During this month of February, several committees are holding conference calls and moving forward with the mission of the Virginia Economic Developers Association. VEDA has many leaders who are doing what they do best.

With Von Gilbreath's guidance, the Professional Development committee has reviewed scholarship applications and is identifying upcoming workshops for our membership. The Communications committee, led by Steve Harrison, is strengthening an already clear message that VEDA is the Commonwealth's "Voice of Economic Development." Traci Blido, in her new role chairing the Community Economic Development Awards committee, is leading the committee to recognize our profession's best practices in 2018. Amanda Glover, continuing to chair the Membership committee, is implementing a well-developed plan to attract and retain VEDA's membership, currently at 530. The Sponsorship committee, with new leadership from Greg Kelly and Russ Young, is surpassing expectations and allowing VEDA to deliver even better programs. Debbie Melvin took charge of an ad hoc committee asked to review VEDA's relationships with related organizations and to recommend ways to strengthen those relationships and build new ones. With our Spring Conference quickly approaching, conference chairs Christine Bell and Conaway Haskins are leading the committee that has developed an impressive agenda to leverage the conference theme of Redefining our Evolving Profession.

With the General Assembly is session, our Public Policy committee, led by Chris Lloyd and facilitated by Mike Woods, is monitoring and acting on several bills and budget amendments. Our friend and colleague Delegate Matthew James is sponsoring legislation on VEDA's behalf related to the Regional Industrial Facilities Act. Budget amendments dealing with business-ready sites, economic development marketing and workforce development are receiving close attention from both houses' money committees. VEDA is actively engaged too with members and committees of the General Assembly that have considered legislation affecting small business development and industrial development authorities. Most bills and budget amendments support economic development programs, and some don't. As a member of VEDA, we encourage you to contact your elected officials to talk about economic development and how we must have the resources to be successful in serving our communities.

See you soon!