Check out updates from the Growth & Opportunity Board and Regional Councils.

Your GO Virginia Board & Regional Updates
This month's newsletter will include updates from the board, the regional councils and details about upcoming events. Click below to jump to a specific section or continue reading to see all content included in this edition.
Board UpdatesBoard_Updates

On June 12, 2018, the GO Virginia board met to approve three Per Capita projects, totaling $579,000 in GO Virginia grants.

In the months of May through August, the GO Virginia State Board completed their regional roadshow, attending all nine GO Virginia regional council meetings. The Board was represented by either the chair, John "Dubby" Wynne, or the vice chair, Ben Davenport. Representation at these roadshows also included staff from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and the GO Virginia Foundation.

DHCD has also procured the services of Teconomy to expand on their work with the Virginia Research Investment Committee (VRIC). The VRIC study will focus on the entrepreneurial ecosystem within the five major universities in the commonwealth, while the GO Virginia study will build upon this and also look at regional entrepreneurial assessment and strategic action planning efforts for all nine GO Virginia regions. 

Upcoming EventsUpcomingEvents

Aug. 14, 1 p.m. 
GO VA Board Meeting
House Room 1, Capitol Building
1000 Bank Street, Richmond, VA

Sept. 7
DHCD Per Capita and Competitive Grant applications deadline

Oct. 9, 1 p.m.
GO VA Board Meeting
House Room 1, Capitol Building
1000 Bank Street, Richmond, VA
Region OneRegion1

Region One includes the counties of Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Grayson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe and the cities of Bristol, Galax and Norton. The Region One Council is led by Mike Quillen as chair, Lois Clarke as vice chair and UVA-Wise is the support organization, led by Shannon Blevins.

Related Activities
GO Virginia Region One and the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) hosted a regional stakeholder conversation focused on exploring opportunities to align housing strategies with the various economic and community development strategies within the Southwest Virginia region. Representatives from across the Region One footprint indicated the need for an inventory of public land, which could be used for housing geared toward meeting the needs of the respective communities and targeted workforce. The Region One Council will establish a housing committee to work alongside the existing economic development, education/workforce, nonprofit and chamber committees to ensure housing strategies are part of the discussions as regional planning continues to gain traction.
 
GO Virginia Region One is coordinating an effort to collaborate with a broad range of grant funders throughout the region to align strategies and gain a better understanding of regional projects and priorities. The group has met twice to discuss various opportunities and plan to meet quarterly to find ways to work together to support projects that build the economy in Region One.

Project Solicitation
The Region One Council is currently accepting applications for Per Capita and Competitive projects for a Sept.  3 deadline in order to be considered for future rounds. For more information, visit Region One's website. Additionally, Region One is hosting a series of how-to-apply workshops in the month of August. 

In the News
Check out the link below to see what local news outlets are saying about GO Virginia and Region One:

Region TwoRegion2

Region Two includes the counties of Alleghany, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedgord, Botetourt, Campbell, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski and Roanoke and the cities of Covington, Lynchburg, Radford, Roanoke and Salem. The Region Two Council is led by Raymond Smoot as chair, Ab Boxley as vice chair and supported by the Office of Economic Development (OED) at Virginia Tech, led by John Provo.

Council Meeting Highlights
Staff presented to council an analysis of the "gap" between needs and opportunities identified in Region Two's Growth and Diversification Plan and projects supported through FY 2018 Per Capita funding. The analysis recognized eight council-endorsed projects covering all targeted clusters, however, the food and beverage processing industry was least represented. Geographically, rural communities in the region were also somewhat underrepresented. Projects supporting talent development, regional industrial sites and entrepreneurial ecosystem development covered most areas identified in the Growth and Diversification Plan. For every $1 of GO Virginia funding allocated to projects, $3 was leveraged from local contributions.
Region Two support organization staff, Sarah Lyon-Hill, presents analysis on FY 2018 funded Per Capita projects to the Region Two Council at their June 22 meeting.

