June 2024 Executive Director Report

By all accounts, the June meeting of the GO Virginia State Board was interesting, to say the least.  The best news is that two Region 8 projects were approved, allowing Council to spend our FY24 allotment down to about $87K.  With only ~$55K “recaptured” for the state budget, we will now begin FY25 with $1.1M for projects.  If it sounds confusing, believe me it has been a roller coaster since November! 

Hopefully, by the time you read this report, both the Shenandoah Valley Workforce Development Board’s (SVWDB) Talent Pathways Initiative (TPI) contract and the Winchester Regional Airport’s Advanced Air Mobility Planning Grant contract will be signed, and those projects will begin in July.  Both projects will be complete in one year’s time, and Sharon Johnson, SVWDB Executive Director, will be presenting TPI updates to Council at each of our Council meetings over the next year. 

The next Council meeting will be on July 23 at Laurel Ridge Community College in Middletown.  This location will give Council and meeting attendees an opportunity to see the Alson H. Smith workforce training facilities, where equipment was funded by GO Virginia in FY22.  With no applications for Council consideration at this time, we will be focusing on past and current projects, with an eye on our project pipeline and future opportunities.  The meeting will begin at 10:00 AM, and our agenda and other information will be posted on the website soon.