to the week ending March 6, while continued claims fell by 3.7%. For the filing week ending March 13, 15,525 people filed new claims for unemployment insurance, an increase from 13,736 the previous week, VEC reported. Continued claims filed last week totaled 59,976, far higher than the same week in 2020, when 21,336 continued claims were filed. 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 March 13:

  • Norfolk, 1,256
  • Richmond, 787
  • Alexandria, 709
  • Virginia Beach, 664
  • Fairfax County, 533
  • Prince William County, 356
  • Hampton, 340
  • Newport News, 313
  • Chesterfield County, 311
  • Chesapeake, 285

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims last week was 770,000, an increase of 45,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 251,416 initial claims during the same week last year.

 

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Dewberry selected to develop Va. coastal resilience plan

Updated March 19

Fairfax-based engineering and planning firm Dewberry has been awarded a $2.6 million contract by the state to develop Virginia’s first Coastal Resilience Master Plan, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday.

Dewberry, joined by Louisiana-based The Water Institute of the Gulf and Virginia subcontractors GKY & Associates, Vision Planning and Consulting, and The Miles Agency, will work with officials at the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and the master plan’s technical advisory committee to address sea-level rise and coastal flooding in Eastern Virginia, the governor’s office said in a news release. A plan based on the state’s coastal master planning framework is due in November.

According to the Memorandum of Understanding between the state and Dewberry, the plan must include a prioritized list of critical infrastructure for national security, public health and safety, and the economy, as well as a list of natural resources that are necessary to protect the area from flooding. The firm also must produce a detailed funding needs assessment and a list of recommended funding sources to implement the plan. The agreed timeline would include a final coastal flood hazard framework due April 30, a prioritized project list by Aug. 20, a funding analysis due Sept. 8 and completion of the master plan document by Nov. 30.

In recent years, Dewberry was lead consultant on Virginia Beach’s Sea Level Wise project, and the company also worked on developing Louisiana’s coastal protection and restoration plans. According to the state, about 250,000 acres and property valued at $17.4 billion are less than five feet above the high tide line in Virginia, affecting such economic drivers as Department of Defense-funded shipbuilding and ship repair projects, as well as impacting historical and cultural landmarks, fisheries and wildlife.

The contract was awarded after a request for proposals in December.

The state’s technical advisory committee was created in October by executive order and includes officials from state agencies, universities’ coastal and environmental departments and executive directors from Virginia’s coastal planning district commissions and regional commissions. Dewberry will work with the committee and Ann C. Phillips, special assistant to the governor for coastal adaptation and protection. Along with developing the master plan, the firm will also create a public outreach plan to make sure residents of coastal communities are able to provide input on the process.

“Dewberry knows Virginia, and we are ready to hit the ground running,” Dewberry Project Manager Brian Batten said in a statement. “We look forward to working with Gov. Northam’s team and the Coastal TAC to produce a sound plan for a more resilient commonwealth.”

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Va. pharmacies open vaccinations to essential workers, others

The Federal Retail Pharmacy program in Virginia is now providing COVID-19 vaccination to essential workers and people under age 65 with high-risk medical conditions, the Virginia Department of Health announced Wednesday.

Currently, there are more than 300 pharmacies across the state receiving vaccine doses directly from the federal government, separate from the doses allocated to local health districts weekly. Until now, only people age 65 and older in Virginia were allowed to register and receive shots through the federal program. With Wednesday’s announcement, people in the following industries will be able to get shots by appointment:

  • Police, fire and hazmat
  • Corrections and homeless shelter employees
  • Food and agriculture workers (including veterinarians)
  • Manufacturing
  • Grocery stores (including farmers market food vendors)
  • Public transit (including ride-share drivers)
  • Mail carriers (U.S. Postal Service and private delivery)
  • Officials needed to maintain continuity of government (including judges and public-facing judicial workers)
  • Clergy/faith leaders
  • Janitorial/cleaning employees

Virginia has already begun vaccinating people in essential jobs and people age 16 to 64 with underlying health issues through the state’s health districts after pre-registering at vaccinate.virginia.gov or calling 877-VAX-IN-VA, but Wednesday’s announcement means more opportunities for people in these groups.

