Institute for Advanced Learning and Research
Driving Economic Transformation
The July 2024 edition of IALR at a Glance is jam-packed with exciting news and updates! Learn more about…
The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) proudly announces that Linda Hutson Green, IALR’s Vice President of Economic Development and Executive Director of the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance, has been awarded the inaugural WE Lead Award from the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce. The award was announced during the Chamber’s Annual Awards Banquet hosted at the IALR Conference Center.
The Chamber’s WE Lead program, which stands for Women Empowered, provides access to dynamic programs designed to develop leadership skills and build professional networks for women in business. This prestigious honor celebrates a transformative leader who has shown extraordinary dedication and service to Danville and Pittsylvania County.
“I am deeply honored to receive the inaugural WE Lead Award. This recognition reflects the hard work and dedication of the IALR team and our many partners. I appreciate the chance to work with the localities and want to recognize the accomplishments of Matt Rowe, Corrie Bobe, the City of Danville, Pittsylvania County, and the entire Southern Virginia Region. Together, we have made tremendous strides in driving economic transformation, and I am excited about the future and potential for our region.” – Linda Hutson Green, SVRA Exeucitive
Green’s collaborative efforts with local economic development teams have led to the recruitment of 28 new companies to Southern Virginia and the expansion of 34 existing companies. These efforts have created more than 5,400 jobs and spurred just over $1.7 billion in capital investment across the region. Green currently serves as the 2024 President of the Virginia Economic Developers Association.
“The inaugural WE Lead (Women Empowered) Award was given to a female leader who is transforming our growing region. Green’s body of work and dedication to Danville and Pittsylvania County is unmatched and make her the perfect choice for this award.” – Anne Moore-Sparks, president and CEO of the Danville Pittsylvania Chamber of Commerce
Green is an integral part of Southern Virginia, bringing a wealth of experience that spans federal, state, and local levels, both in the public and private sectors. Since October 2016, Green has served as IALR’s Vice President of Economic Development as well as the Executive Director of the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance. In these roles, she leverages the resources of IALR to assist local economic developers in marketing the Southern Virginia region, providing recruitment and retention of industries to create and sustain jobs and ensure the economic vitality of the region. Appointed to the Commonwealth Transportation Board by Governor Youngkin in 2023, Green also serves on the Averett University Board of Trustees. In July 2023, she received the Women in Leadership Award from Virginia Business Magazine.
Green’s distinguished career includes roles as District Director for U.S. Congressman Robert Hurt, Director for Federal Funding and Entrepreneurship for the Center for Innovative Technology, President and CEO of the Dan River Business Development Center, and Quality Engineer for the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. A Certified Quality Engineer, Linda holds a master’s in business administration from Duke University and is a graduate of Averett University and Danville Community College.
The January 20224 edition of IALR at a Glance is jam-packed with exciting news and updates! Learn more about…
Welcoming new lawmakers, strengthening professional development opportunities among priorities for newly elected VEDA President
Linda Green, Executive Director of Southern Virginia Regional Alliance and the newly elected President of Virginia Economic Developers Association (VEDA), looks forward to a new year when the nonprofit membership organization will focus on growing its professional development opportunities, forming successful business relationships with new lawmakers and continuing to champion the Commonwealth as a jewel for site development and expansion.
VEDA is the voice in Virginia for shaping economic development public policy and a primary source of strong and effective education and networking for economic development professionals.
Green will lead the membership in Exploring the Intersection of Community and Economic Development, its mantra for 2024.
“Economic development is constantly evolving, but not in a vacuum,” said Green, named the organization’s president at its 2023 Winter Membership Meeting in Richmond. “It depends on the strong coordination with the professionals around us. Those intersections — whether they be in workforce and education, transportation infrastructure, childcare, housing — impact how we move forward in economic development. This coming year they are critically important after coming out of COVID and seeing the workforce challenges businesses had. Working in collaboration with community development partners is critically important for all of us.”
Over recent years, VEDA launched Shared Interests Groups (SIGs), which formalize peer-to-peer networking around the following subject areas: Business Retention and Expansion, Diversity and Inclusion, Downtown Development, Rural and Workforce. Membership is robust in each of the SIGs.
Another priority for VEDA, Green said, will be forming professional connections with the new leadership in Virginia’s General Assembly, which saw unprecedented turnover in both chambers following the November election.
“We find ourselves with a lot of new legislators and we need to make sure we are resources to them as professionals in the economic development field. We must learn what their constituents and them foresee as needs for future economic development projects,” Green said. “That interface and advocacy for the importance of economic development to raising the gross domestic product in Virginia are an important mission for all of us.”
The Commonwealth remains a national leader in site development, boosted by an influx of $90 million in Virginia Business Ready Sites Program development grants to develop 21 sites across Virginia.
“All of our members will continue to be advocates for marketing the Commonwealth,” Green said. “Also, as new economic developers come on, we will continue to embrace them and make them part of our organization.”
Green has been Executive Director of Southern Virginia Regional Alliance since 2016, collaborating with her VEDA peers to recruit 28 new companies to Southern Virginia and assist the expansion of 31 existing companies. The Vice President of Economic Development at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, Green was honored earlier this summer as one of the winners of the Virginia Business Women in Leadership Awards. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Duke University and is a graduate of Averett University and Danville Community College.
Green previously served as VEDA’s Vice President and Secretary and chaired and co-chaired its Membership Committee.
VEDA is a member-based professional association committed to providing training and development; networking opportunities; and serving as the voice of the economic development community, creating economic opportunity and prosperity for the Commonwealth of Virginia. VEDA’s members is comprised of more than 575 economic development professionals and related industry professionals from across the Commonwealth of Virginia. For more information about VEDA visit the website at www.GoVEDA.org.
Article courtesy of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership
Linda Green, IALR’s Director of Economic Development and Executive Director of the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance, has been named Treasurer for the 2022 Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for the Virginia Economic Developers Association (VEDA), a committee on which she has served for several years. The new officers were elected at the two-day annual membership meeting in December.
The Virginia Economic Developers Association is a non-profit, non-partisan membership association for individuals with a professional interest in economic development across the Commonwealth of Virginia. VEDA serves as the voice of economic development in Virginia and was founded in 1982 to increase the effectiveness of individuals involved in the practice of economic development in Virginia by encouraging cooperation, exchange of information, and professional development activities.
