Virginia Economic Review Podcast

John Newby is the CEO of Virginia Bio, the nonprofit statewide trade association that serves and promotes the life sciences industry in Virginia. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Newby about recent major life sciences announcements in Virginia, the Commonwealth’s momentum in the biopharma manufacturing industry, and decisions and investments that led to Virginia’s biopharma success.

Dave Maraldo is the senior vice president of Human Health Manufacturing Operations at Merck, one of the largest biopharmaceutical companies in the world. Merck recently announced a $3 billion investment in a new Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Small Molecule Manufacturing at its longtime Virginia site in the town of Elkton in Rockingham County. VEDP Vice President of Manufacturing Sneha Atwal spoke with Maraldo about Merck's long history in Elkton, innovations at the new facility, and what makes Virginia an attractive destination for biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

Pam Cheng is executive vice president of global operations and IT and chief sustainability officer at AstraZeneca, which recently announced a new facility in Albemarle County — the company’s first in Virginia. VEDP Vice President of Manufacturing Sneha Atwal spoke with Cheng about the Commonwealth’s rapid rise in pharmaceutical engineering and the company’s plans for the new facility.

Tamara Fields is the U.S. Public Service Industry Lead at Accenture, where she leads the company’s public service work across the country, and the managing director of the company’s Austin, Texas office. VEDP Vice President of Talent and Workforce Strategy Megan Healy spoke with Fields about new and traditional methods of upskilling, AI and its effect on the workforce, and the way companies can invest in their employees.

Peter Beard is vice president of policy and programs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, where he leads workforce development programs and initiatives. VEDP Vice President of Talent and Workforce Strategy Megan Healy spoke with Beard about talent in Virginia and the rest of the country and the ways states and regions can help ensure alignment between skill development and employer needs.

Joe Dunlap is a veteran of the supply chain industry, with stints at UPS, Accenture, and CBRE. VEDP Vice President of Logistics Eric Jehu spoke with Dunlap about the warehousing ecosystem in Virginia and nationally, how to better incorporate supply chain issues into site selection, and the concept of warehousing as infrastructure.

Stephen Edwards has served as CEO and executive director of The Port of Virginia since 2021. VEDP Vice President of Logistics Eric Jehu spoke with Edwards about improvements at the port, how trade policy affects the port and its customers, and how the port serves as an economic engine for Virginia.

Michelle Williams is the new talent and digital strategies program manager at the Roanoke Regional Partnership (RRP), and Julia Boas headed up the RRP’s talent strategies until recently taking over as director of business investment. VEDP Talent and Workforce Strategy Leader Megan Healy spoke with Williams and Boas about what the Roanoke Region is doing to attract and retain talent.

Andy Edmunds is the director of the Virginia Film Office, an arm of the Virginia Tourism Corporation tasked with expanding the motion picture industry in Virginia. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Edmunds about the ins and outs of the film industry in Virginia and the economic impact of film production.

Brad Medairy is executive vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton, a Virginia-based Fortune 500 company where he leads the national cyber account and focuses on the cyber missions of national-level clients. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Medairy about the key cybersecurity issues his company works on for its clients and the future of cybersecurity with the rise of AI and quantum technology.

Candice Ling is senior vice president at Microsoft and head of the company’s federal government business unit. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Ling about Microsoft’s cybersecurity work with the federal government and potential future developments in the cybersecurity industry.

Brett Vassey is president and CEO of the Virginia Manufacturers Association, which supports manufacturing operations across the Commonwealth. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Vassey about his organization’s mandate and efforts, the most important workforce and skills considerations for the industry, and what manufacturers look for in a site.

Drake Goolsby is the chief commercialization officer at Luna Labs, a Charlottesville-based company that helps develop advanced technologies in biotech, advanced materials, and engineered systems for government, military, and industrial clients. VEDP Vice President of Manufacturing Sneha Atwal spoke with Goolsby about Luna Labs’ research activities.

Shannon Kellogg is vice president of public policy at Amazon, where he leads the company’s public policy efforts in support of Amazon Web Services. VEDP Interim Vice President of Knowledge Work Meghan Welch spoke with Kellogg about Amazon’s cloud investments and other tech innovation the company is spearheading.

Karen Dahut is CEO of Google Public Sector (GPS), where she works to bring Google technology to solve complex problems for U.S. public sector solutions at the local, state, and federal levels. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Dahut about GPS’ work with public and private sector partners to leverage Google technology to serve U.S. citizens.

Lance Harcrow is chief operating officer at Estes Forwarding Worldwide, a leading domestic and international freight forwarder headquartered in Chesterfield County. VEDP Vice President of Logistics Eric Jehu spoke with Harcrow about the issues his company sees as a logistics provider and how data analysis can transform the supply chain moving forward.