Staff noted several topics the council may wish to focus more attention on in FY 2019 funding. No projects focused directly on technology transfer or commercialization, an important area of opportunity for the region. Only one project engaged K-12 education, but additional opportunities may exist, for example, in partnerships between K-12 and higher education. While two projects focused on incentivizing regional site development, no projects came forward with a focus on site characterization.

Project Solicitation
The Region Two Council is preparing a request for proposal (RFP) for FY 2019 allocated Per Capita funds to be released by early Fall 2018. The council is deciding if applicants are to be determined by a rolling basis or with a set deadline, as was done with the previous FY 2018 Per Capita funds.

In the News
Check out the link below to see what local news outlets are saying about GO Virginia and Region Two :


Region Three, or Southern Virginia GO, includes the counties of Amelia, Brunswick, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Halifax, Henry, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Prince Edward and the cities of Danville and Martinsville. The Region Three Council is led by Charles Majors as chair and Randy Lail as vice chair. The region is supported by the Southside Planning District Commission (SPDC), led by Gail Moody, with consultant services provided by The Riverlink Group (Liz Povar, principal).

Related Activities
On June 21, Region Three partners convened at Hampden-Sydney College to discuss economic development trends and growth in Virginia and throughout the Region. Over 100 stakeholders and partners attended the daylong event.
 
The morning opened with an Economic Development 101 session for local government and elected officials. Sixty-plus participants learned from a panel that included David Denny of Sanford Holshouser, Linda Green with the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance, and Tad Deriso and Lauren Mathena from Mid-Atlantic Broadband, who discussed the Invest Southern Virginia outreach marketing initiative. Local officials learned that regional collaborations are built on strong local investments and strategies.

Presenters in the afternoon sessions included Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) President and CEO Stephen Moret, who gave an update on the state's economic health, GO Virginia Vice Chair Ben Davenport, who shared the State Board's perspective, and a panel of local business leaders who shared their business forecast. Panelists included Microsoft TechSpark Outreach Manager Jeremy Satterfield, Roger Scott, president of Eclipse Tools based in Amelia County, and Tim Clark, president of Blair Construction. Additional highlights included a report on some of the region's high-potential sectors including high-value wood products and a strategy for apprenticeships that will lead to work readiness.
Local school superintendents from across Region Three, some of which are part of Region Three's first GO Virginia project, GO-TEC, approved in February 2018. .

Also in attendance were school superintendents from across the region, many of whom are part of Region Three's first grant, GO-TEC (Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers).

Project Solicitation
This summer has seen an increase in the number and quality of project ideas that are in discussion in Region Three. As of the end of June, Region Three had 10 projects in various stages of development in the pipeline. These included projects in talent development and recruitment, site development, innovation and commercialization. Of the 10 projects, two were in the category of enhanced capacity building, three were in the category of per capita and five were in the category of competitive funding.

In the Spring of 2018, the Region Three Council elected to utilize an "open solicitation" process for receiving applications. It is the council's view that this will result in an increased number of projects in the pipeline.

In the News
Check out the links below to see what local news outlets are saying about GO Virginia and Region Three:


GROW Capital Jobs (Region Four)Region4

Region Four includes the counties of Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Greensville, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, Powhatan, Prince George, Surry and Sussex and the cities of Colonial Heights, Emporia, Hopewell, Petersburg and Richmond. The Region Four Council is led by William Goodwin Jr. as chair, John Luke Jr. as vice chair and supported by the Grow Capital Jobs Foundation, led by Wilson Flohr.

Council Meeting Highlights
At the June 26 Region Four Council meeting, GROW Capital Jobs council members voted to forward three projects the Grow Capital Foundation Board had vetted and approved to the GO Virginia State Board for consideration at their August 14 meeting.  In addition, the Region Four capacity building budget for FY 2019 was presented and approved by council.

