Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable

GO VA Region 5 Council Welcomes New Members
Norfolk, Virginia — The GO VA Region 5 Council is pleased to announce the appointment of the following new members, effective July 1, 2025:

Mr. Paul Nolde, Executive Director, 757 Collab
Ms. Jennifer Smith-Brown, President, Owner, Operator, J. Smith McDonalds
Mr. Rob Shuford, President, Old Point National Bank

In addition, current Chair, Thomas Frantz has been reappointed as Chair and Lynn P. Taylor, CPA, President of Zel Technologies, LLC, was reappointed as Vice Chair.
“We are excited to welcome these accomplished leaders to join the GO VA Region 5 Council, “ said Thomas Frantz, Chair. “Their regional insight and professional expertise will strengthen our efforts to drive strategic economic growth and innovation.”

GO (Growth and Opportunity) Virginia is an innovative economic development initiative that provides project-based incentives to encourage collaboration between private industry, higher education, and local government in each region to produce results that grow and diversify the regional economies and ultimately the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“We congratulate our new Council members for their nomination and look forward to their contributions as we continue to build a stronger and more resilient regional economy,” said Nancy L. Grden, President & CEO, Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable.

The nine GO VA Regional Councils are responsible for identifying economic opportunities, needs and challenges, and establishing priorities among those opportunities that can be addressed through regional collaboration. These opportunities and priorities are laid out in an Economic Growth and Diversification Plan updated every two years. Additionally, the Regional Councils are responsible for soliciting, reviewing, and recommending regional projects to the GO Virginia State Board for funding that align with these priorities. GO Virginia Region 5 is comprised of 16 cities and counties located in Hampton Roads and Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

About Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable
The Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable’s mission is to improve the trajectory of the region’s economic growth and competitiveness, incorporate innovation and entrepreneurship into the economic base, establish economic development and innovation strategy in an equitable manner, and provide strategic leadership through collaboration for the region’s economic future. The Roundtable also serves as the support organization for Region 5 of Virginia’s innovative GO (Growth & Opportunity) Virginia program. Visit website here.

We were happy to participate in this meeting with leaders of the military community around Hampton Roads, and we look forward to continuing our work to improve the lives of sailors within the region.

Discover the economic strides made in Region 5 during 2024, from new facilities and regional airspace advancements to growth in the Port of Virginia and innovative drone operations. Swipe through to see how our region is evolving and leading in various industries.

https://ecs.page.link/8Woia