Jeffrey L. Smith joins Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development as Business Development Manager

March 11, 2013

Jeffrey L. Smith has joined the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development as a business development manager. His primary responsibilities include managing the Department’s small business and entrepreneur programs, working with Small, Woman and Minority-owned businesses (SWaM) and Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) certified companies, and attracting more investment by minority-owned businesses to Virginia Beach.

Smith brings more than 20 years of public and private-sector experience to Virginia Beach, including 11 years with Xerox Corporation in Washington D.C., and 10 years with the City of Norfolk. He is a 1987 graduate of Norfolk State University and received a master’s degree in human resource management from American University. Smith is also a 2002 graduate of the Weldon Cooper Center’s Lead Executive Training Program.

“We’re thrilled to have Jeff join the Virginia Beach Economic Development team,” said Warren D. Harris, Economic Development director. “His extensive experience working with both large corporations and small entrepreneurial enterprises enhances the abilities of this office to grow our business community.”

The mission of the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development is to attract and retain national and international business and industry that results in the creation of new capital investment and jobs that increase the per capita income in the community. The City of Virginia Beach is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Virginia with a population of 434,000 and is the 39th largest city in the United States. The City of Virginia Beach is recognized as the best run cities in America, by 24/7 Wall Street in 2012, and in 2011, Virginia Beach ranked number one for economic growth potential by Business Facilities. In 2012, the Department of Economic Development received re-accreditation through the International Economic Development Council, one of only 29 economic development organizations in the world to have this recognition. In 2011, the Department won an Award of Excellence for its marketing efforts from the International Economic Development Council. For more information, visit www.yesvirginiabeach.com.