Related Activities
On June 15, Wilson Flohr, president and CEO of GROW Capital Jobs, made a presentation to the Venture Richmond Board of Directors. Flohr's comments centered on informing board members on GROW Capital Jobs mission to create more high-paying jobs through incentivized collaboration among business, education and government to diversify and strengthen the economy in the region.

Project Solicitation
Region Four's first "ideation" meeting held on July 10, 2018.
On July 10, Grow Capital Jobs hosted the first of several planned "ideation" meetings to discuss areas of opportunity for Region Four's economic growth and to stimulate ideas and suggestions for upcoming projects. This meeting focused on strengthening area ecosystems for business and technology start-ups. Future meetings will include discussions centered on advanced manufacturing and identifying the region's workforce needs. 


Region Five includes the counties of Accomack, Franklin, Isle of Wright, James City, Northampton, Southampton and York and the cities of Chesapeake, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach and Williamsburg. The Region Five Council is led by Thomas Frantz as chair and Anne Conner as vice chair. Region Five's support organization, Reinvent Hampton Roads, is led by President and CEO Jim Spore and Executive Vice President Donna Morris.

Council Meeting Highlights
The Region Five Council held its annual meeting at Old Dominion University's Virginia Modeling Analysis and Simulation Center (VMASC) on July 12. The meeting included progress reports on GO Virginia funded programs; the Hampton Roads Cyber Co-Lab (rebranded Virginia Cyber Alliance) and the Virginia Digital Shipbuilding Program.

The Virginia Cyber Alliance announced five new cybersecurity workers as part of the Virginia Cyber Alliance Digital Entrant Program. The Digital Entrants as well as representatives from the hiring companies were recognized at the meeting. Participating business leaders recognized were Kimberly Frost, president of RFK Solutionz, Tracy Gregorio, president of  G2 Ops, and Leigh Armistead, president of Peregrine Technical Solutions.
Pictured left to right: Tracy Gregorio (G2 Ops), Kimberly Frost (RFK Solutionz), Tom Frantz (Chair, Region Five Council), Leigh Armistead (Peregrine Technical Solutions), and Dr. Mike Robinson (project lead, Virginia Cyber Alliance).

Meeting attendees were treated to lunch and a virtual experience in digital shipbuilding using equipment set up in the VMASC lab. The Virginia Digital Shipbuilding Program will be offered in multiple locations including VMASC, where the focus will be on technology innovation. The Apprenticeship School Digital Shipbuilding Lab will focus on manufacturing innovation. Brooks Crossing Digital Shipbuilding Lab will focus on innovation in teaching, and the Marine Electric Propulsion Simulation (MEPS) Lab will focus on marine electrician, electrical designer/engineer education, workforce development and R&D.

Related Activities
Entrepreneurship is the buzz in Hampton Roads. Check out the inaugural newsletter for Startwheel , the Region's centralized hub for news, events and resources related to entrepreneurship and innovation. The 757 Seed Fund, connected to the 757 Accelerator, is a key element of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
 
Project Solicitation
The council is calling for project proposals by prospective applicants to be considered at the GO Virginia State Board meeting on Oct. 9. For more details and information, contact Donna Morris (dmorris@reinventhr.org).

In the News
Check out the links below to see what local news outlets are saying about GO Virginia and Reinvent Hampton Roads:


The Mary Ball Washington Regional Council (MBWRC) governs GO Virginia Region Six, which covers the Fredericksburg area, the Northern Neck and the Middle Peninsula (Planning Districts 16, 17 and 18). This region includes the counties of Caroline, Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, Northumberland, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford and Westmoreland and the city of Fredericksburg. The council is led by William Beale as chair and Carlton Revere as vice chair. The George Washington Regional Commission (GWRC) is the support organization, led by Kate Gibson.

Council Meeting Highlights
At the June 11 MBWRC meeting, John "Dubby" Wynne, chair of the GO Virginia State Board, and Chris Lloyd, staff at the GO Virginia Foundation, updated council members on statewide efforts and the recent budget and legislative session.

