Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Chesterfield County lab settles with DOJ in alleged kickback scheme

SUMMARY:

  • agreed to pay $758,000 to settle federal kickback allegations
  • The alleges doctors and marketers were paid disguised fees to refer patients for lab tests
  • Next has not admitted wrongdoing and said payments were made by third-party marketers

-based clinical laboratory Next Bio-Research Services has agreed to pay at least $758,000 to settle allegations that it paid illegal to physicians and independent marketers to secure laboratory test referrals.

The resolves accusations made under the False Claims Act, though there has been no determination of liability.

said last week that Next, doing business as Next Molecular Analytics, allegedly paid doctors in Texas and Arkansas thousands of dollars in kickbacks, disguised as consulting and medical director fees that were actually intended to induce the doctors to order the company’s laboratory tests, which were billed to federally funded programs like Medicaid, Medicare and Tricare. The also alleged that Next paid commissions to independent contractor marketers based on the volume and value of referrals they secured from providers.

The settlement agreement outlines the government’s contention that the kickbacks were paid by independent contractor marketers working on Next’s behalf. The government alleges that California-based OC Genetic Consultants arranged for other Next contractors — including Texas-based BeauMed Consultants and South Carolina-based Ralston Health Group — to make monthly payments to physicians. The federal government argues that Next failed to exercise sufficient oversight and paid the contractors commissions that violated federal law.

The agreement specifies that the contractors made payments to one physician from January to March 2020, and to another physician from August 2020 through September 2021.

Next President Thomas Reynolds told Virginia Business in an email that the company has not admitted to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement and that the company had contracted with these third parties to market its services “in good faith.”

“The government contended that more than four years ago, certain third-party marketers made payments to doctors who referred testing services to Next,” Reynolds said. “Such payments were explicitly prohibited by Next’s contracts with its third-party marketers. Next stopped using third parties to market our services in 2022. While we strongly disagree with the allegation that Next was aware of or involved in any misconduct, we are pleased to put this matter behind us so that we can continue serving the best interests of our clients with state-of-the-art testing services.”

The federal anti-kickback statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting or receiving compensation to induce referrals for services covered by Medicare, Medicaid and other federally funded health care programs.

“Physicians should make decisions based the best interests of their patients, not their own personal financial interests,” U.S. Attorney Eric Grant for the Eastern District of California said in a statement. “This settlement demonstrates my office’s commitment to taking all appropriate action to prevent improper inducements that can corrupt the integrity of physician-patient relationships.”

The allegations were first raised in a 2020 lawsuit filed by Sunil Wadhwa and Ken Newton under the provisions of the False Claims Act, which allows private parties to sue on behalf of the government and receive a share of any recovery. The DOJ says that Wadhwa and Newton will receive $113,700 of the proceeds from the settlement.

In 2024, the DOJ settled related allegations for $1.5 million with the company’s national sales director and two contractor marketing firms, OCGC and Ralston Health Group.

Under the agreement, Next will pay $758,000 initially, with the potential for additional amounts if certain financial contingencies occur. Next has agreed to cooperate with the ongoing investigations and litigation against other participants in the alleged schemes.

“We are a small group of scientists providing laboratory testing services for pediatric cancer patients as well as nursing homes,” Reynolds said in his email. “Next has been in business for 10 years proudly servicing our community. We fully cooperated with DOJ throughout this process and will continue to do so if asked.”

EU approves $36B Mars-Kellanova buy; deal to close this week

McLean-based candy and pet care giant has received the ‘s blessing to acquire , maker of Pringles, Cheez-Its and other , leaving no further obstacles to closing the $36 billion deal.

According to a Sunday announcement, the European Commission, the EU’s antitrust watchdog, concluded after an in-depth investigation that the would not raise competition concerns in Europe.

With the commission’s approval, Mars expects to close the acquisition on Thursday, it said in a Monday announcement.

The commission’s decision does not come as a surprise; Reuters reported in October that its unconditional approval was on its way, following the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s approval in June. The European Commission, though, delayed the completion of the deal — planned for August — by launching a 90-day investigation into antitrust concerns in June.

