Virginia's e-Region: "The Path to Success" is a new video that takes a look at the region and VCEDA's 20 years of progress. Click to download and view. 

Speakers included VCEDA Chairman Jay Rife; VCEDA Executive Director Jonathan Belcher; Charles Yates, who served as VCEDA Executive Director for 17 years until his retirement in 2006; Ford Quillen, who as a delegate in the Virginia General Assembly introduced legislation creating VCEDA; former Governor Gerald Baliles, who signed the legislation into law creating VCEDA and served as chairman of the Executive Advisory Board for eight years; former Governor Linwood Holton, a charter member of the Executive Advisory Board; and Mike Quillen, CEO of Alpha Natural Resources who was VCEDA's first chairman and currently serves as treasurer. The group also viewed a new video presentation, "Virginia's e-Region: The Path to Success." The VCEDA Executive Advisory Board includes: R. Daniel Carson Jr., advisory board chairman, vice president, external affairs, Appalachian Power; Jeff Anderson, executive director, Virginia Economic Development Partnership; Anna DeFazio Gadbois, vice president, government relations & strategic business development, CGI; Don M. Green, executive director, Napoleon Hill Foundation; the Honorable Linwood Holton, McCandlish Holton, P.C., Attorneys at Law; Tommy Hudson, president, Virginia Coal Association; Cheryl L. Janey, vice president, operations, Northrop Grumman Information Systems, Civil Systems; Michael D. King, director, strategy & business development, Northrop Grumman Corporation IT Sector; A. George Mason Jr., attorney at law; James K. Martin, senior vice president, business development & generation construction, Dominion Resources; the Honorable Ford C. Quillen, Circuit Court judge, retired; Daniel D. Smith, senior vice president energy and properties, Norfolk Southern Corporation; and Robert W. Woltz Jr., president, Verizon Virginia, Inc.

 

 

VCEDA held a loan and grant closing ceremony March 27 for up to $2 million in funding to the Wise County Industrial Development Authority to construct the Appalachia America Energy Research Center. At its Nov. 20, 2008 meeting, the VCEDA board approved up to a $1,045,000 grant and a $955,000 loan for the research and development facility with an emphasis on energy-affiliated initiatives. The Virginia Tobacco Commission has committed $5 million for the project. The multi-tenant facility will be built in the Lonesome Pine Regional Business & Technology Park. Participating in the closing ceremony in photo were, from left, Robbie Robbins, Carl Snodgrass, Joe Gillespie, Sen. William Wampler, Kimberly Mullins, Kenny Gilley, Jonathan Belcher, Jay Rife, Donnie Rife, Robert Adkins and Sue Ella Boatright-Wells. 

 

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VCEDA, state and local officials joined the Lee County IDA at a  ribbon-cutting ceremony March 25 for a new 60,000 sq. ft. shell building constructed in the Constitutional Oaks Business Park on U.S. Rt. 58 in Lee County. VCEDA provided a $200,000 loan to assist with the project in the 289-acre park. This new facility is one of only a few available shell buildings southwest of Roanoke. In the photo, VCEDA Executive Director Jonathan Belcher tours the facility with Lee County economic development director Tim Long.

 

VCEDA has further added to its marketing and business development materials with a new video that was unveiled at the annual meeting of the Executive Advisory Board on June 23. Entitled "Virginia's e-Region: The Path to Success," the video features interviews with VCEDA leaders and others who have participated in the transformation and diversification of the region since VCEDA's creation in 1988 and documents the development of information technology, energy, education, emerging technologies and manufacturing throughout Virginia's e-Region.

 

The VCEDA board welcomes back a former member. R.S. Lewis, representing the Virginia Coal Association, is returning to the board. He will be replacing Gary Cox.