Approved Projects
The GO Virginia State Board approved the first GO Virginia Region Six Per Capita implementation project  at its June 12 board meeting and another Enhanced Capacity Building project was administratively approved by DHCD. Both of these projects were awarded a total of $179,996 in Per Capita grants.

The Welding Training Program, an implementation project, will establish a new welding training facility to offer daytime courses through Rappahannock Community College (RCC) to train adult welders for employment at local businesses. This will allow RCC to expand their welding courses and help alleviate a critical demand of trained welders by local employers.

The Virginia Sea Grant (VASG), an Enhanced Capacity Building project, will complete planning activities related to shoreline resiliency and water management. The goal of the project is to lay the foundation to build a new industry cluster in Virginia, a water management economy that integrates workforce development, R&D, innovation and commercialization.

Project Solicitation
MBWRC is accepting letters of intent for FY 2019 funding on a rolling basis. Prospective applicants must complete the letter of intent template and submit to Kate Gibson via email (gibson@gwregion.org) in order to apply for funding. The next deadline for letters of intent is Aug. 17, 2018. The letter of intent template and additional instructions are available on  MBWRC's website.

In the News
Check out the links below to see what local news outlets are saying about GO Virginia and the Mary Ball Washington Region:


The GO Northern VA Council (GO NOVA) (Region Seven) includes the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William and the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park. The GO NOVA Council is led by Tom Rust as chair and Sharon Virts as vice chair. The region is supported by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC), led by Linda Tenney, with consultant services provided by Sue Rowland with SR Consulting Inc.

Outgoing Region Seven Chair Carolyn Parent and incoming Chair Tom Rust at the July 27 Region Seven Council meeting.
Council Meeting Highlights
The Region Seven GO Northern VA Council elected new members at its June 27 council meeting, following the departure of a small group pf council members whose terms expired or had submitted resignations. New officers were elected, which include Tom Rust (Pennoni) as chair, Sharon Virts (founder of FCi Federal and the Virts Miller Foundation) as vice chair, Sid Banerjee (Clarabridge) as secretary and Mary Nohe (Prince William County supervisor and owner of Appliance Connections) to continue as treasurer.  Banerjee will also continue as the council's Projects Committee chair, the committee that vets project applications and then monitors performance of selected grantees.  

"This promises to be an exciting year for the Region Seven Council as we are committed to both monitoring project performance and soliciting new projects that will fill the IT and cybersecurity workforce gaps in this region," said incoming Chair Tom Rust. "Carolyn Parent provided us with results-oriented leadership in year one. Built on that foundation, we are expecting big returns in the next two years."

GO Virginia State Board Chair John "Dubby" Wynne also attended the June 27 council meeting to update council members on statewide efforts and on the recent budget and legislative session.
Region EightRegion_8

Region Eight includes the counties of Augusta, Bath, Clarke, Frederick, Highland, Page, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Shenandoah and Warren and the cities of Buena Vista, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton, Waynesboro and Winchester. The Region Eight Council is led by George Pace as chair and Chris Kyle as vice chair. The Region Eight Council is currently being supported Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission (NSVRC), led by Brandon Davis.

Council Meeting Highlights
The Region Eight Council recently welcomed three new members in replacement of three who resigned: Greg Campbell, executive director/airport manager of the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (SHD), Dr. Robin G. Crowder, retired school superintendent and associate professor at James Madison University, and Conrad A. Helsley, retired dentist and current board member of NSVRC.

The Region Eight Council is excited to announce the hiring of Faith V. McClintic in the newly established position of program director.  McClintic started her new role as of Aug. 1 and comes to Region Eight with an extensive background of managerial and leadership roles in economic development, finance and banking organizations.

Approved Projects
The GO Virginia State Board approved the  Cyber Security Workforce Development and Jobs Program, a $200,000 Per Capita project, at its June 12 board meeting. This project will allow Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC) to implement a new cybersecurity workforce development program in the Shenandoah Valley to grow high-wage, high-demand cybersecurity jobs. 
Marlena Jarboe, BRCC's dean of academic affairs, presenting at the June 27  Council meeting.

