Virginia Economic Review

BWX Technologies, Inc., started out as a boiler manufacturer.

Since Drake Extrusion opened a plant in Southern Virginia to make polypropylene fibers and yarns 31 years ago, the company weathered the collapse of the region’s traditional industry and global downturns and never laid off a worker.

Brent Ward likes challenging projects. As a co-founder of design firm Riggs Ward, his job is to help bring stories to life, through displays of artifacts, graphics, soundscapes, and interactive digital media.

For more than 300 years, Virginia’s universities have helped produce generations of political leaders, scientists, entrepreneurs, engineers, and business executives who shaped the economy in the Commonwealth and beyond.

Alexandria is known for Old Town’s historic shops and homes that are as inviting as they are immaculately preserved.

Virginia has a long history as a site where revolutions can take root. In recent decades, that revolutionary spirit has attracted entrepreneurs and startups who see Virginia as a place where new ideas grow into powerful energy disruptors.

It’s not exaggerating to say that Virginia has been part of the internet since day one. The Commonwealth’s proximity to the federal government in Washington, D.C., makes it a natural place to deploy new technology. In Northern Virginia, network connectivity traces its roots to the U.S.

In the months leading up to July 1776, the Second Continental Congress entrusted a Virginian, Thomas Jefferson, to draft the formal document declaring the colonies’ independence from Great Britain. The 13 British colonies in mainland North America had disparate interests and cultures.

Christy Coleman is the 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.

Careyann Weinberg, Director of Economic Vitality for the Downtown Norfolk Council in Hampton Roads, Virginia, discusses quality of life and talent opportunities in Hampton Roads and Virginia as a whole, including the strong professional network in the area, the opportunities for talent, and her own "Why Virginia" story.

Bonnie Chavez, CEO of Building Beloved Communities in Roanoke, Virginia, discusses quality of life and talent opportunities in Roanoke and Virginia as a whole, including what drew her to the area, the opportunities for talent and her own "Why Virginia" story. Watch the Conversation

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.

Patrick O’Connell is a self-taught chef and visionary behind the Inn at Little Washington, the first and only three-Michelin-starred restaurant in the D.C. region.

Alexandria Troupe, a licensed agent at River Fox Realty in Richmond, discusses the real estate market in Richmond and Virginia as a whole, including the factors that draw homebuyers to Virginia and the Commonwealth’s relative affordability along the Interstate 95 corridor. Watch the Conversation

Virginia’s moderate, four-season climate is a draw for residents of all interests. From the mountains to the beach, Virginians can experience summer heat, winter snow, and everything in between without leaving the Commonwealth.

Work, Play, and the Pursuit of Happiness in Virginia I want to take a minute to introduce myself — that’s me, right there in the picture, hiking in Greene County with my wife, Allison, and our sons.

Virginia’s abundant recreation scene means that there’s something to do for just about everyone, whether you’re an experienced hiker or kayaker looking for a challenge or a parent looking to pass along a love of the outdoors.

Virginia’s arts scene showcases the creative talent that comes out of the Commonwealth, from well-regarded arts programs at universities like Virginia Commonwealth University and Shenandoah University to self-taught artists.