Virginia Economic Review Podcast

Christy Coleman is executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, an educational Virginia state agency that offers programs and resources about early American history through its living history museums, Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. VEDP Senior Vice President for Marketing, Communications & Research Stephen Hartka spoke with Coleman about what citizens and companies can take away from Virginia’s history as the Commonwealth celebrates the 250^th anniversary of the United States’ founding.

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.