“We looked very carefully at this deal to make sure that Mars would not gain extra power over retailers, power that could lead to for example higher prices for shops and, ultimately, for consumers,” said the EU’s Teresa Ribera, executive vice president for clean, just and competitive transition. “Our review found no evidence that this risk exists, so we have decided to approve the acquisition. We will continue to make full use of our powers under the merger regulation to ensure that competition keeps food prices affordable.”

Mars, the largest privately owned company based in Virginia and one of the nation’s largest private corporations, said in a statement Monday that it expects to finalize its all-cash acquisition of Kellanova on Thursday. Kellanova was previously part of Kellogg until the company split into two companies in 2023, with WK Kellogg Co. producing breakfast cereals and Kellanova manufacturing its snack brands.

According to Mars, after the transaction is closed, Kellanova’s Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, Rice Krispies Treats and other snack brands will be under the Chicago-based Mars Snacking umbrella, along with Mars candy brands, which include Snickers, M&Ms and Twix.

“We are excited to have received final regulatory approval for the pending acquisition of Kellanova,” Mars President and CEO Poul Weihrauch said in a statement Monday. “Our focus now turns to welcoming Kellanova employees to Mars and creating an even more innovative global snacking business that delivers greater choice and quality to more consumers around the world.”

The acquisition was announced in August 2024. After the closing, Kellanova’s common stock will be delisted and will cease trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Boeing completes $4.7B Spirit AeroSystems purchase

Summary

  • finalizes $4.7B purchase of supplier .
  • Move brings fuselage production back in-house to improve quality.
  • Follows safety concerns after door-panel blowout.
  • comes as Boeing resolves criminal case tied to fatal 737 Max crashes.

Boeing said Monday that it has completed a $4.7 billion purchase of key supplier Spirit AeroSystems, which builds fuselages for the giant aerospace company’s 737 Max jetliners, including an Alaska Airlines aircraft that suffered a door-panel blowout last year.

The deal, in the works for over a year, brings Boeing’s largest provider of spare parts in-house. CEO Kelly Ortberg called it a “pivotal moment” for the company’s future.

“As we welcome our new teammates and bring our two companies together, our focus is on maintaining stability so we can continue delivering high quality airplanes, differentiated services, and advanced defense capabilities for our customers and the industry,” Ortberg said in a statement.

Boeing previously owned Wichita, Kansas-based Spirit but spun it off in 2005. Reabsorbing the company, which is not related to Spirit Airlines, reverses a longtime Boeing strategy of outsourcing major work on its passenger planes, an approach that faced mounting criticism in recent years as manufacturing problems at Spirit disrupted production and delivery of popular Boeing jetliners, including 737s and 787s.

When Boeing announced in July 2024 that it planned to reacquire Spirit, it positioned the move as a step toward improving quality and safety. Concerns about safety came to a head almost six months earlier, after the door panel flew off the Alaska Airlines plane as it traveled 16,000 feet (4,876 meters) over Oregon.

The mishap left a gaping hole in the side of the jetliner, but no one was seriously injured. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board later said that four bolts that help secure door panels were missing from the Alaska jet after repair work at a Boeing factory.

The finding renewed questions about Boeing’s safety culture and came as the company confronted an ongoing criminal case over two earlier fatal crashes involving its Max jetliners.

Those crashes, which happened off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019, killed 346 people and led to a worldwide grounding of the 737 Max for nearly two years. The Justice Department accused Boeing of deceiving regulators about a flight-control system that was later implicated in the crashes.

The criminal case was resolved just last month, when a federal judge in Texas approved the Justice Department’s request to dismiss the charge as part of a deal with Boeing. In exchange, Boeing agreed to pay or invest an additional $1.1 billion in fines, compensation for the crash victims’ families, and internal safety and quality measures.

The total value of the Spirit acquisition is around $8.3 billion, Boeing has said. Shares of Boeing rose roughly 2% in midday trading Monday.

Paramount launches $74B hostile bid for Warner Bros.

Summary

NEW YORK (AP) — Paramount on Monday launched a hostile takeover offer for Warner Bros. Discovery, initiating a potentially bruising battle with rival bidder Netflix to buy the company behind HBO, CNN and DC Studios, and the right to reshape much of the nation’s entertainment landscape.

Emerging just days after top Warner managers agreed to Netflix’s $72 billion purchase, Paramount’s bid seeks to go over the heads of those leaders by appealing directly to Warner shareholders with more money — $74.4 billion — and a plan to buy all of Warner’s business, including the cable business that Netflix does not want.