Ashleigh de la Torre is vice president of public policy at Amazon, where she leads the company’s transportation and sustainability initiatives, supporting its operations, logistics, and delivery businesses. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with de la Torre about Amazon’s complex logistics operations and ambitious sustainability goals.

Dr. Myra Blanco is chief growth officer at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and CEO of the university’s Dock to Door Coalition. VEDP Vice President of Logistics Eric Jehu spoke to Blanco about the coalition’s goals for transforming the way supply chains are viewed, analyzed, and managed.

Ambassador Alexander Yui took over as the Taiwanese representative to the United States at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in December 2023. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Ambassador Yui about his experiences in the job and the trade relationship between Virginia and Taiwan.

Jasjit Singh is executive director of SelectUSA, a U.S. government program housed within the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration that works to attract foreign direct investment to the United States. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Singh about trends in foreign direct investment and SelectUSA’s work to drive FDI activity.

Ambassador Mark Brzezinski has served as the U.S. Ambassador to Poland since 2021 and previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to Sweden. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Ambassador Brzezinski about foreign direct investment, European perceptions of the business climate in the United States and Virginia and what states can do to attract European investment.

April Wade is executive director of the Virginia Nuclear Energy Consortium (VNEC), which represents stakeholders invested in research and development, workforce, innovation, and advocacy for the nuclear energy industry. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Wade about VNEC’s mission and activities and the role nuclear energy can play in a robust power generation industry working toward ambitious clean energy goals.

Bob Blue is chair, president, and CEO of Dominion Energy, Inc., an integrated energy utility headquartered in Richmond that operates in 15 states and provides energy to 7 million customers. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Blue about the company’s history serving commercial and residential customers and its efforts to shift the balance of its portfolio toward clean energy sources.

Dr. Yaakov Weinstein is chief scientist of quantum technologies at The MITRE Corporation, a major research organization that conducts and supports research from government and industry on topics important to national security and stability. David Ihrie, chief technology officer of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation, spoke with Weinstein about the fundamentals of quantum computing, the history of the field, and potential implications across a disparate group of industries.

Jay Lowell is a principal senior technical fellow at The Boeing Company, where he helps guide technical strategy and research implementation regarding disruptive emerging technologies. David Ihrie, chief technology officer of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation, spoke with Lowell about Boeing’s quantum priorities and how the company fits quantum technology into its existing mission.

Dr. Joseph S. Broz is vice president for quantum growth and market development at IBM, where he’s responsible for driving commercial quantum applications and business adoption of advanced quantum computing capabilities. David Ihrie, chief technology officer of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation, spoke with Broz about IBM’s extensive history and leadership position in the quantum computing field and why recent quantum successes are so important.

Jonathan Zur is president and CEO of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (VCIC), a nonprofit organization that works with schools, businesses, and communities to promote inclusion. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Zur about VCIC’s mission, its activities, and the importance of pairing diversity with inclusion.

Tom Walker is the founder and CEO of DroneUp, a provider of drone delivery and flight services that has operated out of Virginia Beach since its founding in 2016. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Walker about DroneUp’s delivery partnership with Walmart, its history and growth in Virginia, and the company’s work to grow the drone industry in Virginia through a unique educational partnership.

Dr. René Rodgers is head curator at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, where she leads the museum’s collections, permanent and special exhibits, and other educational programming. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Rodgers about Virginia’s role in the popularization of what’s now known as country music, the complexities of promoting tourist attractions across state lines, and how the museum has benefited from the presence of The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail.

Philip D’Anieri is the author of “The Appalachian Trail: A Biography,” published in 2021 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. VEDP President Jason El Koubi spoke with D’Anieri about the history of the Appalachian Trail inside and outside of Virginia, why he chose to cover the trail’s history through a human lens, and the inseparability of his field, urban planning, from the natural environment.

Dr. Anne Kress is president of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), the largest public educational institution in Virginia and the second-largest community college in the United States. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Kress about the importance of community colleges in workforce development, the effectiveness of industry partnerships in delivering talent to employers, and NOVA’s efforts to serve a large, diverse population.

Earl Buford is president of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting adult learners as they navigate between education and employment. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Buford about CAEL’s mission and work, best practices for getting workers the training they need for the jobs they want, and the family history that motivates him.

John Newby is CEO of Virginia Bio, the nonprofit statewide trade association that serves and promotes the life sciences industry in the Commonwealth. VEDP Interim President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Newby about recent life sciences success stories in the Commonwealth and Virginia Bio’s efforts to grow the industry, including the recently announced industry hub, Virginia Bio-Connect.

Chandra Briggman is president and CEO of Activation Capital, a nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurship in tech clusters in Virginia, and VA Bio+Tech Park, a life sciences and emerging technologies community in Richmond. VEDP Interim President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Briggman about her organization’s mission and activities, the emerging pharmaceutical cluster in Richmond and Petersburg, and the nuances of supporting life sciences investment during a global pandemic.

