The Online Newsletter for the Virginia Economic Developers Association | |
 | | August has been a busy month for me including my favorite week of the year at the beach with my six grandchildren. In addition to getting some vacation time, Chesterfield swore in a new County Administrator; Mindy Carlin and I attended the joint subcommittee on data center taxation and awarded the VEDA Michael W. Woods Legislator of the Year Award to Del. Luke E. Torian, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. However, the most important VEDA event was at the very end of July, the VEDA Leadership Retreat. We had a great two-day turnout of board members, committee leaders and allied partners. Matt Johnson (current VEDA Vice President) did a tremendous job organizing a meeting of work, vision and fellowship. I want to thank him and everyone who participated for a great meeting about moving VEDA and the quality of life of the people of the Commonwealth forward. Everyone’s commitment to the betterment of their localities and the Commonwealth was on full display! As the NIMBYism explosion continues, it helped me a lot and renewed my soul to be with my friends and fellow VEDA members working on how we can help and get through this time together.
I hope everyone with children or grandchildren has had a great start to a new school year. Fall is a beautiful time in Virginia, a time of festivals and sports events. I look forward to seeing very many of you in September and through the end of this year.
Recent Results – As I noted above Mindy Carlin and I attended the joint subcommittee on data center taxation and Mindy has prepared an excellent report of the meeting and the issue. This report and others are available on the VEDA website for members only. It is clear not only from this meeting, that the sentiment against data center development, whether misinformed and misdirected or not, that elected officials see as an issue they can run on. I am concerned that it could spill over to one against economic development as a whole, especially our incentives and use of confidentiality agreements. All of us need to work hard to educate and reeducate our elected officials, both local and state, about the importance of these tools and the importance of economic development to the community and the Commonwealth.
I want to thank the honorable Secretary of Transportation, Nick Donohue; Sarah McCoy, Chief Executive Officer, Virginia Port Authority; Kevin Hughes, City Manager of Suffolk; and Jason El Koubi, VEDP for a tremendous, impactED program on transportation infrastructure and programming. It was extremely informative and well attended. It has become clear to me that impactED has become one of the most informative and useful programs that VEDA provides. I encourage all of you to attend and to make suggestions on subjects you would like to be covered.
On the Rader – Connie and I are continuing to have our Regional Membership Meetings, visiting with the Shenandoah Valley and Charlottesville regions in July. Thanks to everyone who has attended these meetings, and I look forward to continuing to hear great ideas on how to make VEDA better at the meetings in September.
I hope to see many of you at the VEDA Fall Conference in Danville, September 23-25. Don’t forget to sign up for an activity on Wednesday (Agritourism Tour; Downtown Walking Tour, Golf Outing, or the Golf Clinic). Thursday night’s reception will be held at the Virginia International Raceway and there is a special opportunity to go Karting @ VIR prior to the reception. Space is limited so sign up early. The Committee has done a tremendous job of making the event both informative and fun.
Upcoming events are:
Warmest regards,
Garrett Hart, III
VEDA President
Chesterfield Economic Development
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REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR THE
VEDA FALL CONFERENCE
Danville, Virginia
Wednesday, September 23 - Friday, September 25, 2026
STAY TUNED FOR CONFERENCE CONNECTION FOR DETAILS!
| | THANKS TO OUR FALL CONFERENCE SPONSORS | | Danville Pittsylvania Chamber of Commerce ~ Farm Credit of the Virginias ~ First National Bank ~ InterChange Group, Inc. ~ Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc. ~ Mecklenburg County ~ Patrick County Economic Development Authority ~ RDG, a Convergent Company ~ The Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement ~ Whittington Consulting | | |
Virginia Economic Development Housing Forum
VEDA has partnered with Virginia Housing, VEDP, and DHCD to form the Virginia Economic Development Housing Forum. The group meets quarterly online. Registration is open for the next two meetings. A website page has been created on the VEDA website to house agendas, recordings, and resource information from these meetings.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE. Register NOW for the November 9th Online Meeting.
| | Mark Your Calendar for these future events | | |
VEDA is looking towards the future and conference locations for Spring and Fall through 2027. We're still working on a few, but here's the rundown thus far:
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Fall 2026: September 23-25, 2026: Danville.