On June 27, the Region Eight Council met at the Augusta County Government Center in Verona and received an update on the Cybersecurity Workforce Development and Jobs Program.   Marlena Jarboe, BRCC's dean of academic affairs, said the approved funding will allow BRCC to offer classes, on-the-job training, support services and continued online training post-certification. BRCC hopes to have the program underway by August of this year, with a class of 15-20 students and an overall goal of creating at least 50 Tier I cybersecurity analyst jobs within two years. 

Project Solicitation
The Region Eight Council is currently calling for project proposals by prospective applicants the by the first Friday of every other month. Applications should be directed to the Bonnie Riedesel (bonnie@cspdc.org). Additional instructions and information can be found on Region Eight's website. The next two regional deadlines are Aug. 3 and Oct. 5 to be considered by the GO Virginia State Board for its Oct. 9 and Dec. 11 board meetings, respectively. 

GO Virginia Region Nine includes the counties of Albermarle, Culpepper, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange and Rappahannock and the city of Charlottesville.  The council is led by Tom Click as chair, Jim Cheng as vice chair and supported by the Central Virginia Partnership for Economic Development, led by Helen Cauthen.

Council Meeting Highlights
The Region Nine Council held its first Annual Meeting on June 28, 2018, at the Daniels Technology Center at Germanna Community College in Culpeper. New officers and council members were elected at the meeting. Tom Click, Patriot Industries, will serve as chair and Jim Cheng, CAV Angels, will serve as vice chair. Newly elected council members include Felix Sarfo-Kantanka, Dominion Energy, and Mansour Azimipour, A & K Realty. Christian Goodwin, Louisa County, the Honorable Tony O'Brien, Fluvanna County, and Jeff Waite, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., also joined the council.   

In FY 2018, the Region Nine Council had 38 project inquiries resulting in five submitted proposals. The council approved $727,447 in Per-Capita GO Virginia Grants that leveraged over $2 million in local and private matching dollars. Of particular note, approved projects were supported by 11 businesses, providing over $430,000 in project match. Each of the four regional institutions of higher education in Region Nine participated in at least one project, and every locality participated in some way. 

Related Activities
Dubby Wynne, chair of the GO Virginia State Board, presented at the annual meeting of Central Virginia Partnership for Economic Development. Over 60 individuals from the regional business community, higher education and local government attended.  Wynne will speak to the full Region Nine Council at its Aug.29 meeting at UVA Research Park in Charlottesville.

GO Virginia Board Chair John "Dubby" Wynne speaks to the audience at the Annual Central Virginia Partnership meeting on Aug. 29.
Approved Projects
The GO Virginia State Board approved one GO Virginia Region Nine Per Capita implementation project  at its June 12 board meeting. Two more Enhanced Capacity Building projects were administratively approved by DHCD. Combined, all three projects were awarded a total of $408,147 in Per Capita grants.

Crafting Higher Paying Jobs and Adult Beverage Exports will create a program through Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) and Germanna Community College to train candidates in wine and cider making, craft brewing and distilling. This program will establish a career pathway in the adult beverage manufacturing sector and will help to facilitate the scale-up of this growing industry cluster for the region.

The Central Virginia Cybersecurity Partnership planning grant will build capacity for the Central Virginia Cybersecurity Partnership, a collaborative effort to create a talent development solution for Region Nine's cybersecurity industry. The Central Virginia Site Readiness planning grant will advance a portfolio of eight sites targeted for light manufacturing to at least a Tier 3 on the Virginia Business Readiness Scale through the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP).

Project Solicitation
For more information on how to submit a project application to the Region Nine Council, contact Shannon Blevins (sholland@centralvirginia.org) or visit Region Nine's website.

In the News
Check out the links below to see press releases and what local news outlets are saying about GO Virginia and Region Nine:


DHCD
Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development
(804) 371-7000 | www.dhcd.virginia.gov
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