Paramount said its decision to go hostile came after it made several earlier bids that Warner management “never engaged meaningfully” with following the company’s October announcement that it was open to selling itself.

In its appeal to shareholders, Paramount noted its offer also contains more cash than Netflix’s bid — $18 billion more — and argued that it’s more likely to pass antitrust scrutiny from the Trump administration.

Netflix on Monday said it had no comment about Paramount’s challenge. But on Friday, Netflix downplayed concerns that regulators would oppose a combination of Netflix and Warner’s HBO Max streaming business.

The fight for Warner drew strong reaction in Washington, with politicians from both major parties picking sides and citing the likely impact on streaming prices, movie theater employment and the diversity of entertainment choices and political views.

Over the weekend, President weighed in, too, saying a Netflix-Warner combo “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share.

Paramount, run by David Ellison, whose family is closely allied with Trump, said it had submitted six proposals to Warner over a 12-week period before the latest offer.

“We believe our offer will create a stronger Hollywood. It is in the best interests of the creative community, consumers and the movie theater industry,” Paramount Chairman and CEO David Ellison said in a statement. He added that his deal would lead to more competition in the industry, not less, and more movies in theaters.

Adding to the political intrigue in the dueling bids, a regulatory document released Monday stated that an investment firm run by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner would be investing in the Paramount deal, too.

On Friday, Netflix struck its deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, the Hollywood giant behind “Harry Potter” and HBO Max. The cash and stock proposal is valued at $27.75 per Warner share, giving it a total enterprise value of $82.7 billion, including debt.

The transaction is expected to close in the next 12 to 18 months, after Warner completes its previously announced separation of its cable operations. Not included in the deal are networks such as CNN and Discovery.

The federal government has authority to kill any big media deals if it has antitrust concerns. Trump has said he will be personally involved in the decision regarding Warner Bros.

Usha Haley, a Wichita State University professor who specializes in international business strategy, said Paramount’s ties to Trump are notable. Ellison is the son of longtime Trump supporter Larry Ellison, the world’s second-richest person.

“He said he’s going to be involved in the decision. We should take him at face value,” Haley said of Trump. “For him, it’s just greater control over the media.”

The bid for Warner Bros. comes on the heels of Paramount’s October purchase of the news and commentary website The Free Press. Paramount then installed the site’s founder, Bari Weiss, as the editor-in-chief of CBS News, saying it believes the country longs for news that is balanced and fact-based.

It was a bold step for the television network of Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather and “60 Minutes,” long viewed by many conservatives as the personification of a liberal media establishment. The network placed someone in a leadership role who has a reputation for resisting orthodoxy and fighting “woke” culture.

Paramount’s tender offer is set to expire on Jan. 8 unless it’s extended.

Shares of Warner Bros. jumped nearly 4%, and Netflix was down 4% Monday in early afternoon trading. Paramount was up 9%.

Trump plans $12B aid for farmers hit by trade war

Summary

  • Trump to announce $12B aid package for U.S. farmers.
  • Farmers face rising costs and reduced crop sales amid tariffs.
  • Aid follows heightened tariffs on China in ongoing .
  • Agricultural sector increasingly scrutinizes shifting tariff policies.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President  is planning a $12 billion farm aid package, according to a official — a boost to farmers who have struggled to sell their crops while getting hit by rising costs after the president raised tariffs on China as part of a broader trade war.

According to the official, who was granted anonymity to speak ahead of a planned announcement, Trump will unveil the plan Monday afternoon at a White House roundtable with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary Brooke Rollins, lawmakers and farmers who grow corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, rice, cattle, wheat, and potatoes.

Farmers have backed Trump politically, but his aggressive trade policies and frequently changing tariff rates have come under increasing scrutiny because of the impact on the agricultural sector and because of broader consumer worries.

The aid is the administration’s latest effort to defend Trump’s economic stewardship and answer voter angst about rising costs — even as the president has dismissed concerns about affordability as a Democratic “hoax.”

Upwards of $11 billion is set aside for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmer Bridge Assistance program, which the White House says will offer one-time payments to farmers for row crops.

Soybeans and sorghum were hit the hardest by the trade dispute with China because more than half of those crops are exported each year with most of the harvest going to China.