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Spring 2027: Wednesday, March 17-Friday, March 19, 2027. Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront, Virginia Beach
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Fall 2027: Wednesday, September 29-Friday, October 1, 2027. Kalahari Resort & Conference Center, Spotsylvania County.
| | Welcome New Members - July 2026 | | |
REGION 2
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Elizabeth Butcher, Small Business Coordinator, Franklin County Economic Development,
REGION 4
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Jim Mallon, Business Development Manager, KBJW
REGION 6
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Jennifer Reynolds, Director, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Virginia Economic Development Partnership
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Hope Harris-Gayles, Regional Internship Manager, InternshipsVA, Virginia Economic Development Partnership
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Megan Samples, Program Coordinator, George Washington Regional Commission
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Marian Marquez, Senior Vice President, Alexandria Economic Development Partnership was appointed to the Committee of Business Development & Marketing for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP).
Florence G. Kingston has retired after more than 40 years of dedicated economic development service to the City of Newport News. "From the development of City Center at Oyster Point to bringing two grocery stores to the Southeast Community, advancing projects like the Newport News Apprentice School, Cannon Virginia, Liebherr USA, and helping lead the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, her impact can been seen in every corner of Newport News," said Mayor Phillip Jones in a Facebook post. Florence was awarded the VEDA Cardinal Award in 2019.
The Culpeper County Department of Economic Development has been named Economic Development Organization (EDO) of the Year (for populations of 25,000-200,000) by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) — the world’s largest economic development organization. The EDO of the Year award recognizes organizations that demonstrate organizational excellence, innovative programs, meaningful community impact, and an exceptional commitment to the people and businesses they serve. Bryan Rothamel and Winona Pritts will accept the award at the IEDC Annual Conference in New Orleans in October.
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ATTENTION VEDA MEMBERS
DO YOU HAVE YOUR CEcD?
We have recently updated the list of members with their CEcD certification. If you've gained this certification, please
CLICK HERE to check the list and let us know if we're missing anyone! Please email Vanessa@associationbuilders.com with any changes/additions/deletions from the list!
| | STATE COUNCIL OF HIGHER EDUCATION (SCHEV) | |
V-TOP - Over the coming months, you’ll begin to see a new name and brand as V-TOP transitions to InternshipsVA. This transition reflects a new collaboration with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) and builds on the partnerships and continued commitment that support our work to connect students and higher education institutions with career readiness resources and expand access to meaningful paid or credit-bearing internship opportunities across Virginia. As this transition is made, you can continue to find valuable resources and information through the State Council of Higher Education for Virgina's (SCHEV) website. SCHEV supports students and higher education institutions through targeted tools and programs designed to enhance career readiness and internship learning opportunities.
Join SCHEV for our monthly Lunch & Learn - Many Paths, One Purpose: Work-based Learning In Action. September 09, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Work-based learning takes many forms, and each creates meaningful opportunities for students to connect learning with real-world impact. Join colleagues from across Virginia as they showcase innovative models that extend beyond internships, including entrepreneurship, service-learning, undergraduate research, and community-engaged learning. Discover how these initiatives are preparing students for career success, fostering community partnerships, and offering scalable ideas that can be adapted across diverse institutional settings. Speakers: Dr. Barbara Blake, Executive Director, Monarch Internship and Co-Op Office, Old Dominion University; Dr. Anne-Marie Turnage, Faculty, History & Philosophy, Faculty Associate, Service-Learning, Virginia State University; Tonya Nations, Director, Office of Career Discovery and Planning, University of Virginia - College at Wise. REGISTER HERE.
| VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (DHCD) | | |
2026 Virginia Governor's Housing Conference - Registration is open for this year’s Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference, on Nov. 18-20 in Hampton. This year’s theme is Affordable Virginia: Building the Future Together. Be sure to register and book your hotel soon. You don’t want to miss this event!
MAIN STREET
Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund Helene Grant Program - Was your community impacted by Hurricane Helene? The Department of Historic Resources has been awarded $2 million in funds to distribute to affected localities to document historic and architectural resources. Eligible projects encompass survey and planning activities and the protection of historic resources through identification, documentation, evaluation, National Register of Historic Places nominations or nomination updates, and preservation planning activities consistent with the responsible stewardship of historic resources. Apply by September 18, 2026. LEARN MORE.
BROADBAND
Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program - Virginia continues to make progress toward universal connectivity, as the Office of Broadband has now signed 21 BEAD award contracts with internet service providers. With contracts now in place, providers can begin the required environmental reviews in preparation for construction, advancing efforts to connect the remaining 85,000 unserved locations across Virginia to high-speed internet access.
