The Online Newsletter for the Virginia Economic Developers Association | | |
June is the end of the year for most of us, and it is the beginning of summer--Two things that say vacation time is here! I think we all really need a vacation. As I have travelled around the Commonwealth over the past several weeks, it is very clear that we are all under a great deal of stress from an explosion of NIMBYism not only across the state but throughout this nation. Many of us are working on how to counter this high-volume misinformation onslaught, but that is not what I want to talk about here.
I want each and every VEDA member to know that I am here for you and VEDA is here for you! As you know, in selecting the theme for 2026, Stronger Connections. Stronger Communities. Stronger Virginia., I wanted to express the importance of relationships—and they are never more important than when we are going through difficult and challenging times. I encourage you to lean on those relationships and know that you are not alone. Reach out to me by phone or email if you want to talk or just need to express your frustration. WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER AND HERE FOR EACH OTHER -- let’s talk!
I hope that you do get to take a break this summer and focus on what is really important, your relationships with family and friends. As I still tell my children and am starting to tell my grandchildren when things are not going well “This too shall pass” and it will!
Happy belated Father’s Day to all the VEDA dads!
Recent Results – I continue to share a dialogue with Secretary Chenery and Governor Spanberger and express my appreciation for their efforts in trying to return money to the budget for gubernatorial trade missions and for VEDP marketing, as well as putting the $81 million from the Virginia Business Ready Sites Acquisition Fund into the Virginia Business Ready Sites Program rather than the general fund.
I hope everyone who joined us in Blacksburg found the program meaningful and I encourage those who could not attend to view the content from the meeting on the VEDA website. I want to thank Katie Boswell (Onward New River Valley) for her leadership and the Program Committee for what I thought was a timely program focused on the energy sector.
On the Rader – I am looking forward to seeing many of you at our REDO/LEDO Regional Membership Visits over the next couple of months. Additionally, upcoming events include:
Warmest regards,
Garrett Hart, III
VEDA President
Chesterfield Economic Development
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SAVE THE DATE!
VEDA FALL CONFERENCE
Danville, Virginia
Wednesday, September 23 - Friday, September 25, 2026
Registration Opening in July!
| | THANKS TO OUR SUMMER MEMBERSHIP MEETING SPONSORS | | Summer Membership Meeting Snapshots | | |
The topics are forthcoming, but you can register at any time for the remaining impactED events for 2026!
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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 August 10th Online Meeting and 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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Winter Membership Meeting: December 3, 2026. Richmond.
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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 - May 2026 | | |
REGION 4
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Nick Rouse, Business Manager, Logistics, Virginia Economic Development Partnership,
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Chuck Kirby, Vice President, Smart Communities, Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation
REGION 7
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Fadrique Iglesias, Business Development & Engagement Coordinator, Town of Herndon
REGION 8
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Michelle Ridings, Director of Economic Development and Tourism, Clarke County
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Lydeana Martin, Floyd County Economic Development was presented with the Sandy Ratliff Community Champion award on May 21st at the Southwest Virginia Economic Forum.
The Fredericksburg Regional Alliance (FRA), the regional organization for the City of Fredericksburg, and Spotsylvania, Caroline, and Stafford counties, has announced a new brand identity, Virginia’s Innovation Crossroads, to showcase the region’s unique position at the physical and digital crossroads in Northern Virginia. In order for the region to accelerate the ability to compete for high-value projects and corporate relocations, it was deemed necessary to present a clear and unified regional identity so companies could evaluate the full picture of the region, not separate jurisdictions.
Kristine O'Dette has joined VEDP as Vice President, Marketing & Communications.
InternshipsVA — a statewide initiative to strengthen the Commonwealth’s workforce by connecting students with paid internships in Virginia has won a Business Facilities 2026 Economic Development Organization (EDO) award. The annual EDO awards recognize innovative programs across America that help communities attract business investment, create jobs, and strengthen workforce development.
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Michele Mixner DeWitt was appointed city manager of the City of Williamsburg on May 27, 2026. She served as interim city manager since Feb. 25, 2026. DeWitt served as the City of Williamsburg’s first economic development director, joining the organization in 2005 and was promoted to assistant city manager in 2021 and to deputy city manager in December 2025. DeWitt also served as the interim commissioner of the revenue from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2025. DeWitt is a past president of VEDA and has received the VEDA Cardinal Award.
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Dan “Danny” Motley recently passed away at the age of 70. Dan was a long time VEDA member and a strong advocate for Virginia Economic Development as well as a consistent champion for Southwest Virginia during his service to VEDA.
Dan served our Country as a Navy “Seabee” Construction Battalion for 41 years, retiring as a Naval Captain. He served as a Seabee during Operation Desert Storm, Desert Shield and the Global War on Terror. He also spent 37 years with Norfolk Southern, 16 as a Planning Director and 21 as Industrial Development Manager.
Obituary w/ a Memories Video of Dan: https://www.florafuneralservice.com/obituaries/danny-motley
| | VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (DHCD) | | |
Chandler Vaughan has been named Director of the Office of Broadband. Chandler previously served as Acting Director and Associate Director and will continue to drive Virginia’s broadband programs forward and help connect the remaining unserved locations across the Commonwealth.
Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program - The Office of Broadband has signed 19 BEAD award contracts, marking a major step toward achieving universal connectivity in Virginia. 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 the Commonwealth.
Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) - Last month, VATI helped deliver broadband access to 3,235 locations across the Commonwealth. In total, more than 231,377 locations* have gained access to broadband since the end of July 2021! VATI provides funding through public-private partnerships to extend broadband service to unserved areas across Virginia. *Location data updated as of June 2026
| VIRGINIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP | |
Secretary Input Tour: Governor Abigail Spanberger’s Comprehensive Economic Development Policy is now underway. As required under Virginia law, each new Administration must develop a statewide economic development policy within its first year. Led by Secretary of Commerce and Trade Carrie Chenery, this effort will take a whole-of-government approach to strengthening Virginia’s economy through business climate, workforce, infrastructure, housing, and other core priorities.
To help inform the policy, the Commerce and Trade Secretariat will host a series of regional input sessions across all nine GO Virginia regions to gather feedback from economic development leaders, employers, workforce and education partners, housing stakeholders, and other community voices. Pending dates for each region are included below:
- Region 5: Tuesday, July 7
- Region 6: Thursday, July 9
- Region 4: Tuesday, July 14
| The Virginia Rural Center is looking for new data features for its Virginia Opportunity Dashboard. CLICK HERE to provide your feedback to help ensure the dashboard reflects the needs and opportunities that matter most to rural Virginia. | | VEDA ANNUAL PATRONS FOR 2026 | | | | |
