In fact, “the opportunity for Roanoke is greater now than it has been in quite some time,” says John Hull, executive director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership, a public-private joint venture that works to attract new business to the region. The partnership’s target area includes the cities of Roanoke and Salem, the town of Vinton, and the counties of Alleghany, Botetourt, Franklin and Roanoke.
Thanks to forward-thinking investments in infrastructure, strategic planning for revitalization and a marketing approach that touts the area’s outdoor amenities, the Roanoke Valley is seeing sizable investments made by companies with existing operations as well as many from outside the region, Hull says.
Munters Group AB, a Sweden-based manufacturer of air treatment and cooling systems for data centers and other industrial applications, is building a 365,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that’s scheduled to open in summer 2022 in Botetourt County. The company is investing $36 million to relocate its 200-employee Buena Vista operations to the county’s Botetourt Center at Greenfield business park in Daleville.
Likewise, Cardinal Glass recently completed an $8 million, 26,0000-square-foot expansion at its facility in Vinton, adding 60 jobs to its 200-person workforce. And Balchem Corp. is investing $5 million to expand its Covington manufacturing facility during the next two years. The expansion is expected to double its production of key nutrients used for animal nutrition and health markets worldwide.
“We’ve had really strong interest,” Hull says, “and the interest has been diverse in terms of sector.” Companies relocating and expanding in the area range from information technology to food and beverage concerns. There’s also a diverse mix of manufacturing and distribution sites, Hull says.
Stik-Pak Solutions Inc., a contract packaging company, just completed a 50,000-square-foot production building, part of the planned $14.3 million investment to expand and advance its production at Summit View Business Park in Franklin County. And Martinsville-based ValleyStar Credit Union recently opened a 19,000-square-foot administrative campus at Summit View as well.
The Roanoke region has seen “really good, consistent growth, better than we’ve had in the past,” says commercial developer and custom home builder Alexander Boone. Photo by Don Petersen
Throughout the Roanoke area, a hefty number of site development projects have received support through GO Virginia, a state-funded economic development initiative set up by senior business leaders to promote private-sector growth and job creation across Virginia.
One of those projects is Wood Haven Technology Park in Roanoke County. A municipally owned business park for high-tech manufacturing, it “has seen a huge amount of development work in the past
18 months,” Hull says. “We have a 53-acre pad that’s ready.” He expects one large user or a couple of smaller ones to claim the site in the coming months. “Readiness is huge,” he says.
In addition to having an inventory of sites prepped for construction, a necessary component for luring new business is a solid workforce. That’s where the area’s outdoor-focused marketing pitch comes in, Hull says.
The Roanoke Outside Foundation was created as an offshoot of the regional partnership to promote the area’s array of outdoor activities — everything from hiking and biking to caving and kayaking. Its marketing slogan — “Work Hard, Play Hard, Live Easy” — aligns with today’s widespread emphasis on achieving a better work-life balance in order to bolster mental and physical health.
“We’re seeing it pay off,” Hull says. The University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, a demographic research group, recently released population estimates showing upticks in most of the Roanoke area. “In talking to Realtors, I’m also hearing anecdotal stories about people who have chosen to make this their home,” he says.
Alexander Boone, a custom home builder and commercial developer in the Roanoke Valley, can attest to the area’s high level of activity lately. The Roanoke region has seen “really good, consistent growth, better than we’ve had in the past,” says Boone, who sits on Carilion Clinic‘s board of directors and is president of ABoone Real Estate Inc.
‘Electric’ revitalization
The collaboration between Virginia Tech and Carilion to establish the Virginia Tech Carilion Health Sciences and Technology Campus and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC in downtown Roanoke has enhanced the area’s visibility greatly. Additionally, Carilion’s decision to renovate more than 77,000 square feet in the former JCPenney store at Roanoke County’s Tanglewood Mall into Carilion Children’s Tanglewood Center has sparked new development interest there, too.
Jill Loope, Roanoke County’s director of economic development, says there’s “a lot of new energy” around the redevelopment of the Route 419 corridor. by Don Petersen
“It has transformed the area,” Boone says, pointing to the restaurants going up in anticipation of increased traffic around Tanglewood. The Carilion center will house 14 pediatric specialties, the first of which is expected to open in mid-September.
The repurposing of Tanglewood, which, like so many aging, traditional malls, had languished in recent years, is part of the county’s larger 419 Town Center plan to redevelop the mall and its surrounding area into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly mixed-use district.
Roanoke County secured mostly state and federal funds to initiate nearly $50 million in transportation improvements to draw mixed-use development to the area. A congested area of Route 419, or Electric Road, near Tanglewood Mall is getting additional lanes as well as bicycle and pedestrian paths to accommodate residents expected to move there in the years ahead.
Boone is building a 17,000-square-foot, two-story office building at nearby Fallowater Square. “It’s fully leased, and we just put the footers in,” Boone noted in late July. Long & Foster is moving its local real estate office there, “plus we have a letter of intent from a medical practice to take the remaining space.” The space that Long & Foster is leaving, which is also in the 419 corridor, has been scooped up by the Brown Edwards accounting firm, Boone adds.
Boone was surprised by how quickly all of the space was snapped up at the Fallowater Square building. He was willing to take on the project, he says, “because Roanoke County is really focused on this area.”
Indeed, Roanoke County has spent several years bringing the Tanglewood and 419 corridor revitalizations to fruition, says Jill Loope, the county’s director of economic development. “We’re about 250 square miles, so you have to be really strategic and focused” to attract new business, she says. Carillion Children’s and other businesses going into Tanglewood Mall space will result in up to 1,500 cars moving in and out of the property every day, Loope says, which is prompting restaurants such as Chipotle, Jersey Mike’s, Blaze Pizza and Panda Express to invest in outparcels.
“There’s a lot of new energy,” she says. Meanwhile, infrastructure improvements are under way to make the area more easily accessible from all directions. “That’s been one of the big, exciting projects … and it’s been years in the works.”
‘Cautious return to normal’
Redevelopment projects are also taking shape in the business district of Vinton and elsewhere in the county, Loope says.
