Virginia’s unemployment rate has plunged 23% since January 2010, down to 5.6% in March 2012, and the private sector job-creators are driving that success.

Virginia is growing strong again. Through a bipartisan effort in Richmond, and the hard-work, innovation and dedication of the people of Virginia, our economy is recovering. There is a lot to celebrate in our Commonwealth.

With unemployment at over a 3-year low, agricultural exports at a record high, and thousands of Virginians working again, this is a great time to recognize all the great things happening in our tremendous Commonwealth. Virginians have written an incredible story; this ad tells it. Together, we are growing strong again.

Governor Bob McDonnell’s Opportunity Virginia PAC has released a second web video celebrating Virginia’s economic recovery and the private sector job-creators driving it. The latest web video profiles Kate Stottlemyer and her Short Pump based company Tweed. The video will be seen on various websites in the weeks ahead. Kate is one of the eight Virginia job-creators featured in the Opportunity Virginia television ad that is currently running on stations across the Commonwealth.  Opportunity Virginia released its first web-video yesterday, highlighting Rebecca Hough and her Wytheville-based company Evatran. You can watch that video here.

Virginia’s unemployment rate has plunged 23% since January 2010, down to 5.6% in March 2012, and the private sector job-creators are driving that success.

Virginia is growing strong again. Through a bipartisan effort in Richmond, and the hard-work, innovation and dedication of the people of Virginia, our economy is recovering. There is a lot to celebrate in our Commonwealth.

With unemployment at over a 3-year low, agricultural exports at a record high, and thousands of Virginians working again, this is a great time to recognize all the great things happening in our tremendous Commonwealth. Virginians have written an incredible story; this ad tells it. Together, we are growing strong again.
 
About Virginia Job-Creator Kate Stottlemyer:
Kate Stottlemyer is co-owner and store manager of Tweed, a retail shop that focuses on personalized and unique gifts. Kate, along with her business partners, her parents, decided to open Tweed in 2004. In addition to their Short Pump shop they also have an on-line store, http://www.tweedathome.com. A step into Kate’s Tweed is like a warm hug from the most gracious southern hostess. Building and running an independent family business has taken a lot of hard work. They are up against some pretty stiff competition out there but feel Virginia is a wonderful place to have a small business.

The proposed school, called Loudoun Math IT Academy, would serve about 575 sixth- through 12th-grade students, and is expected to be located near the intersection of Rt. 50 and Loudoun County Parkway in the southern end of the county, according to the charter application. If it is approved first by the Virginia Board of Education and then by Loudoun School Board—the school could open by fall 2013.

...Virginia claims only four public charter schools. However, there has been a recent surge in charter school applications in the state, according to Virginia Department of Education spokesperson Julie Grimes, which could be credited to an emphasis on charter schools by Gov. Bob McDonnell.
Two years ago, McDonnell signed a bill into law that increases the level of state support and guidance in the development of charter schools. It requires charter school applications to first gain approval from the Board of Education prior to submitting the application to the local school board. It also requires local school boards to establish a forum for public comment on charter school applications and requires school boards that deny an application to publicly post its reasons on its website.

From the Washington Post: Proposed Fairfax charter school wins state endorsement

The proposed Fairfax Leadership Academy moved one step closer to becoming Northern Virginia’s first charter school Thursday when it won unanimous endorsement from the Virginia Board of Education.

...‘The passion of the group putting this together and their strong commitment to transforming student lives is really compelling and is the kind of charter school application we’d like to see throughout the state,’ said board member Rob Krupicka.

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch: Carroll’s bid for full-time virtual school is approved

“Chesterfield (Public) Schools has a very robust online education program. We continue to enhance our course offerings,” said Shawn Smith, a spokesman for the system. “The action taken by the state Board of Education may provide additional opportunities from which our online education program could benefit.”

...“This can be transformative for how we provide access” to education, board member Billy K. Cannaday Jr. said as the board discussed the waiver request, which included a provision to make the waiver retroactive to include the current school year. “We don’t need to penalize them for trying to do something that’s really innovative.”

