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Economic Development 2025: WINN, CHRISTINA
Before taking the reins in Prince William County in 2019, Winn was director of Arlington Economic Development’s Business Investment Group, where she played a major role in recruiting Amazon.com’s $2.5 billion-plus HQ2 East Coast headquarters. Under her leadership, Prince William last year reported 51 project wins (including[...]
Economic Development 2025: RIZER, BUDDY
After a career as a radio DJ, Rizer reinvented himself as an economic developer. He has headed Loudoun County’s economic development for 18 years and is best known for helping build the county’s Ashburn area into Data Center Alley, marketed as the world’s largest concentration of data centers. Loudoun collects nearly $1 bi[...]
Economic Development 2025: TUCKER, TELLY
Tucker spent six years as Danville’s economic development director before leaving to serve the same role in Arlington County, where he helped land Boeing’s corporate headquarters relocation. But the pull of Southern Virginia is strong for Tucker, who left in 2022 to become president of Danville’s Institute for Advanced Lea[...]
Economic Development 2025: EL KOUBI, JASON
Leader of the state’s economic development arm since 2022, El Koubi oversees numerous initiatives designed to attract business expansions and relocations in the commonwealth. El Koubi joined VEDP as executive vice president in 2017 under his predecessor, Stephen Moret. During his time at VEDP, El Koubi has played key roles in [...]
Economic Development 2025: BELCHER, JONATHAN S.
Leader of the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority since 2006, Belcher has helped bring new jobs to Southwest Virginia through numerous economic development deals. In April, VCEDA announced it closed a $1.3 million loan with Lawrence Brothers, a Tazewell County manufacturing company, for an expansion expected to cre[...]
Economic Development 2025: LANGSTON, JAY A.
Langston has led the Shenandoah Valley’s regional economic development organization since 2018, after previously serving in multiple roles at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership for more than 13 years. For fiscal year 2024, the Shenandoah Valley Partnership notes, the region saw $297 million in investment and 667 j[...]
Economic Development 2025: HART III, H. GARRETT
Hart has more than four decades of experience in economic development and currently serves as vice president for the Virginia Economic Developers Association’s board of directors. Under his leadership, Chesterfield has landed big deals such as the $1 billion Lego Group manufacturing facility under construction in the county�[...]
Economic Development 2025: TOUHILL, RYAN
Since joining Arlington County in 2022, Touhill’s efforts have included helping launch the Arlington Innovation Fund, which helps support local tech startups. Recipients have included SportAI, which provides analytics for fantasy sports and sports betting, and GenLogs, an AI company specializing in ground freight supply chains[...]
Economic Development 2025: SMITH, DOUG
Since 2019, Smith has led the Hampton Roads Alliance, a regional economic development organization representing 15 municipalities and numerous private sector investors. Before that, he served as city manager for Norfolk and as deputy city manager in both Virginia Beach and Portsmouth and is also a past president and CEO of Kaufm[...]
Economic Development 2025: ROMANELLO, ANTHONY J.
Romanello announced in August that he plans to leave his post as Henrico’s economic development leader, a position he’s held since 2019, after working as a deputy county manager. He previously was county administrator for Stafford County and worked in local government for Richmond and West Point. In April, the Henrico ED[...]
Economic Development 2025: WAKEFIELD, JENNIFER
Before assuming her current role leading the Greater Richmond Partnership in 2021, Wakefield twice served as interim president and CEO for the regional economic development organization representing Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico. She has also been its chief operating officer and senior vice presi[...]