Located in a former JCPenney anchor store, Carilion Children’s Tanglewood Center will house several pediatric outpatient specialty practices, the first of which will open in mid-September. Photo courtesy Carilion Clinic
Mack Trucks Inc. invested about $13 million to refit a large industrial printing plant in Salem, where it began production last year on a new line of medium-duty trucks. About 250 people work at the plant. Mack Trucks, a North Carolina-based company owned by Volvo Group, cited the proximity of Interstate 81 as well as suppliers and other affiliates when it chose to set up the new manufacturing base in the Roanoke Valley. The Salem plant is about 45 miles from an affiliate factory in Dublin, operated by Volvo Trucks North America, that produces heavy-duty trucks.
“It has been an unbelievably busy year,” Loope says. If the pandemic slowed the pace of economic growth, then Roanoke County has definitely been “catapulted forward” in the months since restrictions have eased, she says.
But even in 2020’s lockdown phase, Loope says, her office was busy with a lot of behind-the-scenes prep work and details related to specific projects such as multifamily residential projects she’s aiming to bring to targeted areas of the county. “Some of them I’ve been working on for seven years and they’re still active,” she says.
Marc Nelson, economic development director for the city of Roanoke, says his office stayed busy last year as well. “In terms of leads … it never really slowed down altogether, but it did trickle,” Nelson says.
Downtown Roanoke is experiencing the same slow return to offices that other downtown areas are seeing. “A lot of businesses are still in the wait-and-see mode as to whether they keep their people remote or bring them back,” Nelson says. Retail and hospitality sectors are rebounding, and hotel and restaurant developers are starting to discuss new investments again.
“We largely have a cautious return to normal,” Nelson says. For the most part, “our manufacturing sector chugged along without any changes. If anything, they were looking for people [to work].”
Salem Assistant City Manager Rob Light says tax revenues from the hospitality industry also are on the rise there and redevelopment is strong. A former Kmart shopping center now holds a Planet Fitness location and a furniture store. Frankie Rowland’s, an upscale steakhouse in Roanoke, opened a second location in Salem in March that includes a boutique inn, The Rowland Hotel. Other small shops and eateries have popped up as well.
“It just means that people are still willing to invest in the area,” Light says.
Inova Health System announced that Susan Carroll will be its permanent president of InovaLoudoun Hospital, effective Monday. Carroll has been serving in the interim role since July, while also serving as the president of Inova Fair Oaks Hospital.
Carroll will work to establish areas of clinical growth and participate in the recruitment and retention of physicians. She will retain system-wide leadership over security and emergency management and supply chain management.
Carroll joined Inova Loudoun Hospital in 1996 and became its chief operating officer in 2010. Since then, she has served as vice president of the Inova Cancer Service Line, chief operating officer at Inova Alexandria Hospital, regional CEO of Inova Alexandria and Inova Mount Vernon hospitals and interim president of Inova Fairfax Medical Campus. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration.
Carroll will continue to serve as president at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital until a new one is selected.
Inova Loudoun Hospital is a 311-bed facility that includes Inova Loudoun Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and the Inova Loudoun Hospital – Cornwall Campus.
The Virginia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (VACCE) announced that Arlington Chamber president and CEO Kate Bates is its 2021-22 chair-elect.
“I’m honored to be assuming the role of chair-elect for VACCE, following a line of tremendous leaders,” Bates said in a statement. “During the pandemic, VACCE convened the chambers of commerce throughout the commonwealth for dialogues with our governor and U.S. senators to advocate for our business community. Our industry is an incredibly collaborative one, and I can’t think of a more supportive community than VACCE.”
The other 2021-22 executive committee members are:
Chair: Danielle Fitz-Hugh, Chesterfield County Chamber
VACCEwas formed in 1962 as an alliance of chamber executives across the state. The association works to improve the business climate in Virginia and quality of life in its communities by providing leadership development to chamber professionals.
A 32-unit apartment building in Alexandria sold for $6.25 million, Marcus & Millichap announced Thursday.
Located at 2314 through 2330 Glendale Terrace, the three-story Glendale Terrace Apartments building was initially built in 1963. The property is 26,880 square feet.
Huntington Station LLC sold the property to Sheire Tonks 1 LLC. The Zupancic Group of Marcus & Millichap brokered the sale.
Former CIA director Gina Haspel and retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Stephen W. Wilson have been appointed to Arlington-based defense contractorBAE Systems Inc.’s board of directors, the company announced Friday.
Their terms will run through April 2024.
“We are extremely fortunate to have Stephen and Gina join our board,” Michael Chertoff, chairman of the board of BAE Systems, said in a statement. “They both bring decades of national security experience to our team, and I know their leadership will ensure we are well prepared to continue supporting our customers.”
Appointed in 2018, Haspel was the 23rd director of the CIA and first woman to hold the position. She resigned in January. Beforehand, she had served as the CIA’s deputy director and in other roles since starting at the agency in 1985. She has received the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, Distinguished Intelligence Medal, Legion of Honor (France), Intelligence Medal of Merit and others. Haspel holds a bachelor of science in journalism from the University of Louisville, in Kentucky.
In August 2018, The New York Times reported that Haspel was chief of a base that waterboarded a prisoner in 2002, citing top-secret cables obtained by the National Security Archive, a research organization at George Washington University, in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.
Wilson served nearly 40 years in the military, most recently as the 39th vice chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force. Prior to that, he served as the deputy commander of U.S. Strategic Command, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command and commander of the 8th Air Force. Wilson is a command pilot with more than 4,500 flight hours, including almost 700 combat flight hours.
Wilson has received two Distinguished Service Medals, the Defense Superior Service Medal, two Legions of Merit, two Bronze Stars and two Air Medals. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University and the U.S. Air Force Weapons School. Wilson holds a master’s degree in engineering management from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the Air War College’s Air University.
Tysons-based electrical engineering firm M.C. Dean Inc. won a $158.77 million contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to upgrade a controls system at Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado, the Department of Defense announced Friday.
Under the fixed-price contract, M.C. Dean will upgrade and refurbish the power-generation plant and supervisory control and data acquisition controls system. The contract has an estimated completion date of Dec. 27, 2025, and work will be performed in Aurora, Colorado.
