STAUNTON, Virginia (December 2021) — Virginia Economic Developers Association (VEDA) President Steve Harrison presented the 2021 President’s Award to Stephen Moret, departing President and CEO of Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP).
Moret arrived at a challenging time four years ago for VEDP, and in his tenure, Virginia was named the Top State for Business by CNBC twice, earning him kudos from Gov. Ralph Northam. He played a pivotal role in attracting Amazon.com Inc’s $2.5 billion-plus second headquarters to Northern Virginia, a commitment that will bring 25,000 high-paying jobs in the technology sector to that region.
Moret also helped launch the state’s Talent Accelerator Program, a custom workforce development initiative that partners with Virginia’s Community Colleges for training and recruitment solutions customized to individual company’s unique processes, equipment and culture.
Since assuming the role of President and CEO of VEDP in January 2017, Moret oversaw the announcement of more than $77 billion in capital investment and 100,000 jobs across Virginia. He will start a new position as President and CEO of Strada Education Network in Indianapolis in January 2022.
“Through hard work, creativity and assembling a great team, he brought Virginia back to the top,” Harrison said. “We are incredibly grateful for his dedication and confidence in VEDA.”
Moret was among VEDA’s most active members. He championed VEDA activities, spoke at its conferences and co-hosted impactED, an ongoing learning opportunity for the state’s economic developers.
Virginia Business magazine named him its Businessperson of the Year in 2019.
Moret holds a doctorate in higher education management from University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He earned an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at Louisiana State University.
Prior to relocating to Virginia, Moret worked as President and CEO of the LSU Foundation, as Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development and as President and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber.
“One of the perks of being President is the ability to recognize an outstanding member of VEDA with the President’s Award,” Harrison said. “There are so many members who have made meaningful contributions to the profession and to the VEDA organization itself each year, so this is never an easy decision to make. This year, though, I could not let this opportunity pass without sending Stephen off with one final Commonwealth commendation.”
VEDA comprises hundreds of professionals from the state in economic development and other related fields.
ABOUT THE VIRGINIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS ASSOCIATION
The Virginia Economic Developers Association (VEDA) is a non-profit, non-partisan membership association for individuals with a professional interest in economic development across the Commonwealth of Virginia. VEDA serves as the voice of economic development in Virginia and was founded in 1982 to increase the effectiveness of individuals involved in the practice of economic development in Virginia by encouraging cooperation, exchange of information, and professional development activities. For more information, visit goveda.org.
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