RICHMOND - The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) Board of Directors selected its new Chair, J. Thomas Fowlkes of Bristol, and Vice Chair, Steve DelBianco of Fairfax. The officers were elected during the quarterly VEDP board meeting on March 3, 2004. The Partnership also welcomed Charles H. Majors of Danville and James E. Ukrop of Richmond to its Board of Directors. The VEDP Board of Directors reports annually to the Governor on the status of Virginia’s comprehensive economic development strategy and recommends legislative and executive actions related to it.
VEDP Board of Directors Chair J. Thomas Fowlkes is Managing Director of Bankstreet Partners LLC in Bristol. He has a B.A. from Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss. and a LL.B. from the University of Virginia. Prior to joining Bankstreet Partners LLC, Fowlkes was the Chief Development Director and Athletic Director of Emory & Henry College. He is a member of the Virginia State Bar and the Mississippi Bar Association. Fowlkes also sits on the Board of Trustees for Millsaps College, the Barter Foundation and Johnson Memorial Hospital in Abingdon.
VEDP Board of Directors Vice Chair Steve DelBianco founded an IT consulting firm in Northern Virginia in 1984 and built it to over $20 million in revenues before merging with a public company in 1997. DelBianco then helped to start a new trade association representing the interests of small IT companies in matters of state and federal public policy. Today, he is Vice President for Public Policy at the Association for Competitive Technology and also serves as Executive Director of the NetChoice coalition, representing online consumers and e-commerce businesses. DelBianco holds degrees in engineering and economics from the University of Pennsylvania, and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School.
VEDP Board Member Charles H. Majors is President and Chief Executive Officer of American National Bank & Trust Company in Danville. Majors holds a B.A. from Auburn University, a J.D. from the University of Virginia and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humanities from Averett University. He is involved with several professional, community and educational organizations, including Averett University, the Danville Development Council, the Future of the Piedmont Foundation, Danville Industrial Development, Inc., and the Rotary Club of Danville.
VEDP Board Member James E. Ukrop is Chairman of Ukrop's Super Markets, Inc. and First Market Bank in Richmond. His business experience comes from serving as Assistant Store Manager, Store Manager, General Manager, President and CEO, as well as Chairman of Ukrop’s Super Markets, Inc. Ukrop has a B.A. from the College of William & Mary and currently serves on 14 community boards and four William & Mary boards.
Other current VEDP Board Members include Mary Rae Carter of Stanleytown; George B. Cartledge, III of Roanoke; Lawrence A. Davies of Fredericksburg; John A. Mahone of Richmond; John F. Malbon of Virginia Beach; Richard F. Neel, Jr. of Alexandria; L. I. Prillaman of Norfolk; James E. Rich, Jr. of Middleburg; and John W. Roberts of Richmond.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership, a marketing organization, 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. To accomplish its objectives of promoting economic expansion, the Partnership focuses its efforts on business recruitment, expansion and international trade development.