M.C. Dean designs, builds, operates and maintains cyber-physical solutions for clients including local, state and federal government agencies, as well as corporations, hospitals and biotechnology firms. The company has more than 4,500 employees. In May, it announced it had entered the second phase of its $25 million expansion in Caroline County.
Chantilly-based federal IT contractor Perspecta Enterprise Solutions LLC won a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) with a ceiling of $2 billion from the Defense Health Agency on Friday.
Perspecta won the single award, firm-fixed-price as the contractor team arrangement lead with McLean-based Capgemini Government Solutions LLC. The base period of performance is Sept. 1, 2021, through Aug. 31, 2022, with nine one-year options and an estimated completion date of Aug. 31. The contracting activity is DHA’s Enterprises Medical Services Contracting Division, San Antonio, Texas, and work will primarily occur in San Antonio.
Peraton Inc. has about 22,000 employees across more than 90 locations. It grew out of Veritas Capital’s 2017 acquisition of the former government services business Harris Corp. Perspecta was launched in 2018 as the result of a three-way merger among Vencore Holding Corp., KeyPoint Government Solutions and the U.S. public sector business of DXC Technology. It posted $4.5 billion in fiscal 2020 revenue.
Apruzzese joined AT&T more than two decades ago in accounts payable and has served in roles ranging from legislative affairs to domestic and international corporate security. As president, he helps set and implement AT&T’s public policy and philanthropic initiatives in Virginia.
When the pandemic scrambled everyone’s plans, he says, employees and customers had to pivot quickly. Apruzzese puts into perspective what the soaring demand for virtual connections has meant for his company: “On an average day now, about 468 petabytes of data cross our network, up 40% year over year. That’s the equivalent of streaming nearly 100 million 2-hour-long movies in HD.”
Apruzzese serves on the board of directors for nonprofit Jobs for Virginia Graduates, which supports youth initiatives such asBoys to Men Mentoring Network of Virginia and Girls on the Run Hampton Roads.
EDUCATION:Bachelor’s degree,Georgia State University
FIRST JOB: Paper carrier for The Sentinel in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
HOBBY/PASSION:Playing the guitar, visiting Virginia’s great wineries and cooking on my Big Green Egg
Desch
MATTHEW J. DESCH
CEO, IRIDIUM COMMUNICATIONS INC., McLEAN
Desch’s company operates a constellation of 66 satellites providing communications services such as broadband, voice and data communications.
As the pandemic pushed his staff to telework, Desch connected with his approximately 600 employees via a regular videocast, saying, “You can’t overcommunicate with a remote workforce.”
The coronavirus pandemic “tested the kind of culture our company really has, and who we were as an employer,” he says. The company changed the way it worked but still grew its bottom line: Total revenue in 2020 reached $583.4 million, up 4% from 2019.
A member of the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee and the board of Unisys Corp., Desch has been with Iridium since 2006. He sees a company responsibility to inspire student interest in space and STEM subjects.
EDUCATION:The Ohio State University (B.S.) and The University of Chicago (MBA)
HOBBY/PASSION: An active private pilot, I’m passionate about anything that elevates us above the Earth. You can see why I love the satellite business.
French
CHRISTOPHER E. FRENCH
PRESIDENT AND CEO, SHENANDOAH TELECOMMUNICATIONS Co. (SHENTEL), EDINBURG
This summer, French marked the end of an era for the company he has led since 1988. After decades of providing wireless mobile service, Shentel sold its wireless operations to T-Mobile for $1.95 billion.
The deal provided a return of $936.6 million to shareholders via a special dividend of $18.75 per share, with about $19.6 million reinvested in shares of the company’s common stock.
The sale also is resulting in a company restructuring that will bring a workforce reduction of about 30%, or 340 employees, across its six-state, mid-Atlantic service area.
In the deal’s aftermath, Shentel is focused on expanding broadband access through its Glo Fiber fiber-optic service and Beam, its fixed wireless broadband service. Amid the pandemic, Shentel worked with school systems to ensure the availability of broadband service to student households.
Among other civic roles, French serves on the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education board.
EDUCATION: University of Virginia (B.S., MBA)
VACATION SPOT: An uncrowded beach
HoBBY/PASSION:Family
Myers
J.D. MYERS II
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND REGION MANAGER OF VIRGINIA OPERATIONS, COX COMMUNICATIONS INC., CHESAPEAKE
Myers sees the pandemic as both the biggest challenge and greatest accomplishment of the last year for the 2,400 employees he oversees at Cox Communications.
“As providers of critical infrastructure, we had to stay on,” he says. His employees worked to provide the reliable broadband connection that families, businesses and hospitals needed “to stay connected, to continue to serve their own customers and to fight to keep people alive.”
A former U.S. Army officer active in mentoring and civic organizations, Myers is a trustee for the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and serves on the GO Virginia Region 5 Council.
EDUCATION: American University (B.A., dual master’s degrees)
PHILANTHROPY:Maya Angelou said, “When you learn, teach. When you get, give.” I remember going to school hungry, but have worked hard to ensure my daughters will never know that feeling. Therefore, it’s my obligation and privilege to support organizations like Virginia’s food banks, especially this past year. I also recognize the gift of time and never turn down an opportunity to mentor when given the chance.
HOBBY/PASSION: Philanthropy, golf and weight training. Golf offers a mental challenge, and weight training challenges my body. So they’re a perfect balance.
PRESIDENT, BALLARD FISH & OYSTER CO. Inc., CAPE CHARLES
Ballard left his job as an investment banking analyst in 2008 to focus on selling Misty Points, Chincoteague Salts and Littlenecks, oysters and clams that have been his family’s livelihood for five generations, going back more than 125 years. Ballard Fish & Oyster Co., which employs more than 150 people across all its locations, is the parent company of Cherrystone Aqua-Farms and Chincoteague Shellfish Farms.
Virginia leads the East Coast in hard clam and Eastern oyster production, according to a report from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. But the multimillion-dollar industry faced hardships in 2020, with restaurants closed due to the pandemic.