DHCD Releases Draft VATI Guidelines for Public Comment Window - DHCD has updated the draft VATI guidelines for this funding round with a new program design that includes a streamlined process for deployment projects and, per budget language adopted in the 2026 General Assembly Session, additional eligible use (AEU) projects related to make-ready and undergrounding work, mandated relocation for infrastructure in public rights-or-way, and restoring telecommunications infrastructure damaged in a major disaster. Representatives from units of local government, internet service providers (ISPs), and other interested stakeholders are encouraged to review the proposed guidelines and criteria and provide public comment. Please submit all comments by email to vati@dhcd.virginia.gov. The public comment period closes on September 18th, 2026. READ VATI GUIDELINES.
Following the adoption of final guidelines and criteria for the program, the Office of Broadband will host a How-To-Apply webinar for this program on October 7, 2026 from 1 PM - 2:30 PM. The How-To-Apply webinar will be held virtually using Microsoft Teams, with a call-in option also available. Registration is required to participate in this How to Apply Webinar.
| VIRGINIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP (VEDP) | |
The Virginia Brownfields Restoration and Economic Redevelopment Assistance Fund (VBAF) is preparing to launch its next round of grant opportunities. The FY27 program guidelines and application instructions will be posted on VEDP's website on September 15, 2026.
Assessment and Planning Grants - VBAF Assessment and Planning Grants are available in amounts of up to $50,000. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. To request a copy of the FY27 guidelines and application, please contact Michelle Mende.
Site Remediation Grants - Applications for VBAF Site Remediation Grants will open on October 1, 2026. Grants of up to $500,000 are available to assist with the costs of:
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Remediating contaminated properties to address hazardous substances, hazardous wastes, or solid wastes.
- Removing human remains, treating grave sites, addressing significant archaeological resources, or stabilizing or restoring structures listed on or eligible for the Virginia Historic Landmarks Register.
- Demolishing and removing existing structures, when necessary, to abate hazardous materials or complete other site work required to prepare a property for new economic development.
The application deadline for Site Remediation Grants is 5:00 p.m. on November 13, 2026. Award announcements are anticipated in January 2027. VBAF provides grants or loans to local governments to support the restoration and redevelopment of brownfield sites by addressing environmental conditions that hinder reuse and economic development. Site Remediation Grants are awarded on a competitive, discretionary basis and negotiated with qualified applicants. The program is coordinated by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Funding recommendations are made by the VBAF Review Committee, and grants are administered by VEDP. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact John Loftus, Real Estate Solutions, Virginia Economic Development Partnership, 804-545-5786.
| | VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF RAIL AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION (DRPT) | |
Virginia Statewide Rail Plan - DRPT will continue public engagement for the Virginia Statewide Rail Plan, including a second virtual session planned for September. This meeting will give Virginians another opportunity to share feedback on the priorities and strategies that will guide future passenger and freight rail development.
Transforming Transit in Virginia - This fall, in conjunction with the September 15 CTB meeting, DRPT will launch a yearlong Transit Transformation Study to create a statewide vision for the future of public transportation in Virginia. The effort will assess how transit is working today, gather input from communities across the Commonwealth, and identify practical ways to improve service and guide future investment.
Building for Virginia’s Future - DRPT is helping shape Virginia’s transportation future through several studies focused on improving transit service, expanding mobility, and supporting more affordable, connected communities. A statewide Transit-Oriented Development Study and a review of Virginia Breeze intercity bus service are underway and together will identify opportunities for creating more affordable housing near transit and increasing affordable mobility options.
| Fairfax County is inviting innovative ideas and fresh perspectives to support its future waste diversion and zero‑waste goals. As the County advances toward a cleaner, more efficient approach to trash, recycling, and materials management, the Solid Waste Management Program (SWMP) is reaching out to industry partners, experts, and community organizations for concepts that can help shape the next generation of solid waste solutions. SWMP has released a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) to gather broad market insight from public agencies, private companies, nonprofits, colleges and universities, and community‑based organizations of all sizes. This effort supports the County’s broader modernization strategy to strengthen daily operations, expand waste diversion, introduce new technologies, and advance long‑term zero‑waste initiatives. RFEI details, submission instructions, and updates are available HERE. | | VEDA ANNUAL PATRONS FOR 2026 | | | | |
