Our Team

ABOUT THE ALLIANCE

FEATURED INDUSTRY

Workforce

LATEST TWEETS

Hampton Roads Alliance

It was an incredible evening onboard the iconic Battleship Wisconsin! The Hampton Roads Alliance, alongside the Hampton Roads Workforce Council and the Government of South Australia, brought together a dynamic gathering of Hampton Roads business leaders and defense-related companies from Australia for a reception after visiting Hampton Roads for a couple days. From fostering partnerships to sharing insights, it was a fantastic opportunity to delve into the vibrant defense and maritime industry supporting AUKUS. Thank you City of Norfolk Government, Norfolk Department of Development, and Nauticus for hosting us!

+6

View on Facebook

Hampton Roads Alliance1 day ago

Hear from the team at QMS about why these chose Hampton Roads for their new submarine and shipbuilding training institution! #AUKUS

An Australian maritime company announced Tuesday it will set up a submarine and shipbuilding training institution in Norfolk for the short term and will seek a permanent home in Newport…

View on Facebook

Hampton Roads Alliance3 days ago

Quality Maritime Surveyors (QMS), a leading provider of maritime non-destructive testing education and training in Australia is proud to announce its expansion into Virginia. With a rich history of supporting the Collins class in Australia and a deep-rooted commitment to maritime excellence, QMS is poised to bring its expertise to the heart of the U.S. shipbuilding industry in Hampton Roads. The company is backed by years of experience in naval submarine and shipbuilding and has developed and refined processes to train maritime technicians. With offices dedicated to naval submarine and shipbuilding in South Australia, Osborne, and Western Australia, Henderson, QMS has established itself as a trusted partner in the maritime defense sector.

As part of its expansion, QMS will initially establish a presence in the Virginia Defense Landing at the Hampton Roads Alliance’s IDEA Lab in the World Trade Center in Norfolk, while they seek a permanent location in Newport News.

Read more: https://ow.ly/jZMJ50Rhcpx

View on Facebook

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.