For Mayor Rick West of Chesapeake, the idea of collaboration isn’t a policy—it’s a way of life. From his upbringing in the close-knit community of Great Bridge to his leadership today as a board member of the Hampton Roads Alliance, Mayor West’s story is rooted in the power of people coming together.

“I was one of five kids. My dad was in the Navy, and we went through some tough times,” West reflects. “But our family—and our neighborhood—always stuck together. That made all the difference.”

Growing up in a Chesapeake still finding its identity after the 1963 vote that officially named the city, West’s childhood memories are filled with simple joys: organizing pick-up sports with neighborhood kids, riding bikes to the canal to go crabbing on the Intracoastal Waterway and learning life lessons in his grandfather’s hardware store. It was a time when the whole community gathered—whether it was Saturday morning football recaps or catching up at the variety store.

That spirit of gathering stayed with West, even as his career moved from teaching government and history to nearly three decades in school administration.

“I never imagined being in elected office,” he says. “I just wanted to teach. But the path led here—and I’m grateful it did.”

Today, that path included helping lead Chesapeake’s most ambitious economic development initiative ever: LS GreenLink. More than a massive investment project, LS GreenLink is a testament to the kind of regional collaboration West has long championed.

“This didn’t happen in a vacuum,” West notes. “It took our city working alongside the Hampton Roads Alliance, the state and neighboring cities. That spirit of partnership is what makes our region work.”

In fact, LS GreenLink initially explored Norfolk. When that didn’t pan out, it was Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander who suggested they look to Chesapeake.

That kind of mutual support between cities is something West sees as essential to regional success—and something he believes the Alliance fosters every day.

“Economic development today isn’t about competing with your neighbor. It’s about lifting each other up,” West says. “What happens in Norfolk or Virginia Beach matters to Chesapeake. We share a workforce. We share resources. We rise together.”

He’s inspired by other regions, where cities present a unified front to prospective businesses. He sees potential for Hampton Roads to follow suit.

“We often forget how much collaboration is happening behind the scenes,” he says. “Most people don’t realize how much mayors talk to each other. But that’s where trust and progress are built.”

As Chesapeake continues to grow—particularly in the evolving clean energy space—West believes the region’s next chapter will be written by collective action.

“We have the drive. We have the talent. And we have the relationships to make it happen.”

Through his role with the Hampton Roads Alliance, West remains focused on building that connected future.

“Thanks to the Alliance, we’ve become more aware that none of us can be successful unless we’re all successful. And that’s exactly how it should be.”