The Online Newsletter for the Virginia Economic Developers Association
July 2018
President's Message
Not surprisingly, with VEDA in its thirty-sixth year, continuity comes naturally. Stephanie Landrum, our vice president this year, is preparing for her leadership retreat in a few weeks where plans for 2019 will begin to come together. Her perspective in Alexandria will serve our Association well during 2019, as it already has in recent years.

During July, we have asked the Commonwealth's 122 industrial/economic development authorities (IDAs/EDAs) to complete a survey regarding their operations and procedures, allowing VEDA to gather the information necessary to respond to the threat launched by Senate Bill 714, introduced during this year's General Assembly session. This particular bill began with the intent to curtail, if not to eliminate, Virginia localities' abilities to engage in responsive and effective economic development. The bill is the result of a local dispute regarding land use and development. While we should respect the various positions in this local issue and allow the local parties to resolve their differences; a statewide impact on how Virginia's localities can conduct economic development would be a mistake. The survey closes August 3rd. If you manage an IDA, please make sure you complete the survey.

VEDA's next event is the Fall Conference in Roanoke, September 12-14. Jill Loope (Roanoke County) and the VEDA Fall Conference Committee is organizing an impressive conference centered around innovation, which is appropriate with the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and School of Medicine in the City of Roanoke. Registration is open, so please make plans to attend. See you in Roanoke on September 12th! Enjoy the remainder of your summer!

-Ken McFadyen, VEDA President
VEDA Member News
Rob McClintock has joined VEDP as a part-time Business Investment Manager on the Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) team. Rob has more than 30 years of economic development experience, including almost 20 years leading VEDP's research group.

The offices of economic development for the cities of Staunton and Waynesboro as well as Augusta County have released the outcome of a collaborative project, a 10-year Strategic Plan for Career and Technical Education.

The City of Danville received the SEDC CEDA Award for population category 15,001-40,000 . Danville was a winner at the state level and their application was submitted to SEDC for the next level of competition. The City of Danville was recognized at the SEDC Annual Conference on July 30 in Mobile, Alabama.
Governor Northam signs VEDA legislation
On Tuesday, June 19, Governor Ralph Northam signed House Bill 1452 Regional industrial facility authority; which amends the enabling statute for creation of a regional industrial facility authority by reducing from three to two the required minimum number of participating localities.
 
This legislation, introduced by Delegate Matthew James,  will make it easier for localities to create Regional Industrial Facility Authorities (RIFA) by lowering the threshold for crating these authorities from at least three or more localities to at least two or more localities. This important change will also align the RIFA statute with the guidelines used by GO Virginia to facilitate additional joint regional partnerships.
 
HB1452 was one of the main legislative initiatives for the Virginia Economic Developers Association (VEDA) in the 2018 General Assembly Session. VEDA believes that this significant legislation will further assist localities and the Commonwealth as we compete for new jobs and investment of developable sites. This additional economic development tool will encourage localities to work together for additional economic development projects.

CLICK HERE to view photos of the bill signing.
Virginia Tech to host Ninth Annual Global Entrepreneur Challenge
The Virginia Tech Ninth Annual Global Entrepreneur Challenge, August 16-25, 2018, offers elite students teams and university representatives from all over the world a chance to collaborate, form partnerships, and build their global networks.  All student participants will experience Washington, D.C., through tours and sightseeing trips to museums and monuments, as well as a week-long celebration of entrepreneurship hosted in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA. Elite student teams will present their business concepts for a $30,000 grand prize as they compete in the  Global Entrepreneur Challenge.   Faculty and staff delegates charged with building institutional bridges to other universities around the globe gather together for university-to-university networking opportunities and brainstorming sessions to  explore future collaboration and partnership The annual Global E Challenge promotes an ongoing cooperative association of regions building social and academic relationships with each other, honoring their mutual best interests. 

Learn more about this year's global partners and competing finalist teams. 

 

High level summaries and other resources

In This Issue
SAVE THE DATES
FOR
VEDA 2018 EVENTS
and see why economic developers are
Agents of Change

VEDA Fall Conference
September 12-14, 2018
Roanoke, Virginia

VEDA Winter Membership Luncheon
and Annual Meeting
December 5, 2018
Charlottesville, Virginia
2018 C ORPORATE PATRONS













In the news...
Virginia Compared to other states  This annual JLARC reference guide, provided for Virginia legislators, illustrates how Virginia compares to the other states in such categories as state taxes and spending, education, health, and transportation. CLICK HERE for the 2018 and previous years' reports.

Be sure to check out the report Building a Skilled Workforce for a Stronger Southern Economy released by the Atlanta Fed's Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity. CLICK HERE to read the full report.