Lindsay Akers serves as Vice President of External Affairs at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, where she is responsible for government relations including coordination of VEDP’s policy and budget priorities, managing strategic engagement with members of the General Assembly and staff, and coordinating with VEDP staff to ensure awareness and knowledge of ongoing policy issues impacting economic development.

David Devan serves as Senior Vice President, Policy & Strategic Partnerships at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, where he provides senior executive leadership for the External Affairs division, including VEDP’s strategies for partner engagement and governmental affairs; the Real Estate Solutions division, coordinating strategic investments and related activities to ensure Virginia has a competitive portfolio of project-ready sites; and the Economic Competitiveness (EC) division, focused on developing deep insights on Virginia’s competitive position and designing strategic

Stephen Hartka serves as Senior Vice President of Marketing, Communications & Research and Chief of Staff in the Executive Office at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. In this role, he oversees VEDP’s research, marketing, and communications functions while supporting executive leadership on strategic priorities, organizational alignment, and cross-division execution. His work focuses on translating data, analysis, and narrative into clear value propositions that advance Virginia’s economic development objectives and support informed decision-making across stakeholders.