ABOUT
RICHMOND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Brown’s Island and downtown Richmond
REAL PARTNERS. REAL SERVICE. REAL MISSION.
Richmond Economic Development is your partner in achieving success. We work to build a vibrant and equitable economy in Richmond by encouraging business investment, job creation, strategic development, long-term growth, and community well-being.
OUR APPROACH
Richmond Economic Development combines the financing powers of the Economic Development Authority of the City of Richmond (Richmond EDA) and the staff expertise and programs of the City of Richmond Department of Economic Development to collaboratively attract, retain, and support business in Richmond, Virginia.
In partnership with the Mayor, City Council, and regional and state partners, we work to attract new commercial investment, increase tax revenue, and create new jobs in Richmond. A Board of Directors leads the Richmond EDA, and collectively our work is guided by the City's adopted Strategic Plan for Equitable Economic Development.
OUR SERVICES
Whether you're relocating, expanding, or starting a new business, we're here to simplify your site selection with on-the-ground-knowledge, a robust property database, up-to-date demographic and area data, and more. We help you every step of your journey.
Our services include:
OUR IMPACT
Richmond Economic Development facilitates key investment and development activities, including the recent CoStar Group expansion and the Diamond District redevelopment efforts. In FY 2023, there was $2.58 billion in announced capital investments associated with announced economic development projects.
Learn more about Richmond's recent economic development successes in the FY 2023 Annual Report.
Our Team
Leonard Sledge
Through the dual-degree engineering program, Leonard earned a B.S. in general science from Morehouse College and a B.S. in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He also received his MBA from the University of Phoenix. Prior to joining the City of Richmond, Leonard served as the Executive Director of the Henry County Development Authority (Georgia), Director of Economic Development for the City of Hampton, Virginia, and the Director of the Office of Economic Development for the College of William & Mary. His professional experiences also include advanced manufacturing management and community college workforce development. As Director of the Department of Economic Development and Executive Director of the EDA, Leonard leads job creation, capital investment, and economic growth for Richmond. Leonard was named one of North America’s top 50 economic developers of 2019 by Consultant Connect and is married to his college sweetheart, Dr. Tiffanye P. Sledge. Together, they have three wonderful children.
Katie McConnell
Katie earned an M.S. in urban and regional planning from Virginia Tech and a B.S. in political science from Saint Joseph’s University. She also obtained her graduate certificate in economic development from Virginia Tech. Katie has almost two decades of experience in economic development, previously serving as the Assistant Director of Economic Development for Arlington County. She played critical roles in Arlington’s economic development successes, including the recruitments of Amazon HQ2 and Nestlé USA. She also served as Manager of Strategic Initiatives for Loudoun County Economic Development and conducted economic and workforce development research at the National League of Cities. Katie joined Richmond Economic Development in 2022 as Senior Deputy Director and oversees marketing, operations, budget, incentives, and performance management. On her days off, she enjoys exploring the city with her daughter or taking her labradoodle to Barker Field dog park.
Rick Winston
PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATOR
804.646.5036
Rick.Winston@rva.gov
A Richmond native, Rick earned a B.A. in psychology from University of Virginia and an MBA in Business from Virginia Commonwealth University. His career includes work as the Division President for Peoples/Premier Bank. Before joining Richmond Economic Development, Rick worked as a contract employee for the City of Richmond, during which time he monitored minority participation for various local public schools. As our Programs Administrator, Rick is heavily involved in Richmond financial incentive and loan programs including, assisting with rebate programs, managing the EDA's loan portfolio, and taking the lead on the Brownfields Coalition Grant. When he's not serving the public, you may find Rick at Vagabond, a local restaurant and lounge that serves up southern comfort food and features live music in a 1920s speakeasy setting.
George Bolos
George received his B.A. in business administration from James Madison University and has a minor in productions operations management from Northern Virginia Community College. Before joining Richmond Economic Development, he held jobs in the public sector, including serving as Borough Councilman in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and Borough Chairman for its Economic Development, Water, and Sewer Authority. George leads the Enterprise Zone and CARE Programs and loves helping owners of small to medium-sized business realize their dreams. When you’re in town, George highly recommends you spend a Saturday at the Byrd Theatre listening to Bob Gulledge on his Mighty Wurlitzer!
