Richmond - Three key directors have been named to join the staff of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), the state authority charged with marketing the Commonwealth to businesses and promoting Virginia exports. Mark R. Kilduff, Acting Executive Director of the Partnership, made the announcement today at the Virginia Economic Developers Association Spring Conference in Williamsburg.
Gary R. McLaren will be the Director of VEDP’s Business Development Division. McLaren has served as director of the Chesterfield Department of Economic Development since 1988. He also held director positions in the City of Chesapeake and in Florence County, South Carolina. McLaren is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute and holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of South Carolina.
Paul H. Grossman has been named Director of International Trade Development. Since 1994, Grossman served as executive director of the Orangeburg County Development Commission in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Prior to that position, he was vice president of the international division for the Arizona Economic Council, the state’s primary economic development arm. Grossman also served as an international marketing manager and export development specialist at the former Virginia Department of Economic Development in the 1980’s where he created Virginia’s successful International Marketing Planning program. He earned a master’s degree from Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management and graduated from the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma.
Robert W. McClintock, Jr., will serve as VEDP’s Director of Research. He most recently served as the director of economic development for Hanover County. McClintock worked at the state level in Virginia for 10 years where he was eventually promoted to sites and buildings manager. Prior to his service at VEDP, McClintock served as director of planning and development for Amherst County. He holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Virginia Tech and graduated from the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1995 to encourage, stimulate, and support the development and expansion of the economy of the Commonwealth. The Partnership is a state authority, which is governed by a 15-member Board of Directors appointed by the Governor. Its Executive Director oversees all of the functions of the Partnership and is employed by the Board. To accomplish its objectives of promoting economic expansion within the Commonwealth, the Partnership focuses its efforts on Global Business Development, International Trade, and Business Development Finance.
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