Economic Development 2023: JASON EL KOUBI

El Koubi has served as head of Virginia’s top economic development organization since March 2022, following a five-year stint as VEDP’s executive vice president. Part of the team that helped bring Amazon.com’s $2.5 billion-plus HQ2 East Coast headquarters to Arlington County, El Koubi continues to land big economic wins for the commonwealth, such as last year’s announcement that Lego Group would build a $1 billion toy manufacturing facility in Chesterfield County. His focuses also include tackling Virginia’s lack of project-ready industrial megasites.

A graduate of Louisiana State University and the London School of Economics and Political Science, El Koubi previously led One Acadiana, the former Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce in Louisiana, where he started a five-year, $15 million regional economic development program to expand businesses in the region. He also helped lead the Louisiana Economic Development organization to attract more than $28 billion in capital investment.

He serves on the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation board and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. 

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