The aid is meant to help farmers who have suffered from trade wars with other nations, inflation, and other market disruptions.

The rest of the money will be for farmers who grow crops not covered under the bridge assistance program, according to the White House official. The money is intended to offer certainty to farmers as they market the current harvest, as well as plan for next year’s harvest.

China purchases have been slow

In October, after Trump met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea, the White House said Beijing had promised to buy at least 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans by the end of the calendar year, plus 25 million metric tons a year in each of the next three years. Soybean farmers have been hit especially hard by Trump’s trade war with China, which is the world’s largest buyer of soybeans.

China has purchased more than 2.8 million metric tons of soybeans since Trump announced the agreement at the end of October. That’s only about one quarter of what administration officials said China had promised, but Bessent has said China is on track to meet its goal by the end of February.

“These prices haven’t come in, because the Chinese actually used our soybean farmers as pawns in the trade negotiations,” Bessent said on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” explaining why a “bridge payment” to farmers was needed.

During his first presidency, Trump also provided aid to farmers amid his trade wars. He gave them more than $22 billion in 2019 and nearly $46 billion in 2020, though that year also included aid related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump has also been under pressure to address soaring beef prices, which have hit records for a number of reasons. Demand for beef has been strong at a time when drought has cut U.S. herds and imports from Mexico are down due to a resurgence in a parasite. Trump has said he would allow for more imports of Argentine beef.

He also had asked the to investigate foreign-owned meat packers he accused of driving up the price of beef, although he has not provided evidence to back his claims.

On Saturday, Trump signed an executive order directing the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission to look at “anti-competitive behavior” in food supply chains — including seed, fertilizer and equipment — and consider taking enforcement actions or developing new regulations.

IBM to buy Confluent in $11B deal to boost AI strategy

Summary

  • to acquire for $11 billion in a cash deal.
  • Confluent’s platform improves real-time data flow for systems.
  • IBM says will enhance client AI deployment and integration.
  • Deal expected to close in mid-2026 pending shareholder and regulatory approval.

IBM said Monday it’s buying platform Confluent in a deal worth $11 billion that will help bolster the technology company’s strategy.

The two companies said they signed a “definitive agreement” for IBM to acquire all of Confluent Inc.’s issued and outstanding common stock for $31 per share in cash, which represents an enterprise value of $11 billion.

Confluent, based in Mountain View, Calif., is an open source data streaming platform that “connects, processes and governs” data and events in real time, the companies said in a joint statement. It specializes in preparing data for AI and keeping it “clean and connected across systems and applications,” they said.

The deal means IBM’s client companies can deploy artificial intelligence services better and faster “by providing trusted communication and data flow between environments, applications and APIs,” IBM CEO said in the statement. “Data is spread across public and private clouds, data centers and countless technology providers.”

The transaction is expected to close in mid-2026. It still needs approval from Confluent shareholders as well as clearance from regulators.

Confluent shares, which closed at $23.14 Friday, surged 29% in premarket trading. Shares of IBM ticked down less than 1%.

Supreme Court signals backing for Trump in FTC firing case

Summary

  • likely to expand presidential control over .
  • Conservative justices signal willingness to overturn a 1935 precedent.
  • Case centers on Trump’s firing of member .
  • Administration argues presidents should remove board members without cause.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday seemed likely to expand presidential control over independent federal agencies, signaling support for President ‘s firing of board members.

The court’s conservative majority suggested it would overturn a unanimous 90-year-old decision that has limited when presidents can fire agencies’ board members, or leave it with only its shell intact.

Chief Justice John Roberts referred to the decision known as Humphrey’s Executor as “a dry husk.”

Liberal justices warned that the decision sought by the administration would concentrate vast power in the president’s hands, robbing the agencies of expertise.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said the president would be able to “fire all the scientists and the doctors and the economists and the PhDs and replace them with loyalists and people who don’t know anything.”

Solicitor General D. John Sauer defended Trump’s decision to fire Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter without cause and called on the court to jettison Humphrey’s Executor.

Sauer said the decision “hasn’t withstood the test of time” and had enabled a “headless fourth branch” of government, the administrative state that conservatives and business interests have been taking aim at for decades.