A graduate of Washington and Lee University, Ballard is an associate board member on the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and serves on the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association board.
In April 2020, Gov. Ralph Northam appointed Ballard to the state’s
COVID-19 Business Task Force. This March, Ballard announced the sale of Cherrystone Family Camping Resort to Sun RV Resorts for $9.8 million.
BEST ADVICE FOR OTHERS:Advice is the most insincere form of communication.
FIRST JOB:Retail associate at Wild River Outfitters in Virginia Beach
MOST RECENT BOOK READ:“A Time for Mercy,” by John Grisham
FAVORITE VACATION DESTINATION:Norfolk Canyon, off Virginia Beach
Freeman
GEORGE C. FREEMAN III
CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, UNIVERSAL CORP., RICHMOND
Freeman’s entry to Universal Corp., the world’s biggest supplier of leaf tobacco, came through the legal profession. A former associate with Hunton Andrews Kurth, Freeman served as Universal’s general counsel and secretary for nearly five years. He became the company’s president in December 2006, and in 2008, he took over chief executive and board chairman duties.
A former Supreme Court clerk for Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr., Freeman lately has been diversifying the company, including the $170 million acquisition last September of Silva International Inc., an importer of dried vegetables, fruits and herbs. Along with the acquisitions of other plant-based businesses, including FruitSmart Inc. and Carolina Innovative Food Ingredients, Freeman expects 10% to 20% of the company’s income to be in that sector by fiscal year 2022, he said last year.
Universal’s $1.98 billion in revenue for the fiscal year ending in June 2021 was up 4% from the previous year, and it was one of 39 companies based in Virginia to land on the Fortune 1000 list this year.
Freeman also serves on the boards of Tredegar Corp. and the insurance company Mutual Assurance Society of Virginia.
Heatwole
CORWIN HEATWOLE
CEO, FARMER FOCUS, HARRISONBURG
A sixth-generation farmer who grew up helping raise poultry, Heatwole bought his first farm at 23, learned organic farming, grew his flocks and in 2014 started Shenandoah Valley Organics, now called Farmer Focus.
Heatwole leads Harrisonburg’s sixth-largest employer, with more than 500 workers. Farmer Focus now represents more than 60 family farms that are certified humane and sell USDA Organic chickens under the Farmer Focus brand. Using a product ID, customers can trace their poultry to the farms where the birds originated and read about the farmer in online profiles.
In December 2019, the company announced that it had closed a $15 million funding round with Open Prairie and other investors, led by Richmond-based NRV. Heatwole said the investment for marketing and modernizing plants would increase the company’s volume.
Farmer Focus is currently expanding further, building two facilities in Acorn LC Industrial Park, a move expected to create 110 jobs.
Houff
NEIL A. HOUFF
PRESIDENT AND TRANSLOADING OPERATIONS MANAGER, HOUFF CORP., WEYERS CAVE
Houff studied agriculture and economics at Virginia Tech, graduating in 1996 and joining his family- founded company — which grew from a dairy farm in Weyers Cave — building on specialized equipment that applied liquid fertilizer. Houff’s Feed and Fertilizer was founded in 1975, becoming a prominent Shenandoah Valley business. It rebranded as Houff Corp. in 2017.
The employee-owned company has its roots in agriculture, offering crop protection, seed sales and fertilizer. It also provides industrial services, including transloading, storage and third-party logistics. It expanded its transload operations to Clifton Forge in 2018, serviced by CSX Corp.
Houff Corp. also aligns with sister companies Blue Ridge Petroleum Co. and IDM Trucking Inc., which together form Railside Enterprises Inc. Houff serves on the board for IDM Trucking, which hauls more than 12,000 loads per year across the mid-Atlantic region. He’s also active in the Virginia Crop Production Association board, and last year he was appointed by Gov. Ralph Northam to his second four-year term on the state Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services, on which Houff serves as vice president.
Pryor
WAYNE F. PRYOR
PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA FARM BUREAU FEDERATION, HADENSVILLE
Pryor leads Virginia’s largest nonprofit agricultural membership organization, with nearly 130,000 members. A Goochland County hay and grain producer, Pryor was elected to his eighth two-year term as the federation’s president in December 2020. His organization counts more than 500 employees in Virginia.
He serves as board president and chairman of the Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Co. and as president, CEO and chairman of Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. Pryor also serves on several agricultural insurance boards, and he’s active in other areas of the industry, including serving in leadership roles for the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture, Innovation & Rural Sustainability, as well as the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. Additionally, he’s a member of the Virginia Cattlemen’s Association and the Virginia Cooperative Extension Leadership Council.
One of the Virginia Commonwealth University alum’s current goals is to expand broadband access in rural areas, a focus of Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration, which is advocating for full coverage in the commonwealth by 2024.
Ryan
MATTHEW RYAN
CEO, SHENANDOAH GROWERS INC., HARRISONBURG
In June, former Starbucks Inc. Chief Marketing Officer Ryan was tapped as the new CEO of indoor agricultural company Shenandoah Growers, replacing Tim Heydon, who led the business through its major expansion over the past 20 years and will transition into an advisory role for the company’s board of directors.
Ryan has an impressive resume, having previously overseen brand management at The Walt Disney Co. before joining Starbucks. He also has served on Kaiser Permanente’s board since January 2020.
Founded in 1989, Shenandoah Growers provides organic herbs and leafy greens to more than 18,000 retailers nationwide, all grown indoors with a vertical farming system employing hydroponics, aeroponics and aquaponics. Ryan says that the company has “the strongest track record and the best technical and biological know-how” in the indoor-grown agriculture market. The company made some major leadership hires this year, including Chief Operating Officer Cameron Geiger and Chief Financial Officer Mike Buckley, who hail, respectively, from Walmart Inc. and Postmates, as well as Chief Science Officer Tessa Pocock.
A Harvard graduate, Ryan has a bachelor’s degree in history and literature.
Adams’ ability to sell Virginia Beach to both outside and current businesses is evident in the number of expansion announcements he has overseen in the past year.
