Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission

Reliable, affordable energy is critical to the economic success of rural Virginia. The Commission recently supported four energy projects through our Energy Ingenuity Fund and you can read more about those projects at the link below. If you have an idea for an energy project that will help move Southern and Southwest Virginia forward, the next deadline to submit a pre-application for the Energy Ingenuity Fund is coming up on October 31st. Details can be found on the program page on our website, revitalizeva.org.

The Commission has been a huge supporter of agriculture across Southern and Southwest Virginia. Read more about how our investment in the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex is creating opportunities for farmers in Southern Virginia and helping to ensure that our family farms stay in business for generations to come.

Commission staff welcomed our friends from North Carolina's The Golden LEAF Foundation to Southern Virginia this past week. Tours of the The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex and more presented great opportunities to exchange ideas and best practices as well as discuss potential areas of collaboration between the two organizations.

The Commission has launched the second round of its Energy Ingenuity Fund! This program provides up to $12 million for innovative energy projects within the Commission footprint. Those interested are encourage to fill out a pre-application at the link below by July 18th!

Pleased to re-welcome Hon. James E. Campos as our Executive Director. James has been with the Commission for about a year and a half serving in a dual role as Deputy Secretary of Commerce & Trade as well as Acting Executive Director of the Commission. Today he was sworn in as the Commission's full-time Executive Director. Congratulations!

The Commission just wrapped up 2 days of very productive meetings in Wise and Lee Counties. For the first time, the Commission held its full meeting in Lee County at the Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine - DeBusk Veterinary Teaching Center. A big thank you to everyone who made these meetings a success. The Commission supported projects in agribusiness, tourism, business development, workforce education and more that will help communities across Southern and Southwest Virginia grow and thrive. Additionally, the Commission voted to name Hon. Frank Ruff Chairman of the Commission. He will serve alongside Delegate Will Morefield as Vice-Chair. Check back soon for details on all of the projects that received funding at this meeting.

The Commission is excited to be in beautiful Wise, VA for our first day of spring Commission meetings! We're looking forward to reviewing a wide range of projects that will make an impact across Southwest and Southern Virginia and build on the Commission's 25 year history as a catalyst for growth.

When you get good folks together to work on a problem you often get great results. Stakeholders at the local, regional and state level all came together to help find a solution for these communities. The Commission is proud to support Virginia's farmers and to have played a role in making this a reality.

Commission staff had the opportunity earlier this week to visit our counterparts in North Carolina at The Golden LEAF Foundation. The day was spent exchanging ideas, learning about how they support their rural communities and visiting a few of the great projects they have helped bring to life. Thanks again to Golden LEAF for hosting us.

If you haven't heard, the Commission's new Energy Ingenuity Fund is now accepting pre-applications for potential projects. This is a great opportunity to be part of Virginia's energy future while creating jobs and growing our rural economy. Find out more below and on our website, RevitalizeVA.org