For anyone who now qualifies for vaccination at a local pharmacy, VDH advises visiting  VaccineFinder.org to find eligible pharmacy locations, hours, phone numbers and scheduling links where available.

The expansion of the federal program comes as the state has launched three mass vaccination clinics in Danville, Petersburg and Portsmouth this week, offering thousands of shots per day, to be followed next week by a new clinic in Prince William County. A $179 million grant was awarded to the state by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to boost vaccine distribution, with focus on areas that have lower vaccination rates and higher risk factors for COVID-related hospitalization and death. Ultimately, the state expects to have 13 clinics over the next three months, officials say.

On Tuesday, VDH announced that parts of the state — including Danville and the Eastern Shore — will enter phase 1c this week, with the rest following suit within the next three or four weeks. Workers from sectors including energy, higher education, finance, legal and housing and construction are included in that group, as well as water, waste removal, food service, transportation and logistics, information technology and communication, media and public safety, and public health workers not included in earlier vaccination phases.

Vaccines are given only through appointment, VDH officials emphasize, and they advise everyone who has already registered at vaccinate.virginia.gov to check and update your information so call center employees or health district workers can contact you for an appointment.

More information on Virginia’s vaccination rollout, including who qualifies for which group, is available here. As of Wednesday, 2.8 million vaccine doses have been administered throughout the state, and 1.8 million people — 21.6% of Virginia’s population — have received at least one dose, VDH reports.

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New Metro railcars set to be built in D.C. region

Metro’s new fleet of railcars will be built in the Washington, D.C., region, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced Wednesday. Hitachi Rail Washington LLC, an entity related to Japanese manufacturer Hitachi, has been awarded a contract worth up to $2.2 billion to build up to 800 railcars.

The base order for the system’s 8000-series railcars is for 256 cars, WMATA officials said in a statement. Hitachi is currently exploring sites in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland for a new assembly plant that is likely to result in direct and indirect local jobs, according to WMATA.

“Today, it is our privilege to help one of the nation’s premier transit agencies future-proof its fleet,” Andrew Barr, CEO of Hitachi Rail Group, said in a statement. “For Hitachi Rail, our company’s business growth translates to direct and indirect U.S. jobs. Further capital investments in assembly and manufacturing in the region will supply the growing U.S. rail market to meet increasing demand. We also believe that our downstream supply chain offers considerable opportunities for the participation of diverse business enterprises. We value diversity in the workplace and the marketplace.”

The new railcars are set to replace Metro’s nearly 40-year-old 2000- and 3000-series railcars and will include some features of the most recent fleet of 7000-series cars, which were built by Kawasaki. The new cars are expected to be finished in 2024.

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$5M donation establishes Bridgewater’s School of Arts and Humanities

A 1962 alumna of Bridgewater College has made a $5 million donation that will establish the Bonnie Forrer and John Harvey Rhodes School of Arts and Humanities, named for the donor and her late husband.

The private college’s first named and endowed school will combine its existing communications, fine arts and literature divisions with its division of humanities and social sciences, Bridgewater announced Wednesday in a news release. A resident of Pennsylvania, Bonnie Rhodes is on the college’s board of trustees and previously made a donation to support the John Kenny Forrer Learning Commons, named for her father. The recent gift will provide new equipment, enable more student research and travel, establish a pre-tenure sabbatical program for faculty and establish an endowed chair for the school.

“John’s world was that of business and finance. I grew up on a farm, and as a child I read voraciously, listened to classical music and tuned into Texaco Metropolitan Opera on the radio every Saturday. This, along with my entire educational experience at BC, helped me understand how the whole world was connected,” Rhodes said in a statement. “As a couple, our lives were so much richer because of our passion for literature, art, music and culture.”

John Rhodes died in January after a long career in real estate development and finance, including serving on Penn National Insurance’s board of directors for 25 years.

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