Economic Development Forum 1-15-19

Please join us to learn more about how the economic development process works and the roles different organizations play in order to drive investment, create jobs, expand local business, and encourage redevelopment in our community.




Pat Gottschalk, facilitator
Partner, Williams Mullen and Chair, ChamberRVA

Pat Gottschalk is chair of the Williams Mullen Economic Development team and a member of the firm’s Corporate and Government Relations practice groups. He served as secretary of commerce and trade for Virginia under Governor Tim Kaine. He is listed in Virginia Super Lawyers magazine for business and corporate law and in the Best Lawyers in America for corporate law and business organizations, and he was named the Best Lawyers Richmond "Lawyer of the Year" for business organizations. He currently serves as the chair of ChamberRVA and has served on its board of directors since 2011.

 

Stephen Moret
President and CEO, Virginia Economic Development Partnership

Stephen Moret is president and CEO of Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), where he recently led Virginia’s successful state and local team bid for Amazon’s HQ2 and is launching a world-class custom workforce program along with the Virginia Community College System. Before joining VEDP in January 2017, he served as chief executive of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) and Louisiana Department of Economic Development, as well as the LSU Foundation and its real estate development arm. Prior to this, Moret was CEO of BRAC, which he and his team transformed into a nationally competitive regional EDO.




Cathie Vick
Chief Public Affairs Officer, Port of Virginia

Cathie Vick oversees the Port of Virginia’s government relations, community outreach, economic development, engineering, environmental services and maritime incident response. Previously, she served as deputy director for energy policy in the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, and worked as director of government relations for Virginia Natural Gas. She serves on numerous boards, including for the Virginia Aquarium, TowneBank Leadership Alliance, the Sorenson Institute, the Virginia Public Access Project and Communities in Schools. She is a 2015 graduate of LEAD Virginia, a 2009 graduate of LEAD Hampton Roads and a 2005 fellow of the Sorenson Institute of Political Leadership.

 

Gary McLaren
Executive Director, Henrico Economic Development Authority

Gary McLaren has served as executive director of the Henrico County Economic Development Authority since 2009. Previously, he served for six years as deputy director of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), Virginia’s primary statewide economic development agency. He joined the VEDP in 1999 as director of business development and led Virginia’s domestic and international marketing program to attract additional jobs and investment. His career in economic development spans 38 years.





Matt Anderson
Senior Vice President, Colliers International

Matt started his career with CBRE|Richmond (now Colliers International) in 2006 as a junior agent with no previous real estate background, learning the business from the ground up. He quickly became an integral part of the brokerage team representing owners and occupiers of office and industrial properties. Since 2006, Matt negotiated over 650 transactions valued at over $400 million involving government agencies, national corporations, REITs, medical practices, and local businesses and developers. Matt is now a Senior Vice President and in 2015, became a Principal with CBRE|Richmond. Matt takes great pride in his teamwork, communication, and the highest level of customer service.