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Return to uncertainty
In the wake of the Federal Reserve lowering interest rates by half a percentage point in September, the stock market has been setting records, hiring numbers are trending strong, and the inflation rate has been slowly edging downward. Nevertheless, many businesses — and workers — seem to be in a state of anxious uncertainty,[...]
What a difference a debate makes
Less than three months ago, President Joe Biden — you remember him, right? — stepped down from his bid for a second term and threw his support behind Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, radically redefining this fall’s presidential race. Just before that happened, we were beginning to write this month’s cove[...]
In defense of UVA Health’s leaders
Like so many people, I was surprised and shocked to read the U.Va. faculty letter of no confidence in Dr. Craig Kent and Dr. Melina Kibbe. This is especially disturbing since I have served on various UVA Health boards over the past 30 years. It is my opinion that our health system is better today […]
A BridgeTower to the future
On July 31, Virginia Business turned the page on a new chapter in our 38-year history as the magazine became part of the BridgeTower Media family of companies. Headquartered in neighboring North Carolina, our new parent company is a portfolio company of Los Angeles private equity firm Transom Capital Group. BridgeTower owns 40-p[...]
Commentary: Va. ecosystem supports growth
It has been almost four years since I began leading economic development and innovation efforts at George Mason University, and what a whirlwind! This is an exciting time to be in Virginia, and getting to do this job every day feels like winning the lottery. It all started with the Amazon.com HQ2 win in 2018, […]
Virginia’s fundamentals remain strong after unsuccessful arena competition
As Virginia celebrates Economic Development Week, there is no better time to recognize that when it comes to success in economic development, fundamentals matter most. Incentives, public sector support, personal connections and various intangibles — like, say, letting a CEO pick his favorite Grateful Dead concert to play durin[...]
To support a more inclusive workforce, Va. lawmakers must unite around this bill
Virginia’s worker shortage is one of the commonwealth’s biggest barriers to economic growth and prosperity: According to data from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, there are just 60 available workers for every 100 open jobs statewide. But Virginia’s talent-starved labor market is hardly unique. Nationally, there are seven[...]
2024 Big Book intro: Invasion of the bots!
If it feels like robots took over our lives this past year, that’s because they have. Many of us have used ChatGPT to write an email, created an idealized self-portrait with Midjourney or seen a deepfake on X. Everyone has at least read marketing texts or emails created by a generative AI tool. To different […]
Why Alexandria’s new entertainment district is everyone’s business
As lawmakers negotiate the future of a $2 billion deal to build a new entertainment district in Alexandria, leaders across public and private sectors in the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia region are weighing the potential benefits. Without discounting concerns of local residents, I would like to present how this entertainment district w[...]
Saving grace
When Del. Don L. Scott Jr., D-Portsmouth, was sworn in on Jan. 10 as the first Black speaker of the house in the Virginia legislature’s 405-year history, he also was likely the first leader of that illustrious body to have served time in federal prison. Reminiscent of the literary trials of Jean Valjean, Scott’s is […[...]
Pot of gold
Placing aside the morality of marijuana use, let’s consider how much money Virginia is currently leaving on the table without a regulated, taxed recreational cannabis market. In 2020, directed by the Virginia General Assembly, which was then under Democratic control, the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission conducte[...]
A game of political football
Starting in 1966, the team formerly known as the Redskins began its RFK Stadium sellout streak. For decades, tickets for home games were harder to snag than Taylor Swift tickets today. Divorcing couples battled over custody of season tickets, and the team reportedly had a 100-year-plus season ticket waitlist. That changed in the[...]
