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Go Virginia Region 2 outlines $1.5M annual funds, asks local input on growth plan
Summary
Biff Johnson, a Region 2 council member, briefed the Amherst County Board on Go Virginia funding priorities, target industry clusters and how Amherst County projects have used Region 2 funds, and encouraged local officials and economic development partners to supply input for the 2025 growth and diversification plan update.
Biff Johnson, a member of the Go Virginia Region 2 council and an Amherst County resident, briefed the Amherst County Board of Supervisors on Region 2 programs and funding on April (date not specified). Johnson said Region 2 receives $1.5 million annually, with $250,000 reserved for planning grants, to support projects that create higher‑wage jobs through collaboration among business, education and government.
Johnson said the council uses a regionwide growth and diversification plan to prioritize funding and is updating that plan for 2025. He listed public input meetings planned around the region and invited county economic development staff and local education partners to participate. The council’s target industry clusters for the region are life sciences and biotechnology, IT/engineering and emerging technology, transportation and autonomous technologies, and materials and machinery manufacturing; Johnson said these sectors have higher average hourly wages compared with the regional average.
Johnson reviewed Region 2 impact metrics through December 2024: 53 funded projects, $16.2 million in Go Virginia funding and $17.9 million in matching funds, projects that created or filled 831 jobs and resulted in 1,881 credentials. He then summarized Amherst County’s share: 15 funded projects, $4.1 million in Go Virginia funds, $5.1 million in matching funds, 161 jobs created or filled and 1,331 credentials awarded (Johnson noted some credentials were earned through regionwide programs such as the Central Virginia CTE Academy).
Council members and board supervisors discussed how Go Virginia projects connect with K‑12 CTE programs and local higher‑education partners, including Central Virginia Community College, Randolph College, Liberty University and Sweet Briar College. Johnson and staff said many projects include workforce development components and that outcomes tracking remains a work in progress; he encouraged local officials to propose projects and submit applications for funding.
Board members thanked Johnson and his staff and asked staff to help spread notice of planning sessions.
