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 jobs created. Since 2019, the organization has helped create more than 3,300 jobs.

In February, Serioplast, an Italian plastic packaging manufacturer, announced plans to open an industrial plant in Shenandoah County, investing $25.7 million and generating 45 jobs. The Shenandoah Valley Partnership worked with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and Shenandoah County to secure the project.

A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Langston holds master’s and doctoral degrees in public policy from Virginia Commonwealth University. He serves on several boards, including the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce and Goodwill Industries of the Valleys.

MOST VALUED POSSESSION: My dad’s tools

BOOK I’D RECOMMEND: “Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work,” by Matthew B. Crawford

STREAMING SHOW I’D RECOMMEND: JustinGuitar. (I’m learning to play, and it’s a blast!)

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