Those announcements include a $15.8 million investment from Acoustical Sheetmetal Co. to expand its Virginia Beach complex and create 200 jobs; Premium-PPE’s investment of $5.3 million to expand its operations and create 180 jobs; and a $4 million investment from industrial contractor SJS Executives to expand and add a fourth location, which will create 49 jobs.
Adams joined the city in 2015 as a purchasing agent and was promoted to finance operations administrator before stepping into his current role in 2018 after his predecessor, Warren Harris, resigned and later pleaded guilty to felony embezzlement charges.
Prior to coming to Virginia Beach, the Mississippi native held positions in both the private and public sectors in his home state. He earned an MBA from Hult International Business School and a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Mississippi State University.
Ball
R. BRIAN BALL
SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND TRADE, COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, RICHMOND
A University of Virginia “double ‘Hoo” with degrees in economics and law, Ball has been championing the robust growth of Virginia’s economy since his appointment in 2018.
His talents are reflected in recent major economic wins during the pandemic, including Microsoft Corp.’s $64 million investment to establish a new software development and R&D regional hub in Fairfax County, creating 1,500 jobs, and manufacturer Crown Holdings Inc.’s investment of $145 million to establish a manufacturing operation in Henry County, creating 126 jobs.
Ball has also been a driving force in helping Norfolk retain the North American headquarters of CMA CGM Group, a world leader in shipping and logistics. The project is expected to keep 600 jobs in Norfolk and create 400 jobs in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia.
Before joining the public sector, Ball was a corporate attorney at Williams Mullen. He currently serves as vice chair for both the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority. He also co-chairs the Governor’s Coordinating Council on Homelessness and serves on several other boards.
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED: I’m more patient than I used to be, although some would disagree with that assessment.
Bobe
CORRIE BOBE
DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, DANVILLE
A Danville native and Virginia Tech alum, Bobe has been involved in economic development in the city since 2009 and last year became Danville’s economic development director.
With the Caesars Virginia casino on Danville’s horizon, Bobe is overseeing a period of change and development in her hometown. She has championed the marketing of industrial park property, such as the Southern Virginia Megasite, as well as the redevelopment of River District properties.
In May, after years of waiting, city officials announced a $62.5 million mixed-use renovation of the White Mill, the symbol of Danville’s history as a textile hub — as well as its collapse in the 1990s.
During Bobe’s tenure, the city has also seen interest grow in Danville due to an extensive workforce training program launched in cooperation with the state’s community college system and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.
Bobe is part of a regional cooperative effort in which the city partners with Pittsylvania County in drawing developers to co-owned industrial parks, and she also collaborates with the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance.
WHAT MAKES ME PASSIONATE ABOUT MY WORK: Working in economic development has provided me with a unique opportunity to play an active role in reshaping the future of this region.
Buell
CATHERINE BUELL
HEAD OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, AMAZON IN THE COMMUNITY, AMAZON.COM INC., WASHINGTON, D.C.
A driven and experienced community development executive, Buell joined Amazon last year after working for the Greater Washington Partnership as its vice president for policy and programs.
She is leading the launch of Amazon’s new Housing Equity Fund, a more than $2 billion commitment to preserve existing housing and create inclusive, affordable workforce housing developments through below-market loans and grants to housing partners, public agencies and minority-led organizations. The fund benefits moderate- to low-income families and individuals in Arlington and two other communities: Washington state’s Puget Sound region and Nashville, Tennessee. Amazon already has deployed $382 million to the Washington Housing Conservancy to convert the Crystal House apartment complex near Amazon’s HQ2 headquarters in Arlington into a development of more than 500 affordable homes.
Prior to Amazon, Buell served as president and CEO of the Atlanta Housing Authority. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Spelman College and a law degree from Georgetown Law School. She serves on the boards of Venture Philanthropy Partners and Community of Hope.
Chalk
JARED CHALK
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NORFOLK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, NORFOLK
Since joining the city of Norfolk in 2005, Chalk has worn many hats: interim director of economic development, special assistant to the city manager, and secretary-treasurer of the Norfolk Economic Development Authority among them.
Today, as the leader of Norfolk’s economic development efforts, Chalk has focused attention on retaining and bringing in jobs that benefit community stakeholders, including minority-owned small businesses. He also is overseeing the redevelopment of Military Circle Mall, which could include an arena, and has three developer groups (including one partnering with Pharrell Williams) vying for the project.
Chalk also was pivotal in bringing the country’s eighth-largest fiber internet company, MetroNet, to Norfolk, setting up competition for Cox Communications and making Norfolk a “gigabit city” in the process. A Bridgewater College graduate, Chalk also has a certificate in real estate finance and development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
WHAT A COMPETITOR WOULD SAY ABOUT ME: I don’t like to lose at anything and will turn anything into a competition.
As the state’s secretary of commerce and trade from 1998 to 2002, DuVal has been pivotal in Virginia’s business community. During his tenure in Gov. Jim Gilmore’s administration, the state attracted a record-setting 1,500 economic development projects that resulted in 156,850 new jobs and $13.7 billion in private investment.
Since 2010, DuVal has led the state’s largest business advocacy group, which he has grown from fewer than 1,000 members to more than 26,000 members today. Last year, he and the chamber released a special report focusing on returning to business post-pandemic, “Blueprint for Getting Virginians Back to Work.”
This year, the Virginia Chamber’s main job is developing the next statewide strategic plan, known as Blueprint Virginia 2030, focusing on workforce development, education, infrastructure, energy, health care and other areas. DuVal will present the plan to the governor-elect at the organization’s December economic summit.
In addition to his work in the public sector (including as mayor of Newport News), DuVal served as president and CEO of DuVal Associates Inc., a diversified real estate firm, and later as president and CEO of Kaufman & Canoles Consulting LLC.
Hart
H. GARRETT HART III
DIRECTOR, CHESTERFIELD COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CHESTERFIELD
Under Hart’s leadership, Chesterfield County has become a leader in job growth in the Richmond region. Hart, who assumed his position in 2015, has 40 years of experience in local government and economic development.
He started his career as Louisa’s first town manager; moved to New Kent County, where he served as county administrator; and then was marketing manager for the Virginia Peninsula Economic Development Council. Prior to coming to Chesterfield, Hart served as corporate vice president of McKinney and Co. He serves on the Chesterfield Chamber board and the ChamberRVA Port Committee.