From the Virginian Pilot: State board approves Va. Beach STEM academy

The Virginia Board of Education unanimously approved the plan, bringing the number of Governor’s STEM Academies in the state to 11, including one in Suffolk. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math.

At Landstown, the three “career pathways” of engineering and technology, professional sales, and web and digital communications will be offered as advanced options within the school’s existing Technology Academy. Students living anywhere in Virginia Beach may apply.

...“Certainly, it’s valuable to have the governor’s stamp on anything we’re doing,” Black said.

Following the release of a new television ad from Governor Bob McDonnell’s Opportunity Virginia PAC that celebrates Virginia’s economic recovery and the private sector job-creators driving it, the PAC has unveiled a new web video profiling Rebecca Hough and her Wytheville-based company Evatran. The video will be seen on various websites in the weeks ahead. Rebecca is one of the eight Virginia job-creators featured in the Opportunity Virginia television ad that is currently running on stations across the Commonwealth.

Virginia’s unemployment rate has plunged 23% since January 2010, down to 5.6% in March 2012, and the private sector job-creators are driving that success.

Virginia is growing strong again. Through a bipartisan effort in Richmond, and the hard-work, innovation and dedication of the people of Virginia, our economy is recovering. There is a lot to celebrate in our Commonwealth.

With unemployment at over a 3-year low, agricultural exports at a record high, and thousands of Virginians working again, this is a great time to recognize all the great things happening in our tremendous Commonwealth. Virginians have written an incredible story; this ad tells it. Together, we are growing strong again.

About Virginia Job-Creator Rebecca Hough:

Rebecca Hough is co-founder and chief operating officer for Evatran, LLC in Wytheville, the developer of Plugless Power(TM) wireless charging systems for electric vehicles.
In this role, she is responsible for Business Development, Sales, and Engineering for the company. Since joining and helping establish the company in 2009, she has led the Evatran team in launching the brand into the market and in forming several key partnerships to help commercialize the Plugless Power system.

Following the news that Virginia’s unemployment rate has plunged 23% since January 2010, down to 5.6% in March 2012, Governor Bob McDonnell’s Opportunity Virginia PAC is releasing a new television ad celebrating the Virginia economic recovery,  and the private sector job-creators driving it. The positive ad will run in the weeks ahead in markets across the Commonwealth. The ad features Virginia job-creators from across the Commonwealth. More information about the Virginians in the ad can be found below.

Speaking about the ad, Governor Bob McDonnell remarked, “Virginia is growing strong again. Through a bipartisan effort in Richmond, and the hard-work, innovation and dedication of the people of Virginia, our economy is recovering. There is a lot to celebrate in our Commonwealth. This ad highlights some of the men and women driving this recovery, while noting all that has been accomplished over the past two years.
With unemployment at over a 3-year low, agricultural exports at a record high, and thousands of Virginians working again, this is a great time to recognize all the great things happening in our tremendous Commonwealth. Virginians have written an incredible story; this ad tells it. Together, we are growing strong again.”

Among the Virginia accomplishments highlighted in the :30 spot:

* Virginia’s unemployment rate has fallen to 5.6%. The lowest unemployment rate in over 3 years. It’s the lowest unemployment rate in over 3 years, lowest in the Southeast, and the third-lowest east of the Mississippi River.
* Virginia has been named by CNBC as America’s Top State for Business
* Virginia has been named by Pollina Corporate as America’s Best State for Business
* MoneyRates.com has named Virginia the best state in which to make a living
* Virginia agricultural exports hit a new record of $2.35 billion in 2011
* The transportation legislation passed by the General Assembly in 2011 was the largest investments in roads and rail made in Virginia in a generation. It is spurring work on 900 projects statewide
* The budget passed by the General Assembly will provide over $600 million in new funding for K-12 education in the state, which will be accompanied by policies introducing more innovation and accountability into the system
* Virginia will invest $230 million more into the state’s higher education system, driving down tuition and making college more affordable and accessible for Virginia students
* Two budget shortfalls totaling $6 billion have been turned into two budget surpluses of nearly $1 billion
* Taxes have not been raised in Virginia

The ad features and celebrates Virginia job-creators. You can learn more about them below.

