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Hampton Roads Alliance

Today is World Tourism Day! 🌎 Tourism is a huge economic driver for Hampton Roads. From the beautiful, sandy shores of Virginia Beach to the centuries of culture that define the Historical Triangle, Hampton Roads is a great place to explore, and there are countless ways to appreciate the beauty of the region. Today, we thank everyone who plays a part in improving our region's quality of life, allowing the tourism industry to flourish. What is your favorite local attraction or site to visit? Tell us in the comments below!

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Hampton Roads Alliance4 days ago

Governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin announced today that Alliance Investor Amazon.com will build two world-class facilities and create more than 1,000 new jobs in the City of Virginia Beach (Virginia Beach City Government)! Alliance President and CEO Douglas L. Smith stated “In the past few years, Amazon has truly embraced the Hampton Roads community, opening facilities in multiple locations and quickly becoming one of the region’s major employers. Today’s announcement marks yet another milestone in Amazon’s investment in and dedication to Hampton Roads. The Alliance congratulates Amazon, along with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development on their continued success and thanks them for their commitment to growing the Hampton Roads economy.” Learn more: https://www.vedp.org/press-release/2023-09/amazon-virginiabeach

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Hampton Roads Alliance1 week ago

Hampton Roads Workforce Council hosted their exciting Workforce Innovation Awards last evening at Rivers Casino Portsmouth! 👏 Congratulations to all the winners including Michael Paris, Bureau Manager for Norfolk Economic Development, for being named 2023 Workforce Champion of the Year!

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Steve Harrison

Chief Operating Officer

Steve Harrison joined the Hampton Roads Alliance in June 2019. Steve previously served as Vice President of Business Intelligence & Communications and stepped into the role of Interim Chief Strategy Officer in June 2022. In September 2022, he began serving as the organization's Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Steve assists President & CEO Doug Smith with developing, communicating, executing, and sustaining strategic initiatives while also managing operations, marketing, and business intelligence efforts.

Steve previously served as Research Director for the Alliance from 2010-2012. Between that time and his return to the Alliance in 2019, he served as Business Development and Research Manager for Virginia Beach Economic Development. During his tenure with the city, he significantly enhanced the way Virginia Beach positioned itself as a business destination through the creation of a variety of new portals and documents, including the Virginia Beach Community Profile, websites, and a first-of-its-kind iPad App. His work garnered four International Economic Development Council (IEDC) awards. He also served as a creator and lead of the VABeachBio biomedical business development initiative and on the board of 757Accelerate.

Steve is a Hampton Roads native with extensive experience in Economic Development. He is a two-time graduate of The College of William & Mary, with both a Bachelor’s in Government and a Master’s in Public Policy. He is actively involved in the community and served as President of the Virginia Economic Developers Association (VEDA) in 2021. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement and as a member of the Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC).

Steve was named among the Inside Business "Top 40 Under 40" in 2021. He and his husband, Phil, reside in Virginia Beach.