Hart is proud of the innovative assistance program the economic development team created and deployed to assist businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic. The county was able to aid 439 businesses, providing $5.2 million in grants for business and child care expenses. Restaurants also benefited from “Chesterfield Eats to Go,” an interactive online map that targeted restaurants open for takeout or delivery, and “Take It Outside,” an initiative to allow restaurants to serve outdoors amid the pandemic.
Haymore. Photo by Mark Rhodes
TODD P. HAYMORE
MANAGING DIRECTOR, GLOBAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, COMMERCE & GOVERNMENT RELATIONS GROUP, HUNTON ANDREWS KURTH LLP, RICHMOND
As a former Cabinetsecretary and agency head under three governors of both political parties, Haymore spent almost 12 years helping create economic opportunities for Virginia. He continues working with businesses in his current position, guiding them through challenges relating to business expansion or relocation.
Haymore serves as vice chair of state economic development initiative GO Virginia’s Region 4 Council, which covers the Richmond and Petersburg regions, as well as localities to the south and east. Part of his focus is on developing Petersburg’s advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing cluster, advising several companies involved in that burgeoning sector.
The Danville native’s reach extends to economic development projects around the state, including advanced manufacturing opportunities in Southwest and Southern Virginia, as well as Hampton Roads’ development as an offshore wind hub, building upon Dominion Energy Inc.’s project off the shore of Virginia Beach.
A close confidant of former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, he’s also heavily involved in McAuliffe’s second bid for governor in November. Haymore serves on several boards, including Virginia Commonwealth University’s board of visitors.
Haymore has been recognized for his economic development and trade efforts by various associations, including the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia International Business Council.
Hoskins
VICTOR HOSKINS
PRESIDENT AND CEO, FAIRFAX COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, FAIRFAX
Under Hoskins’ leadership, Fairfax County is making progress in becoming a technology giant, with Macedon Technologies, Microsoft and Peraton Inc. all expanding in the county over the past year. In 2021, the county had a total of 11 Fortune 500 companies headquartered there, the most of any locality in the state.
A longtime Northern Virginia mover and shaker, Hoskins came to Fairfax in 2019 with an enviable resume, after serving as director of Arlington Economic Development, where he led the team that attracted Amazon.com Inc.’s multibillion-dollar HQ2 East Coast headquarters to Arlington.
Since Hoskins’ arrival, Fairfax has retained Volkswagen Group of America Inc.’s North American headquarters under a 20-year lease, and Macedon announced it is expanding its corporate headquarters in Reston. Hoskins also had a hand in Microsoft’s announcement of its 400,000-square-foot software R&D center, which will have 1,500 employees, earning recognition as 2020’s largest transaction in Northern Virginia. Next up, StarKist Co. is relocating its headquarters from Pittsburgh to Reston in 2022.
A major proponent of regional cooperation and co-founder of the Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance, Hoskins received Leadership Fairfax Inc.’s regional leadership award in 2020.
Jones
MAURICE JONES
CEO, ONETEN, NORFOLK
In March,Jones stepped down from his position as president and CEO of national nonprofit Local Initiatives Support Corp. to head OneTen, a coalition of Fortune 500 corporations and CEOs that is focused on training, hiring and promoting 1 million Black Americans without four-year college degrees into family-sustaining jobs and careers over the next 10 years.
Co-founded by former CEOs of American Express and Merck & Co. Inc., the coalition is working with companies across the country to influence changes in corporate hiring and advancement practices. It also connects employers with talent partners and nonprofits supporting diverse workforce development initiatives.
During Jones’ tenure at LISC, he oversaw a period of growth and expansion, including more than $2 billion in community investments in 2020. He also led LISC’s COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts in 2020 and deepened the organization’s commitment to racial equity with the start of Project 10X, a $1 billion initiative to bridge racial gaps in health, wealth and opportunity.
A native of Mecklenburg County, Jones previously served as the deputy secretary of housing and urban development for the Obama administration and as Virginia secretary of commerce under Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Jones also is a former publisher of The Virginian-Pilot newspaper.
Landrum
STEPHANIE LANDRUM
PRESIDENT AND CEO, ALEXANDRIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP, ALEXANDRIA
Despite the many challenges brought by the pandemic, Landrum is proud of how Alexandria continued making major economic development deals over the past year.
In November 2020, Hilco Redevelopment Partners purchased a shuttered, 20-acre power plant site on the Potomac River, with plans for a mixed-use development. And a month later, Inova Health System announced plans for a $1 billion Alexandria Hospital campus to be built on the site of the former Landmark Mall. Alexandria also has seen an acceleration of development around Potomac Yard, including the $1 billion Virginia Tech Innovation Campus.
Amid the pandemic, Landrum spearheaded efforts to support the city’s local business community through the Alexandria Back to Business grant program, which provided nearly $6 million in federal and local funding to more than 600 small businesses.
Landrum was promoted to president and CEO of AEDP after holding various leadership roles in the organization since 2005. In 2019, she was named the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce’s Business Leader of the Year. A University of Virginia graduate, she also holds an MBA from U.Va.’s Darden School of Business and serves on boards including the Virginia Economic Developers Association and The Art League.
STEPHEN MORET
PRESIDENT AND CEO, VIRGINIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP, RICHMOND
In 2018, Moret played a key role in landing Amazon.com Inc.’s $2.5 billion HQ2 East Coast headquarters, described as the largest single economic development deal in U.S. history. Named by Virginia Business magazine as its 2019 Virginia Business Person of the Year, Moret is a tireless promoter of Virginia as a great location for business, and is one of the key players in Virginia’s ranking as CNBC’s Top State for Business since 2019.
Moret and his VEDP staff have been working with the Virginia Chamber of Commerce to update Blueprint Virginia 2030, a comprehensive long-range plan for Virginia businesses that’s expected to be presented in 2022. And Business Facilities ranked Virginia No. 3 in the nation for workforce development last year, praising VEDP’s workforce training programs.