Carla Childs
Carla earned a B.S. in marketing from Hampton University with a focus on international business. She also holds a master's in urban and regional planning with a concentration in housing, transportation, and economic development from Virginia Commonwealth University. Carla also completed her MBA. coursework in finance and statistics at Marymount University. Before joining the Richmond EDA, she served the Greater Richmond Transit Company and the University of Richmond, working on several transportation projects and playing an instrumental team role in developing the award-winning GRTC. Carla is the primary staff liaison for the Richmond EDA and manages Richmond's commercial tax abatement program. To residents and visitors alike, Carla recommends checking out the boutiques of Carytown and experiencing the Black History Museum.
Statia Gibson
Statia leads business recruitment and investment for Richmond Economic Development. She received a B.S. in real estate from Virginia Commonwealth University and is currently earning her master's in architectural history and historic preservation from the University of Virginia. She has deep experience in both commercial real estate and economic development after working for Colliers, the Greater Richmond Partnership, and CoStar Group. Statia loves her job because it allows her to leverage her passion for meeting new people and sharing her love of Richmond. When she's not working, you might catch Statia at Union Market in Church Hill, taking a break from renovating her 100-year-old rowhouse.
Christopher Morris
Though a native of San Angelo, TX, Christopher has lived in Richmond for most of his life. He received his B.S. in accounting from Norfolk State University and has 30 years of experience in accounting and financial management – more than two decades of service have been with the City of Richmond. Chris is responsible for the budget and financial management of the City of Richmond Planning and Economic Development portfolio. When not crunching numbers, Christopher often unwinds on the golf course or listens to live jazz at The Lion’s Den Cigar Lounge.
Jacquelyn Craft
Jacquelyn attended Albany State University, where she received a B.S. in management and an M.S. in public administration. She also attended Old Dominion University, earning an M.A. in urban studies. While living in Georgia, she assisted the City of Albany as Downtown Business Development Manager and HR Manager. Jacquelyn's professional experience includes small business development, real estate development, policy development, and marketing. Jacquelyn manages Richmond's business retention and expansion efforts. She also is skilled at building and maintaining community relationships with partner organizations. Jacquelyn began working for Richmond Economic Development in 2022 and has hit the ground running. When she isn't meeting with Richmond businesses, Jacquelyn enjoys exploring Richmond with her partner and three sons.
Sam Earl
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE & PROGRAM COMPLIANCE
804.646.4248
Sam.Earl@rva.gov
Sam attended James Madison University, where he graduated with a B.A. in anthropology and a minor in history. He also received his Master's in public administration from Virginia Tech and postgraduate certificate in data science and business analytics from the University of Texas at Austin. Sam served in the Research Division of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) for more than seven years, where he worked with many of the world's leading companies, including CoStar, Amazon, Microsoft, Volvo, Micron, and Lego. As our Senior Management Analyst, Sam manages incentive compliance, strategic plan implementation, and telling Richmond's rich story through data. He loves working with a team dedicated to making sure all of our communities have equal access to economic opportunities.
Tara Worden
RETAIL, TOURISM, & BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS
804.646.0723
Tara.Worden@rva.gov
Tara received her master's in urban planning from the University of Southern California and her B.A. in political science from the University of North Carolina Asheville. She worked for six years for the City of West Hollywood, California, where she served in the Long-Range Planning Division, concentrating on land use, zoning, and transportation policies, before transitioning to the Economic Development Department as the Business Development Analyst. In this role, she helped new businesses navigate the permit process, managed the Business Improvement Districts, and created new policies to help companies to thrive in the city. For Richmond, Tara supports business attraction, retention, and expansion activities and collaborates with business improvement districts, business associations, and tourism organizations to bolster the local economy. She loves working with a team dedicated to the success of the City, its businesses, and its people.
Robert Capellanti
Robert joins Richmond Economic Development after serving 5 years in dual roles as Director of Digital Marketing and Division Director of Marketing and Communications, at the Georgia Department of Economic Development in Atlanta. He has worked with domestic and international site selectors and business and industry leaders to promote new business investment, expansion of existing industry and small businesses, as well as locating new markets for Georgia products. Prior to his career in strategic integrated marketing in the economic development sector, Robert worked in marketing leadership roles at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Cox Media/Atlanta-Journal Constitution. He also has worked on global brands including Coca-Cola, Home Depot, Aflac and Porsche. Robert received his bachelor’s degree in public policy from West Virginia University.
Glenna Chung
Glenna Chung joins Richmond Economic Development as Senior Executive Assistant to Director Leonard Sledge. She brings 4 years of administrative leadership skills and over 8 years of sales/customer service knowledge. Glenna specializes in office and operational management, customer care, employee experience, branding, and event planning. Glenna attended Virginia Commonwealth University where she earned her B.S. in Marketing.