Kate Stottlemyer is co-owner and store manager of Tweed, a retail shop that focuses on personalized and unique gifts. Kate, along with her business partners, her parents, decided to open Tweed in 2004. In addition to their Short Pump shop they also have an on-line store. A step into Kate’s Tweed is like a warm hug from the most gracious southern hostess. Building and running an independent family business has taken a lot of hard work. They are up against some pretty stiff competition out there but feel Virginia is a wonderful place to have a small business.

C. W. Haskins has been the Vice President of James River Air Conditioning, Inc. in Richmond for 20 years. The company was established in the Richmond community in 1967 and was built on an entrepreneurial spirit that provides world-class service with all the warmth, spirit and conviction of a locally owned and operated business.

The residential department specializes in home comfort systems and energy savings solutions while also providing plumbing and electrical services and serves Richmond and the surrounding counties.  The commercial department specializes in commercial comfort systems, building automation systems, and creative energy solutions, while also offering plumbing and electrical services and serves not only the Richmond Area, but areas such as Petersburg, Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, and Newport News.  They consider themselves fortunate to be located in Virginia, where they have been able to continue to grow the company and create jobs during a difficult national economic climate, while still providing the kind of customer service that makes their customers glad they called.

Shawn Boyer is CEO of Snag-a-Job in Glen Allen. Since founding the company in 1999 he has taken it from a start-up to the world’s only company totally devoted to fulfilling the dreams of hourly workers and those who employ them. In 2008, Shawn was named the nation’s Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

That same year, he also saw one of his most ambitious goals for the company come true when Snag-a-job was named a Best Small & Medium Company to Work for in America by the Great Place to Work Institute.

Rebecca Hough is co-founder and chief operating officer for Evatran, LLC in Wytheville, the developer of Plugless Power(TM) wireless charging systems for electric vehicles.
In this role, she is responsible for Business Development, Sales, and Engineering for the company. Since joining and helping establish the company in 2009, she has led the Evatran team in launching the brand into the market and in forming several key partnerships to help commercialize the Plugless Power system.

Jon Kain is the Operations Manager of Foley Material Handling/Virginia Crane in Ashland.  The company has pursued its goal of being the premier Crane and Monorail Systems designers and engineers on the East Coast since 1975. Today, with revenues in excess of $10 million, the Company continues to focus on leading the industry in crane and control design, always with the objective of providing its customers with products designed to fulfill the specific defined need and with the highest level quality available.

Kenneth S. Johnson Sr. is the founder of Johnson, Inc., a full-service advertising, marketing and public relations firm located in Richmond that specializes in marketing to African-American consumers and businesses. Under his leadership, the company provides corporate branding, print/radio/television advertising, collateral development, media planning and buying, market research and public relations, Web site development and Internet advertising. The firm has helped several Fortune 500 companies gain a significant share of the African-American market. It also has successfully guided clients in creating and developing strategies and tactics that enhance and improve clients’ images as responsible, effective and proactive organizations.

Marisa Andrews is Vice President at MicroTech, a seasoned Business Development professional with more than 15 years of experience in the area of Government Subcontracting.

MicroTech provides Cloud Computing Solutions, Technology Services, Systems Integration, Product Solutions, Unified Communications & Collaboration, and Social Media Analytics to the public sector, as well as Fortune 500 Companies - managing more than half-a-million tech users daily. A prime contractor on more than 100 Federal projects and 28 procurement vehicles, MicroTech offers access to over 2500 vendors and over a million tech products and services across the government.MicroTech was named the number one fastest-growing Hispanic-owned business in the nation in 2009, 2010, and 2011 by Hispanic Business.

Jay Taliaferro is the Manager of Montague Farms, Inc. in Essex County, a family owned operation that exports food grade soybeans and farms 4,000 acres of crops.
The export business contracts soybean production from local growers, processes the soybeans into shipping containers, and transports the containers to port. Their business is largely centered on the Japanese market. The farming operation produces corn, soybeans (for use in their exports), wheat, and barley. Now, with modern plant breeding technology they are able to respond to changing consumer demands by developing new varieties that meet the needs of the marketplace.

Virginia’s unemployment rate has plunged 23% since January 2010, down to 5.6% in March 2012, and the private sector job-creators are driving that success.

