Partner Spotlight – Virginia Economic Developer’s Association (VEDA)

Main Street is Economic Development. Stay with me here. For most of us, the understanding of economic development involves recruiting major employers – manufacturing, tech, professional services. We think of suburban office complexes and Industrial Development Authorities and data centers. And we aren’t wrong, these are major components of economic growth and economic activity that have impacts locally and regionally. But in order to attract these major employers communities need to have the quality of life and quality of place that partners with access to broadband, proximity to highways, and appropriate office space to seal the deal. This is where Main Street shines.

In Virginia our partner for all things economic development is the Virginia Economic Developer’s Association, or VEDA.

VEDA offers two conferences per year – Spring and Fall – as well as Summer and Winter membership meetings that are great opportunities for networking, knowledge sharing, and experiencing new communities around the Commonwealth. In addition to the in-person training opportunities are the virtual offerings throughout the year. The ImpactEd webinar series topics range from supply chains and workforce development to highlighting grant programs and toolkits to help your locality meet it’s economic development needs. Coming up? “Site Selection Roadmaps” on October 23rd and “Economic Development Tools to Assist Your Community’s Businesses” on November 13th.

In addition to training, VEDA celebrates community and economic development wins around Virginia with an annual awards program that recognizes both individuals in the field and catalytic projects. Nominating the people and projects in your community is a great way to collect some spiffy hardware and to bring attention to the great work happening at the local level.

There are also scholarship opportunities for professionals who are looking to build their skills in the field through certifications with the International Economic Development Council, the Council of Development Finance Agencies, among many others. VEDA itself offers a Virginia Institute for Economic Development for early career professionals to gain an understanding of the regulations, tools, and resources that guide economic development in Virginia.

VEDA also offers regular, virtual, networking and knowledge sharing opportunities through Shared Interest Groups. These groups meet quarterly on Zoom to brainstorm on specific topics. Groups include Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Downtown Development; Business Recruitment and Expansion; Rural Issues; and Workforce Development. VEDA’s theme for their work in 2024 is the Intersection of Community and Economic Development – making it a great year for Main Street communities to strengthen their involvement with the broader economic development community in Virginia!