“The Voice of Port Industries”
Volume 87 No. 2
Febuary 2023
@VAmaritime
VMA HOLDS ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL PORT DAY On February 9th, the VMA continued to advocate for Virginia’s maritime supply chain during the 2023 Session in Richmond, Virginia. On February 9th, “Port Day” commenced when seventy VMA members, divided into twenty different teams, visited over eighty elected officials to discuss the issues most relevant to Virginia’s maritime & supply chain industries. Representing all VMA Chapter regions and a wide range of industry sectors, the VMA delegation advocated for the support of several budget amendments and proposed bills that would further protect, promote, and encourage commerce through Virginia’s ports and associated supply chains. After the visits, the VMA delegation had the opportunity to hear from Attorney General Jason Miyares during “Port Day’s” concluding luncheon. Regarding specific items advocated for, several examples include funding: •Site Development Programs that would help identify the Commonwealth’s current portfolio of industrial properties available for economic development projects. •Workforce Development Programs that would provide no-cost training and recruitment services to select companies expanding in the Commonwealth, as well as encourage and support work-related collaboration among businesses, educational organizations, and governmental bodies in each region’s prioritized industry sector. The VMA also focused on several legislative items, to include: •Creating a Department of Workforce Development & Advancement to consolidate and improve how the Commonwealth delivers workforce development programs. We are currently monitoring this legislation to ensure it meets the needs of our member companies. •Amending the Virginia Business Ready Sites Program to increase the number of eligible sites by changing the minimum acreage requirements from one hundred acres to fifty acres.
•Amending the Transportation Partnership Opportunity Fund to allow more flexibility to fund the transportation infrastructure needed to support major economic development projects. •Requiring that localities consider freight transportation corridors in their comprehensive planning. •Supporting the development of offshore wind and the associated opportunities to expand and further diversify Virginia’s robust maritime industry. •The conversion of port tax credits to grants to improve utilization. As demonstrated in several of the previously mentioned budget amendments and proposed bills the VMA supported, Workforce Development continues to be a front-and-center priority for the Association. “The single most common concern we hear today from our over 450 member companies in maritime industries and port-related supply chains are about their ability to find enough people who possess the skills, training, and education they need to keep their businesses growing. Now is the time for new results-oriented approaches to preparing and matching people to well-paying and rewarding jobs that need to be filled in our industry and in other sectors of our economy. The Virginia Maritime Association looks forward to collaborating with Governor Youngkin and the General Assembly to ensure the commonwealth’s workforce programs are aligned with the needs of our member businesses so we can keep Virginia’s economy moving forward and outperform our competition,” said David White, Executive Director of the Association. The 2023 Session of the General Assembly is adjourned on February 25th, and the VMA team will provide further updates as they develop. If you have further questions on the VMA’s Legislative Priorities for 2023, please do not hesitate to ask.
•The creation of the Virginia Business Ready Sites Acquisition Fund & Program. •Amending the Transportation Partnership Opportunity Fund to allow more flexibility to fund the transportation infrastructure needed to support major economic development projects.
INSIDE THIS EDITION h VMA Port Day (1)
h VIP Powered By Clean Energy (3)
h Ports Focus on Sustainability Earns Environmental Awards (2)
h Port Continues Progress On Sustainability Goal (3)
h Construction of new Submarine facility in Newport News (4) h Committees (6)
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