One of Moret’s key initiatives is the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program, a cooperative initiative with Virginia’s community colleges to provide free, fast workforce training and recruiting services for companies locating or expanding in Virginia. The Louisiana native started a similar program, FastStart, with great success when he was that state’s secretary of economic development.
A Louisiana State University alum, Moret holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania.
Owens
EDWARD OWENS
CHAIRMAN, VIRGINIA TOBACCO REGION REVITALIZATION COMMISSION, SOUTH BOSTON
South Boston’s mayor, Owens was elected chairman of the powerful Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission in January.
He has served on the commission for the past 16 years and is its second longest-serving member after state Del. Terry Kilgore, whom Owens succeeded as chairman.
The commission, which provides funding for economic development and workforce education initiatives in formerly tobacco-dependent communities, covers an area including 40 localities in Southern and Southwest Virginia. Owens seeks to make a big impact on the economically challenged regions and has described broadband expansion and scholarships for workforce development as the commission’s most crucial investments.
A college basketball star, the 6-foot-6 Owens was inducted in 1992 into the Athletic Hall of Fame at Hampden-Sydney College, from which he graduated in 1980 with a psychology degree. He has served on the South Boston Town Council since 1998 and was appointed by Gov. Ralph Northam in June 2021 to serve on Virginia State University’s board of visitors. The owner of Edward Owens Insurance Agency, he was named the Halifax Chamber of Commerce’s 2013 Business Person of the Year, and he also has served on the Halifax Educational Foundation.
Payne,
WILLIAM H. ‘WILL’ PAYNE II
DIRECTOR, INVESTSWVA, BRISTOL
Payne has been pivotal in attracting business prospects to Southwest Virginia. In the last year, his public-private regional economic development marketing group, InvestSWVA, helped land a 160-job expansion in Scott County for New York-based eHealth Technologies and a 113-job, $7.9 million expansion in Washington County for SPIG Industry.
InvestSWVA also announced a partnership with Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy to advance manufacturing and development opportunities for energy storage technology in Southwest Virginia. And Payne’s group spearheaded Project Oasis, an initiative to promote data center development in the region.
A Richmond native and ’80s music fan, Payne keeps an Excel spreadsheet logging the more than 160 concerts he’s attended over the past 20 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy from William & Mary and is working toward an executive MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. He is vice rector of William & Mary’s board of visitors and chairs its administration, buildings and grounds committee. He also is a graduate of U.Va.’s Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership.
NEW LIFE EXPERIENCE: Leading an effort to grow Southwest Virginia’s first malting-quality barley crop used in beer production, and expanding specialty grain market opportunities.
Rizer.
BUDDY RIZER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, LOUDOUN COUNTY
Loudoun’s economic development leader is also the self-styled “Godfather of Data Center Alley,” reflecting the fact that the county has the world’s largest concentration of data centers. More than 70% of all internet traffic passes through the county’s Ashburn area, and Amazon Web Services, Google and Microsoft are continually building more there.
The increased demand for cloud services and streaming video from remote workers during the pandemic caused some data center development projects to get fast-tracked in 2020. The pandemic also had Rizer focused on aiding the county’s small businesses. Loudoun doled out millions in relief funds via its COVID-19 Business Interruption Fund and allocated $250,000 in federal CARES Act money to help local restaurants offset costs for switching to outdoor dining service.
Rizer, a former disc jockey and radio station owner, holds a bachelor’s degree from Towson University. He sits on the boards of the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Northern Virginia Community College Foundation.
ONE THING I WOULD CHANGE ABOUT VIRGINIA:Virginia is its best when we act as one. While my job is to promote Loudoun, I recognize we all have a vested interest in Virginia’s economic development success.
Romanello
ANTHONY ROMANELLO
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HENRICO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, HENRICO COUNTY
In April, Gov. Ralph Northam announced that Amazon.com Inc. would be bringing a new, 2.6 million-square-foot robotics fulfillment center to Henrico, adding more than 1,000 jobs to Amazon’s existing workforce of more than 27,000 employees in Virginia. The facility is anticipated to launch in 2022.
It’s one of several economic development wins secured under the leadership of Romanello, a former Henrico County deputy manager who was appointed head of the Henrico Economic Development Authority in March 2019. Before coming to Henrico in 2016, he was county administrator for Stafford County and had served as West Point’s town manager.
Ranking second in the state as the locality with the most jobs, Henrico has seen major investments announced in recent years, including the $2.3 billion arena-anchored GreenCity development planned for the former Best Products headquarters site.
A Henrico native, Romanello holds a bachelor’s degree in history and American government from the University of Virginia and a Master of Public Administration degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. He serves on the board of Needle’s Eye Ministries.
ONE THING I WOULD CHANGE ABOUT VIRGINIA: Get rid of humidity.
FAVORITE VACATION: Anywhere my family is, and sand is not.
Sledge. Photo by Rick De Berry
LEONARD SLEDGE
DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, RICHMOND
Sledge was instrumental in helping Richmond bring in more than $409 million in new capital investment, adding more than 1,000 new jobs this past fiscal year.
He participated in the city’s selection process to bring Urban One Inc.’s proposed $562.5 million ONE Casino + Resort before voters in a November referendum. If approved, the project, which would be the only Black-owned casino in the nation, could generate more than 1,300 jobs and $170 million in new tax revenue over its first five years.
Prior to joining Richmond city government, Sledge served as executive director of the Henry County, Georgia, Development Authority and was director of economic development for the city of Hampton. He also has led William & Mary’s Office of Economic Development.
Named one of North America’s top 50 economic developers for 2019 by management consulting firm Consultant Connect, Sledge holds undergraduate degrees from Morehouse College and Georgia Tech and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He is an avid fan of football and Marvel movies who also enjoys fishing in his spare time.
Smith
DOUG SMITH
PRESIDENT AND CEO, HAMPTON ROADS ALLIANCE, NORFOLK
Collaboration is paying off for the Hampton Roads area, and Doug Smith is leading the way as head of the Hampton Roads Alliance, an organization that represents 11 municipalities and more than 70 private sector investors. It was the first regional group to present an integrated, prioritized list of infrastructure needs that it would like to have funded through legislation pending in the U.S. Congress. The organization also has pushed for offshore wind development, among other initiatives.