The six conservative justices, including three appointed by Trump in his first term, already have signaled strong support for the administration’s position, over the liberals’ objection, by allowing Slaughter and the board members of other agencies to be removed from their jobs even as their legal challenges continue.

Members of the National Labor Relations Board, the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Consumer Product Safety Commission also have been fired by Trump.

The only officials who have so far survived efforts to remove them are Lisa Cook, a Federal Reserve governor, and Shira Perlmutter, a copyright official with the Library of Congress. The court has suggested that it will view the Fed differently from other independent agencies, and Trump has said he wants her out because of allegations of mortgage fraud. Cook says she did nothing wrong.

A second question in the Slaughter case could affect Cook. Even if a firing turns out to be illegal, the court wants to decide whether judges have the power to reinstate someone.

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote earlier this year that fired employees who win in court can likely get back pay, but not reinstatement.

That might affect Cook’s ability to remain in her job. The justices have seemed wary about the economic uncertainty that might result if Trump can fire the leaders of the central bank. The court will hear separate arguments in January about whether Cook can remain in her job as her court challenge proceeds.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh signaled that he is inclined to side with Cook, describing as an “end run” the idea that an illegally fired official would only be entitled to her salary.

Under Roberts’ leadership, the court has issued a series of decisions dating back to 2010 that have steadily whittled away at laws restricting the president’s ability to fire people.

In 2020, Roberts wrote for the court that “the President’s removal power is the rule, not the exception” in a decision upholding Trump’s firing of the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau despite job protections similar to those upheld in Humphrey’s case.

In the 2024 immunity decision that spared Trump from being prosecuted for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, Roberts included the power to fire among the president’s “conclusive and preclusive” powers that Congress lacks the authority to restrict.

The court also was dealing with an FTC member who was fired, by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1935, who preferred his own choice at an agency that would have a lot to say about the New Deal.

William Humphrey refused Roosevelt’s request for his resignation. After Humphrey died the next year, the person charged with administering his estate, Humphrey’s executor, sued for back pay.

The justices unanimously upheld the law establishing the FTC and limiting the president to removing a commissioner only for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.”

Gainesville automation company acquired by Naviant

Madison, Wisconsin-based consulting and tech firm announced last week that it has acquired , a -based business process provider.

The financial terms were not disclosed, and the company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Founded in 1986, Naviant helps organizations improve how their work gets done by using automation, and more efficient processes. Versivo was created in 2006 and specializes in providing products and services that streamline operations for government and commercial organizations.

“Versivo has built a strong reputation for exceptional customer care, and we’re thrilled to join forces with their talented team and valued customers,” said Naviant President and CEO Michael Carr in a statement. “ We believe this will elevate everyone’s and intelligent automation journey to the next level.”

Carr said the company was “excited to personally welcome Versivo customers and team members into the Naviant community.” However, he did not specify how many Versivo employees would join the combined company or what roles Versivo leadership would play.

“Becoming part of Naviant allows us to accelerate innovation and expand what’s possible for our customers,” Versivo President Brett Thompson said in a statement, adding that the combined companies are “well-positioned” to help customers achieve more through automation and AI.

Earlier this year, Naviant was included on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. Its services include AI, agentic AI, intelligent document processing, enterprise content management, content portals, process and task mining and robotic process automation.

College Conference Implores Business Community, Legislators to Support Workforce Grants

The Community College Workforce Cooperative was formed in January 2021 with the idea that one collaborative effort is better than three individual ones. However, no one at Virginia Peninsula Community College, Tidewater Community College or Camp Community College could have envisioned the success of the teamwork that targets workforce development and skilled trades.

“Since I’ve gotten here, our enrollment and talent development (in workforce development) has increased at all of the local community colleges in Hampton Roads by 10, 15, and 20% every year,” said VPCC President Dr. Towuanna Porter Brannon.

At VPCC alone, that growth has led to the opening of its Toano Trades Center in the Williamsburg area and its Newport News Trades Center in 2026. The other colleges have similar projects underway, noted Dr. Brannon.

“We have responded to the Commonwealth’s need and the Hampton Roads need for more talent quicker,” she said of VPCC and its CCWC partners.

On Oct. 21 at the Peninsula Workforce Development Center in Hampton, Dr. Brannon convened a gathering of those three college presidents and Eastern Shore Community College’s leader to discuss ways to continue that momentum.

