GO VIRGINIA REGION 3

In 2020, the Cooper Center and GoVirginia Region 3 (Southern Virginia) formalized a new partnership to advance economic development in Southern Virginia by expanding resources and collaborative efforts across the region. The Cooper Center will bring its strengths in research, leadership development, and policy and economic analysis to the partnership. Larry Terry, Executive Director of the Cooper Center, believes the partnership is an opportunity to “create something new of great public value” — one that makes a measurable impact in the region and promotes accessibility to critical resources and partnerships. Increasing communication across the region to discover needs and opportunities for growth and connecting those to the Cooper Center resources is at the heart of what Region 3 council member, Charlie Majors would like to see: “Here’s a chance to really show others what true collaboration is.”

VIRGINIA LOCAL GOVERNMENT MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION

Our partnership with the Virginia Local Government Management Association (VLGMA) is based on a shared commitment to support local government leaders. In addition to providing staff support for VLGMA boards and committees, VIG also helps to plan and organize VLGMA’s two annual conferences, maintains the VLGMA web-site and edits and publishes the VLGMA newsletter.

WOMEN LEADING GOVERNMENT (VIRGINIA CHAPTER)

In 2019, local government senior executives established a Virginia chapter of the National organization, Women Leading Government, with the goal of increasing the number of women chief administrators. The number of women executives in local government is only 8%, lower than the national average. VIG is partnering with Virginia Women Leading Government to help move the needle on the number of women executives in government offices in Virginia.