RICHMOND - The Board of Directors of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) today announced that it has selected Jeffrey M. Anderson as VEDP Executive Director following a five-month national search. Anderson currently serves as Executive Vice President for Global Integration at BearingPoint, a leading multi-national management consulting firm headquartered in McLean. Prior to that role, he served as Executive Vice President responsible for leading BearingPoint’s $500M global financial services practice. Anderson, who has lived in Charlottesville with his family since 1993, succeeds Mark R. Kilduff who is retiring after more than 30 years of service.
“One of our most important duties as a board is the selection of the organization leader,” said VEDP Board Chairman J. Thomas Fowlkes of Bristol. “Our mission throughout this selection process has been to find a proven professional to lead VEDP to new heights and to promote economic development success for each and every community of the Commonwealth. I’m delighted that in Jeff Anderson we have found that person. He has a remarkable record of business success in Virginia and across the globe. Jeff is a terrific leader who demonstrates a true commitment to bringing new ideas and his marketing expertise from the private sector to the Commonwealth’s economic development efforts. I am pleased that the vote of the board, representing all regions of Virginia, was unanimous.”
VEDP Board Member and Search Committee Chairman Steve DelBianco of Fairfax said, “The search committee took its charge from the Board with seriousness and determination. We selected an international executive recruiting firm to do an in-depth national search and we solicited comments from economic development leaders and stakeholders across Virginia. Jeff’s marketing and management experience stood out among a field of well over 100 potential candidates. At the end of the process, the committee unanimously recommended Jeff to the full Board.”
“The things that impress us most about Jeff are his intelligence, leadership abilities and strategic vision for economic development success for all of Virginia,” said VEDP Board and Search Committee member Charles H. Majors of Danville. “His extensive international experience will be especially valuable. I am confident that Jeff will bring innovative approaches and proven executive skills to an already high-performing organization.”
“It is an honor and a privilege to be chosen for this important role,” Anderson said following the announcement. “I take very seriously the trust placed in me by the Board and the organization. I love Virginia, and I look forward to hitting the ground running. We must find ways to continue the economic prosperity much of Virginia is now experiencing, and at the same time redouble our efforts to promote economic development in economically distressed regions of the Commonwealth.”
According to Rod McGeary, Chairman of BearingPoint, "Jeff is a proven leader in international marketing and professional management. He's intimate with the corporate decision-making process about how and where to expand and locate new jobs. Congratulations to the Commonwealth on a great move."
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. Considered among the national leaders of economic development as cited in Corporate Location and Site Selection magazines, the Partnership is a state authority, which is governed by a 21-member Board of Directors appointed by the Governor and the Virginia General Assembly. To accomplish its objectives of promoting economic expansion within the Commonwealth, the Partnership focuses its efforts on business recruitment, expansion and international trade.