Virginia is growing strong again. Through a bipartisan effort in Richmond, and the hard-work, innovation and dedication of the people of Virginia, our economy is recovering. There is a lot to celebrate in our Commonwealth.

With unemployment at over a 3-year low, agricultural exports at a record high, and thousands of Virginians working again, this is a great time to recognize all the great things happening in our tremendous Commonwealth. Virginians have written an incredible story; this ad tells it. Together, we are growing strong again.

Our unemployment rate is down 23% since Governor McDonnell took office!

119,000 net new jobs have been added in that same period.

The Washington Examiner reported:

Virginia posted its fourth straight month of shrinking unemployment, while Maryland’s jobless rate inched up as the number of people unable to find employment increased in March.

The 5.6 unemployment rate in the Old Dominion represented the lowest share of jobless claims there in more than three years, ushering in cautious optimism from Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell about the state’s economic standing.

Today we received more encouraging news. The Virginia Employment Commission found that Virginia’s job creation in 2011 was better than previously announced.

The Associated Press wrote:

“Virginia saw stronger job growth in 2011 than first estimated, with eight of the state’s industrial sectors adding jobs last year….

….Virginia industrial sectors adding jobs last year were: professional and business services, private education and health services, trade and transportation, leisure and hospitality, government, finance, miscellaneous services and mining. Most of the job gains were in professional and business services, which added 12,200 jobs, or 1.9 percent…….All but one of Virginia’s 10 metropolitan areas added jobs in 2011.”

Virginia is growing strong again. It is thanks to the hard work of all Virginians, coming together across party and regional lines to get things done and get our economy back on track and Virginians back to work. Thank you for all that you are doing to make this recovery possible. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us before there will be good work for all of us, but we’re making great progress.

Please pass this great news on to your friends, family and neighbors, and thank you for your continued support!

• On March 12^th came word that New corporate facilities and expansions in Virginia increased by 44% in 2011
• On March 13^th we learned that the state unemployment rate has fallen to 5.8%, the lowest rate in 3 years, and agricultural exports hit a record high in 2011 of $2.35 billion. Up 6% from 2010
• On March 14^th it was announced that state revenues jumped up by 17.2% for the month of February

And just today MoneyRates.com named Virginia the top state in America in which to earn a living. Virginia moved up from fourth place in last year’s rankings.

Unemployment down. Job-creation, exports, corporate expansions, and quality of life up.  That’s the result of a bipartisan commitment to getting results for Virginia.

Please pass on this great news to your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers. The positive announcements of the last 8 days demonstrate that, together, we are building a true “Commonwealth of Opportunity” for all Virginians.

Sincerely,

Bob McDonnell
Governor of Virginia

It is down an impressive 1.4% since the Governor’s first full month in office and Virginia has the lowest unemployment rate in the Southeast. It’s evident that Governor Bob McDonnell’s unrelenting focus on the economy, and his pro-job creation policies, are working. As we all know: Bob’s for Jobs. And more Virginians are working today because of his leadership, policies and focus.

The Governor spoke about today’s positive jobs news while touring Richmond-area employer James River Air Conditioning with Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling this morning.

The Virginian-Pilot reported:

The governor also mentioned economic incentives he’s championed to spur job creation and his focus on foreign trade as factors that contributed to the state’s improving employment picture.

James Koch, an economist and former president at Old Dominion University, said McDonnell was right in focusing on the seasonally adjusted number and echoed the governor’s cheer. “It’s definitely good news,” Koch said, “and one hopes it continues.” 

 After the release of this tremendous news, the Republican Party of Virginia put out this video demonstrating the incredible economic progress Virginia has made under Governor Bob McDonnell, and having a little fun contrasting that progress with some of the non-factual, partisan rhetoric we always hear from certain quarters. Trust me, you’ll want to see this!

Governor Bob McDonnell is getting results and today’s numbers speak for themselves. Virginia’s economy is growing and more Virginians are working again. Please, pass this great news on to your friends, family and neighbors, and thank you, as always, for your great support and partnership in the ongoing effort to make this a true “Commonwealth of Opportunity” for all Virginians