Virginia Economic Review

Are you a transplant, a boomerang, or a lifelong Virginian? What brought you to the Commonwealth in the first place? I’m a transplant — I was born in Missouri, then lived in Ohio, Georgia, and South Carolina. I attended Clemson University and, after earning my Ph.D.

As Virginia celebrates the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps, there's no better time to highlight the Commonwealth's unwavering commitment to those who have served our nation.

Sam Northington doesn’t want any military veteran to struggle like his dad did. After 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, his father retired as a master sergeant and went back to college to get his teaching credentials. “That didn’t really fit him. He never really taught,” Northington recalled.

For years, the Roanoke Region faced a familiar challenge: young professionals saw it as a place to leave, not a destination to build a career. Nestled in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains but often overshadowed by Northern Virginia's proximity to D.C.

The Virginian-Pilot published an op-ed on July 5, 2025, by Kirk Cox, former speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates and president of the Virginia Business Higher Education Council, and Cathie Vick, former president and CEO of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, titled “Virginia Is America’s Top State for Talent.

Michelle Williams is the new talent and digital strategies program manager at the Roanoke Regional Partnership (RRP). Julia Boas headed up the RRP’s talent strategies until recently taking over as director of business investment.

A former Kmart on the outskirts of the southwestern Virginia town of Abingdon has become a proving ground for a concept that its backers hope will revolutionize talent attraction.

As Virginia recognizes April as Second Chances Month, it's time for the business community to examine a largely untapped talent pool that could help address our workforce challenges. Second chance hiring isn't about charity — it's a business proposition with measurable returns.

VEDP Vice President of Knowledge Work Meghan Welch spoke with Steven Chen, the founder of PFP Cybersecurity, about the cybersecurity funding environment in Virginia.

Cybersecurity attacks are evolving at rapid speed, and the U.S. lacks sufficient professionals to address them.

Recently, an Air Force research agency reached out to George Mason University (GMU) with a pressing issue. Drones were attacking Air Force facilities around the globe.

Virginia's proximity to the federal government and the wealth of private technology leaders headquartered in the Commonwealth have helped its workforce rise to the forefront of the cybersecurity industry.

In an increasingly digital world where data breaches, ransomware attacks, and other cybercrimes are pervasive, a skilled cybersecurity workforce is more important than ever. Yet the industry grapples with a significant worker shortage.

Brett Vassey is president and CEO of the Virginia Manufacturers Association (VMA), a trade association that supports manufacturing operations across Virginia.

A trilateral security partnership to share technology and military resources is poised to benefit the Hampton Roads economy and Virginia’s defense ecosystem. The United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom formalized the AUKUS partnership in 2021.

Like his fellow Type 1 diabetics, Alec Smith took insulin every day to regulate his blood sugar.

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 (AWS).

With 30 military bases, Virginia is among the states with the highest share of active duty troops relative to state residents.