Smith has headed the Alliance since September 2019, bringing with him a wealth of experience in city management and economic development. A native of Portsmouth, he served as city manager in Norfolk and deputy city manager in Virginia Beach and Portsmouth, where he also was chief plans and policy officer and economic development director. A former member of the Portsmouth City Council, he served in the private sector as CEO of Kaufman & Canoles Consulting, where he worked with national and local developers, municipalities, higher education institutions and corporations.
STU SOLOMON
PRESIDENT AND CEO, CONNECTED DMV, ARLINGTON COUNTY
Formerly Accenture’s location managing director for the metro D.C. area, Solomon grew the multinational consulting company’s Washington office from 2,300 employees to more than 6,300 during his 30-year tenure.
Connected DMV’s many partners are looking for similar big accomplishments from Solomon, who, with his wife, Gina, made the initial donation in 2019 to launch the public-private nonprofit regional economic development organization promoting collaboration between the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia — the DMV.
In June, the group released its 69-page Regional Economic Development Strategy blueprint, calling for regional branding and marketing efforts for the greater D.C. region. Additionally, the document called for better job and educational opportunities for lower-income people and more focus on attracting emerging sectors, including quantum computing and hydrogen fuel.
During the pandemic, Connected DMV also convened a who’s who of 51 state and local government and business leaders to form its COVID-19 Strategic Renewal Task Force, which has been focused on regional approaches to economic recovery.
Solomon has served on the boards of the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., the Greater Washington Board of Trade and the Wolf Trap Foundation. He holds a bachelor’s degree and MBA from Baylor University.
Spore
JAMES ‘JIM’ SPORE
PRESIDENT AND CEO, REINVENT HAMPTON ROADS, NORFOLK
During Spore’s 24 years as city manager of Virginia Beach, the city won a variety of accolades, including Best Place to Live in America and one of the top five Best Managed Cities in the Nation.
In 2015, Spore retired from his position as the leader for the city of nearly 500,000 residents, with four military installations and millions of annual beach tourists, but he didn’t take any downtime. He immediately took over as leader of Reinvent Hampton Roads, a nonprofit community group that assists with regional job creation and functions as GO Virginia Region 5’s support arm.
A graduate of the University of Illinois with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in urban planning, Spore also holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado. He has served as a member of the Hampton Roads Transit Long-Range Planning Advisory Committee and the state Department of Rail and Public Transit’s Transit Capital Projects Revenue Advisory Board.
Prior to his Virginia Beach tenure, Spore was city manager for Garland, Texas, and Burnsville, Minnesota, and he served as director of community development for Lakewood, Colorado, and Elgin, Illinois.
Stephens. Photo by Mark Rhodes
BRYAN K. STEPHENS
PRESIDENT AND CEO, HAMPTON ROADS CHAMBER, NORFOLK
Stephens joined the Hampton Roads Chamber as its leader in 2013 after a 28-year career in the U.S. Army, from which he retired as a colonel, and also heading a Texas-based equipment manufacturer, Kalmar.
A graduate of West Virginia University, Golden Gate University and the U.S. Army War College, Stephens serves on several boards, including the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, the United Way of South Hampton Roads and GO Virginia Region 5. His chamber also achieved five-star accreditation in 2016 from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, placing it in the top 1% of chambers across the country.
With casinos coming to Norfolk and Portsmouth, Stephens has encouraged the cities to provide transportation between the resorts, which will be less than 10 miles apart. “It’s definitely going to change the complexion of our region and draw a lot of people into Hampton Roads who would not normally have come,” he told Virginia Business earlier this year.
BEVERAGE OF CHOICE: Dry martini
FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM:Dallas Cowboys
FAVORITE SONG:“My Way,” by Frank Sinatra
WHAT I’VE LEARNED:Significance in life comes from service.
Tucker
TELLY TUCKER
DIRECTOR, ARLINGTON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ARLINGTON COUNTY
Tucker’s interest in economic development started when the Lynchburg native was working as a middle school teacher and was hired as a summer camp counselor by the city’s economic development department to teach kids about entrepreneurship.
He went on to become economic development director for Danville, where he was a key player in attracting commercial van manufacturer Morgan Olson to bring more than 700 jobs to backfill an Ikea factory that was about to lay off its 300 workers.
On the heels of that deal, Tucker was hired by Arlington County, landing one of Virginia’s most prestigious and high-profile economic development jobs just as Amazon.com Inc. is revving
up its multibillion-dollar HQ2 headquarters in Arlington.
So far, Tucker has overseen deals including Microsoft’s relocation of its U.S. regulated industries team, including Microsoft Federal, to Rosslyn.
Prior to his time in Danville, Tucker was assistant director of economic development for James City County. A James Madison alum, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and business administration in international business.
He’s also an accomplished concert pianist who once performed at the Kennedy Center for President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton.
Wakefield
JENNIFER WAKEFIELD
PRESIDENT AND CEO, GREATER RICHMOND PARTNERSHIP, RICHMOND
Wakefield’s accomplishments during the past six months include coming up with a new strategic framework for the Greater Richmond Partnership, doubling the size of its board and creating new committees to engage investors.
Wakefield, who joined the partnership in 2017 as its senior vice president of marketing, ascended to the leadership of the public-private regional economic development organization in late 2020, following the unexpected early departure of her predecessor, Lara Fritts.
Prior to the partnership, Wakefield served for 11 years as vice president of marketing and communications for the Orlando Economic Development Commission (now the Orlando Economic Partnership) in Florida, where she launched an international branding campaign for the region, increasing leads by 50% and broadening awareness of Orlando as a business location among C-suite executives.
Wakefield, who was named one of the top 50 economic developers in the country by Consultant Connect in 2020, serves as chair of the nonprofit International Economic Development Council’s marketing committee. She also serves on the Management Roundtable and the Richmond Federal Reserve Industry Roundtable.
She holds a master’s degree in communications from the University of Central Florida and a bachelor’s degree in public relations and advertising from the University of West Florida.
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STU SOLOMON