That is, because despite that success, funding for Workforce Credential Grants (WCG) has become an issue. VCCS Chancellor David Dore has requested a $17 million increase in WCG funding, but that’s for 23 institutions, which comes to slightly under $750,000 each. That might appear to be a lot of money, but studies have shown since 2017, the state’s $95 million investment in FastForward and other similar workforce programs has generated $6.2 billion in wages earned in Virginia.

“The return on investment is ridiculous,” Dr. Brannon said. “That’s just the earners. That doesn’t speak to how many of them are employed or in these talent pipelines or contributing to the businesses.”

She also pointed to statistics that show community college students are more likely to stay in state after graduating than students who attend a four-year institution. Workforce students also have a higher completion rate.

Yet, in fiscal year 2025, funding was paused late in the year because demand exceeded the remaining dollars. Without more funding for the next fiscal year, VPCC will serve 700 fewer students looking for high-demand regional jobs.

“If we have 50% less funds, we’re going to train 50% fewer people,” Dr. Brannon said, adding it will affect the local workforce more than the College. “We will still be open. However, businesses are going to lose 50% of the talent that we produced last year.”

At the conference, which included local employers and legislators as well as the four college presidents, the goals included informing the business community of the slowdown in training and asking for their lobbying assistance for the increase in funds.

“The call was to say to businesspeople, we think it’s time for you to make some noise,” Dr. Brannon said. “We think it’s time for you to share that we have a model that is ridiculously successful.”

As with the CCWC, said Dr. Brannon, there is a benefit in collaboration.

“The four presidents were brought together because we wanted to demonstrate that we work together,” Dr. Brannon said. “That it is not just a VPCC request.”

She noted this is not just an issue on the Peninsula or in Hampton Roads. It is a statewide issue.

“It was really a call to action for our local businesspeople to say, we need you to go to the General Assembly. We need you to help our legislators,” Dr. Brannon said.

The legislators, who have been fighting this same battle and been very supportive of workforce programs, agreed help from the business community would go a long way.

As for the business leaders, they said the VCCS isn’t asking for enough money.

“I didn’t know what I expected,” Dr. Brannon said. “One person said this must be an accounting error.”

 Bringing together the CCWC partners, along with Eastern Shore CC, was a show of force, and Dr. Brannon reiterated it’s not just an issue for individual colleges.

“Everyone basically said, ‘Yes. This is a no-brainer,’” Dr. Brannon said.

Bringing together the CCWC partners, along with Eastern Shore CC, was a show of force and reiterated it’s not just an issue for individual colleges.

“This is really a Hampton Roads and a Commonwealth issue,” she said.

For more information on the College, visit www.vpcc.edu.

About the College: Founded in 1967, Virginia Peninsula Community College (formerly Thomas Nelson) serves the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg and the counties of James City and York. The sixth largest of Virginia’s Community Colleges, the College offers associate degree and certificate programs designed for both university transfer and direct entry into careers. The College also serves students with non-credit, workforce training programs and services. Classes are offered online and at the Hampton and Historic Triangle campuses, the Southeast Higher Education Center in Newport News, three Workforce Development centers, at various instructional sites in the community.

SCC names new comms director

Greg Weatherford has been named the Virginia ‘s new director, according to a Monday announcement.

Weatherford succeeds Andy Farmer, who retired earlier this year from the SCC. Farmer served the commission, which  is a state agency with regulatory authority over economic interests that include public utilities, insurance and railroads for a quarter-century.

In 2023, Weatherford joined the SCC as deputy director of the information resources division. Previously, he held communications positions with Virginia Commonwealth University and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

Before pivoting to communications, Weatherford worked in journalism. In the late 1990s, he was a business reporter for the Times-Dispatch. Later, he became editor of Richmond’s Style Weekly. He also worked at the Associated Press and The Virginian-Pilot and contributed to numerous other publications.

He has played drums in bands including Cracker and Chrome Daddy Disco under the name Go Weatherford.

The child of U.S. Foreign Service officials, Weatherford spent his childhood in places such as Korea, Afghanistan, Guinea and Brazil. He earned a degree in mass communications and a Master of Fine Arts in writing at VCU.

Andy Farmer served the SCC’s Division of Information Resources (IRD) for 25 years as information resources manager, deputy director and director of IRD. He served as IRD director for four years.