Virginia's Gateway Region

10/23/2026

Steel builds more than structures. It builds careers, communities and economic opportunity!

During , we’re celebrating the skilled workers and manufacturers who help keep America strong. From welding and fabrication to advanced manufacturing, the steel industry supports good-paying jobs, drives economic growth and helps build the infrastructure we depend on every day — including right here in Virginia’s Gateway Region!

10/22/2026

A big congratulations to Alfreda Reynolds, director of economic development for our partner County of Brunswick, VA, on being named one of Virginia’s 100 Women of Color for 2026! 👏

This recognition celebrates women making a difference through leadership, service and contributions to their communities. Alfreda’s dedication to creating opportunities and advancing economic growth in Brunswick County makes her a deserving honoree!

Alfreda recently joined Virginia This Morning on CBS 6 to discuss the upcoming 100 Women of Color Gala & Awards, taking place Oct. 23 in Richmond.

🎥 Watch her interview: https://ow.ly/tTzF50ZZ9fH

Watch Virginia This Morning each weekday from 9 to 10 a.m. Find the show on Facebook and Instagram at .

10/21/2026

Virginia’s forest products industry is an economic driver for Virginia’s Gateway Region, supporting jobs, investment and opportunities for continued growth. During Virginia Forest Products Week, we recognize the industry’s contributions to our regional economy and its importance to the Commonwealth’s future.

Virginia Forest Products Week, October 19–25, is a chance to recognize the connection between Virginia’s forests and the products we use every day.

Lumber, flooring, furniture, paper, packaging, and many other wood-based products begin with forests that are carefully managed for long-term health and productivity. Forestry education helps prepare the people who make informed management decisions, work across the forest-products industry, and support the many careers connected to it.

Together, these connections show how healthy working forests, skilled professionals, and a strong forest-products industry all contribute to the wellbeing of Virginia’s communities and economy.

Stay connected with VFEF and explore more forestry education, resources, and opportunities at vfef.net.

10/20/2026

Virginia is No. 1 for workforce training – and that advantage is at work right here in VGR.

Area Development ranked the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program No. 1 in the nation, adding to its fourth consecutive No. 1 ranking from Business Facilities.

Created by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership in collaboration with Virginia's Community Colleges, the program helps companies recruit, train and launch a job-ready workforce. And it’s supporting Jabil’s new operation and 350+ jobs right here in VGR.

That’s Virginia’s Top State for Talent strategy in action.

Read the announcement: https://ow.ly/blMQ50ZV4CZ

About the Talent Accelerator: https://ow.ly/1w8850ZV4CV

The award-winning Virginia Talent Accelerator Program develops custom workforce training and recruitment services at no cost to the client.

10/16/2026

Could a 16-year-old girl from Hopewell have helped change the course of the American Revolution?

In 1781, Susanna Bolling overheard British General Cornwallis discussing a plan to capture the Marquis de Lafayette. Under cover of darkness, she escaped her family’s plantation in Hopewell, crossed the Appomattox River and raced to warn Lafayette.

Her daring journey is why she’s remembered today as the “girl who saved the Revolutionary War.”

As part of , we’re sharing Susanna’s remarkable story: https://www.gatewayregion.com/susanna-bolling-the-girl-who-won-the-revolutionary-war/

Her story is part of “War Stories and Heroes of Hopewell, Virginia,” an interactive StoryMaps project spanning Hopewell’s military history from the Revolutionary War through World War II. Check out the full series: https://ow.ly/GnvK50ZV6C1

10/15/2026

Biotech meets b**r in Petersburg! 🍻🧬

Join the Richmond-Petersburg region’s life sciences community for Biotech & B**r on Thursday, Oct. 22, at Hotel Petersburg!

Connect with innovators, entrepreneurs and industry leaders from biotech, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and academia. It’s a great opportunity to build relationships, exchange ideas and celebrate our region’s growing life sciences ecosystem.

Virginia’s Gateway Region is proud to support this event alongside Activation Capital, Virginia Commonwealth University's TechTransfer and Ventures, and Virginia Bio (Virginia Biotechnology Association).

📅 Oct. 22 | 4:30–6:30 p.m.
📍 Hotel Petersburg

Register today: https://ow.ly/oIIv50ZXy1n

**r

10/14/2026

Big moment last week in ! Congrats to Live Casino and Hotel Virginia for its "topping out" milestone. We look forward to celebrating the completed project when it opens late next year!

10/13/2026

It’s always good to welcome statewide partners to Virginia’s Gateway Region! The Virginia To***co Region Revitalization Commission recently gathered at Golden Leaf Commons in – a fitting location given the commission’s long history of investing in workforce development across Southern Virginia.

In fact, commission funding helped support development of both Golden Leaf Commons and the Southside Virginia Education Center, creating resources that continue to serve the region today.

The meeting brought more investment in workforce education and launched AgVision, a new agricultural cost-share pilot that includes Brunswick County, another VGR community.

We appreciate the Commission’s continued commitment to creating jobs, strengthening our workforce and supporting economic growth across Southern Virginia.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/4aoI50ZVp2K

10/09/2026

Some places have landmarks. Brunswick County has a national treasure you can eat.

Brunswick Stew has traveled far beyond Virginia, but its roots are right here in the heart of Virginia’s Gateway Region. And on Saturday, Oct. 10, it takes center stage at the annual Taste of Brunswick Festival in Lawrenceville.

Come hungry for the World Championship Brunswick Stew Cook-off – and stay for live music, food, vendors and plenty of family fun.

It’s a celebration of a tradition that has put Brunswick County on the culinary map for generations. Come taste a little VGR history!

Learn more: https://tasteofbrunswickfestival.com

10/07/2026

A strong workforce doesn’t happen by accident. It takes partnerships, investment and a shared commitment to preparing people for the jobs employers need to fill.

We applaud Virginia's Community Colleges Chancellor David Doré for keeping workforce development at the center of the conversation about Virginia’s economic future.

It’s a mission we share across Virginia’s Gateway Region – through our strong partnership with Brightpoint Community College and our work alongside the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and its Virginia Talent Accelerator Program.

Together, we’re focused on the same goal: connecting people with opportunity while giving existing and prospective employers confidence that they can find the talent they need to grow here.

Workforce is economic development – and collaboration is how we make it happen.

Read Chancellor Doré’s piece in the Richmond Times-Dispatch: https://richmond.com/opinion/column/article_a6c21e10-0599-464b-9d60-9bb0f08c0bda.html

Virginia’s 23 community colleges help power the nation’s No. 1 state for customized workforce training, connecting Virginians to in-demand careers and employers to skilled talent through FastForward credentials, apprenticeships and