Byron Reese is an entrepreneur, speaker, author, and futurist. VEDP Interim CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Reese about the progression of technology and what it means for the future of the workforce.

Maj. Gen. Ted Mercer is the new CEO and executive director of Virginia Space, the owner and operator of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), collocated at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. VEDP Interim CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Mercer about his priorities at Virginia Space, the facility’s capabilities and clients, and the importance of commercial launches at Wallops.  

Steve Morgan is the founder of Cybersecurity Ventures, a leading cybersecurity research company that provides data and insights on global cybercrime to C-suite executives, and editor-in-chief of Cybercrime Magazine. VEDP President and CEO Stephen Moret spoke with Morgan about skyrocketing cybercrime damages, the cybersecurity skills gap, and Virginia’s place at the top of the cybersecurity industry.

Luiz DaSilva is executive director of the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) and Bradley Professor in Cybersecurity at Virginia Tech. VEDP President and CEO Stephen Moret spoke with DaSilva about the collaborative research taking place at CCI’s member institutions and how that collaboration is positioning Virginia to set the course for the future of the internet.

John Keppler is chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Enviva, the world’s largest producer of woody biomass and one of Virginia’s largest exporters out of its private terminal in the city of Chesapeake. VEDP President and CEO Stephen Moret spoke with Keppler about the company’s unique export profile, its commitment to sustainable forestry practices, and the quest to get to net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Stephen Edwards is the new CEO and executive director of The Port of Virginia. VEDP President and CEO Stephen Moret spoke with Edwards about the port’s ambitious ongoing modernization efforts, Virginia’s geographic export advantages, and the challenges of guiding essential logistics operations during a global pandemic.

VEDP President and CEO Stephen Moret spoke with leading site consultants Greg Burkart (Duff & Phelps), Jeannette Goldsmith (Strategic Development Group), and Chris Schastok (CBRE) about the factors that affect corporate headquarters location decisions, how companies will operate differently coming out of the pandemic, and the advantages Virginia has in attracting corporate headquarters investment.

Matt Calkins is founder and CEO of Appian, an enterprise cloud software company headquartered in Fairfax County. Appian is a leader in low-code automation, enabling organizations to develop powerful and business applications quickly. VEDP President and CEO Stephen Moret spoke with Calkins about building and running a software company headquartered in Northern Virginia.

Rita McClenny is president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC), the agency tasked with expanding domestic and international inbound travel and motion picture production in Virginia. VEDP President and CEO Stephen Moret spoke with McClenny about Virginia’s top tourist destinations, marketing tourism during a global pandemic, and what it’s like overseeing one of the most enduring brands in tourism marketing, “Virginia is for Lovers.”

Kevin Scott is chief technology officer and executive vice president, technology and research, at Microsoft, and the author of “Reprogramming the American Dream: From Rural America to Silicon Valley — Making AI Serve Us All.” VEDP President and CEO Stephen Moret spoke with Scott about his journey from rural Virginia to one of the biggest tech companies in the world and how artificial intelligence is poised to transform the U.S. economy.

Peter Beck is CEO, CTO, and founder of Rocket Lab, a private space company with commercial launch sites in New Zealand and at Wallops Island on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. VEDP Executive Vice President Jason El Koubi spoke with Beck about Rocket Lab’s evolution, its decision to locate in Virginia, and the future of commercial space flight.

Dale Nash is CEO and executive director of Virginia Space, owner and operator of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. VEDP President and CEO Stephen Moret spoke with Nash about the mission and history of Virginia Space and the opportunities for commercial space flight at Wallops.

Dr. Katherine A. Rowe is the 28th president of William & Mary. She also founded and serves as CEO at Luminary Digital Media and has published three books. VEDP President and CEO Stephen Moret spoke with Rowe about integrating digital literacy with a classic liberal arts education, running a university during the COVID-19 pandemic, and more.  

James Rosenbaum is a professor of human development, social policy, and sociology at Northwestern University’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and a faculty fellow at the Institute for Policy Research. VEDP President and CEO Stephen Moret spoke with Rosenbaum about how the traditional college model fails some students and what can be done to make it work better.

VEDP President and CEO Stephen Moret spoke with leading site consultants Brian Corde (Atlas Insight), Scott Kupperman (Kupperman Location Solutions), and Brandon Talbert (Austin Consulting) about the factors that make states and localities successful in attracting projects in an industry where even the most successful companies depend on low margins and economies of scale.

Steven Brint is distinguished professor of sociology and public policy at the University of California, Riverside, and the author of “Two Cheers for Higher Education.” VEDP President and CEO Stephen Moret caught up with Brint on a recent trip to the West Coast to discuss his work in, and analysis of, higher century education in the 21st century.