Chamber Briefings Newsletter – December 18, 2015
On December 4th, we hosted over 700 business leaders in Williamsburg for the 6th Annual Virginia Economic Summit, where we released the inaugural State of the Commonwealth Report. Also that day, we were pleased to hear from a panel of Virginia executives on prospects and challenges to growing a business in Virginia; a policy briefing on […]
News & Advance: Lynchburg-area economy still shaking off recession
“[Virginia’s] lagging the U.S. overall,” partly a result of the decrease in federal funds to the state, Filer said. Lynchburg has been the worst of the metropolitan areas in the state. Its GDP has an average annual decrease of .5 percent between 2009 and 2014. But, “it isn’t necessarily the case that Lynchburg has been […]
Congress Needs to Hear from You Today
U.S. economic growth and job creation depend on our ability to sell American goods and services to the 95% of the world’s customers living outside our borders. Yet there are restrictions and tariffs, often in the double digits, that create an uneven playing field for U.S. companies and workers operating in a global marketplace. We […]
Culpeper Star-Exponent: Germanna pleased with governor’s proposed budget
Speaking at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College in Richmond on Tuesday, McAuliffe said his planned budget will make “significant investments in Virginia’s higher education system and steer those institutions toward preparing students to lead in the 21st Century economy. “We will also continue to reinvent the workforce system to be more effective and more in […]
DuBois and DuVal: More credentials essential to individual and business prospects in Virginia
Over the next decade as many as two-thirds of the 1.5 million jobs that Virginia must fill will require more than a high school diploma but less than a bachelor’s degree, according to leading economic analysis. Those jobs will demand an associate’s degree and industry-recognized certifications that Virginia’s Community Colleges help people obtain. Virginia’s Community […]
Ryan Fierst Joins Virginia Chamber Staff as Public Policy Director
RICHMOND – The Virginia Chamber of Commerce announced today that Ryan Fierst has joined the Chamber staff as Public Policy Director. In this role, Ryan will develop the Chamber’s public policy agenda at both the federal and state levels. Her primary areas of focus will be education, workforce development, and the Virginia state budget. “Ryan […]
Sun Gazette: Report: Va.’s economy sluggish, but bright spots emerge
Despite the monster recession in the late 2000s and subsequent federal budget sequestration, Virginia’s economy is slowly but surely improving, economists told local business leaders Dec. 10. “The leading economic indices are turning up,” said James Koch, an economics professor and president emeritus of Old Dominion University’s Strome College of Business. Virginia Chamber Foundation officials […]
Vandeventer Black Attorney Receives Prestigious Peer Rating
Norfolk, VA. (December 10, 2015) – Vandeventer Black LLP’s Brian L. Sykes has received an AV Preeminent® Peer-Review Rating™ (Maritime, Workers’ Compensation Defense) from Martindale-Hubbell®, the legal profession’s most prestigious rating service. Sykes works from Vandeventer Black’s Headquarters in Downtown Norfolk, and is a partner in the firm’s Labor and Employment Department. Sykes focuses his […]
WFIR: State of the Commonwealth tour hits Roanoke
Its been a long slow climb out of the “Great Recession” for Virginia – but things are trending in the right direction. WFIR’s Gene Marrano has more on a presentation in downtown Roanoke this morning: http://wfirnews.com/local-news/state-of-the-commonwealth-tour-hits-roanoke
Vandeventer Black LLP hires Legal Technology Manager
Norfolk, VA. (December 8, 2015) – Vandeventer Black LLP has hired Robert ‘J’ Stinnette as a Legal Technology Manager to add depth and specialization to technology-intensive areas of practice. In this position, Stinnette serves as the firm’s principal technical resource and advisor, providing support in litigation technology and cybersecurity. His primary responsibilities include maintaining the […]