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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEDAAgenda2026June11Economic Development Authority Thursday, June 11, 2026 @ 8:00 a.m. Frederick County Administration Building - First Floor Conference Room 107 N. Kent St. Winchester, VA 22601 1.Call to Order 2.Approval of Minutes || ACTION Review and approval of minutes from previous meetings. 3.Treasurer’s Report || ACTION Review and approval of latest Treasurer’s Reports. 4.Election of Chair and Vice Chair || ACTION Discussion of nominations for the Chair and Vice Chair positions, followed by the election of officers to reflect recent changes in board membership. 5.Budget Restructure Review || ACTION Discussion and approval of the restructured EDA budget, aligning with the new EDA strategic direction. 6.EDA Director Search || INFORMATION Update on the process and timeline for the EDA director search. 7.Virginia Business Ready Sites Program || INFORMATION Update on grant awards and submissions for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership’s Virginia Business Ready Sites Program. 8.Agricultural Support Update || INFORMATION Update on conversations related to future agricultural support. 9.EDA August Meeting || INFORMATION Update on hosting of the EDA’s August meeting at Winchester Regional Airport. 10.Other Business Any additional matters brought before the Authority MINUTES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY | THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2026 | A meeting of the Frederick County Economic Development Authority was held on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. in the County Administration Building, 1st Floor Conference Room, 107 N. Kent Street, Winchester, Virginia. PRESENT: Jason Aikens, Bryan Fairbanks, Diane Kearns, Christine Kriz, Gary Lofton, Tina Murphy, and Doug Rinker. STAFF: Wendy May and Shayla Rickard, Frederick County Economic Development Authority; Jay Tibbs, Deputy County Administrator; and Michael Bryan, EDA Attorney. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER: Bryan Fairbanks, Acting Chair, called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. The board unanimously approved remote participation for Gary Lofton due to medical reasons. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes of the February 5, 2026, and April 2, 2026, meetings were presented. On motion duly made by Mr. Aikens and seconded by Ms. Murphy, the minutes were approved as presented by the following recorded vote: Jason Aikens Aye Bryan Fairbanks Aye Diane Kearns Aye Christine Kriz Aye Gary Lofton Aye Tina Murphy Aye Doug Rinker Abstain (new board member) TREASURER’S REPORTS Ms. May submitted the following reports: Checking Account – Bank of Clarke as of January 31, 2026 - $2,370.22 Intrafi Account – Bank of Clarke as of January 31, 2026 - $3,359,113.79 Checking Account – Bank of Clarke as of February 28, 2026 - $1,956.22 Intrafi Account – Bank of Clarke as of February 28, 2026 - $3,365,923.26 -2 - Checking Account – Bank of Clarke as of March 31, 2026 - $126,956.22 Intrafi Account – Bank of Clarke as of March 31, 2026 - $3,248,360.76 On motion of Mr. Aikens, seconded by Ms. Kriz, the Treasurer’s Reports were approved by the following recorded vote: Jason Aikens Aye Bryan Fairbanks Aye Diane Kearns Aye Christine Kriz Aye Gary Lofton Aye Tina Murphy Aye Doug Rinker Aye INDUSTRIAL SITES IDENTIFICATION Ms. May presented an opportunity to participate in the Shenandoah Valley Industrial Sites Identification Study with the Shenandoah Valley Partnership. The project’s scope includes identifying potential industrial development sites within participating localities by reviewing zoning information and comprehensive plans to identify individual sites or clusters of sites totaling at least 250 acres. The study supports guidance from the Frederick County Board of Supervisors to increase availability of shovel-ready sites in Frederick County for business development purposes. The Shenandoah Valley Partnership will seek a GO Virginia grant to assist with the costs of the study, with each participating locality bearing an estimated $3,000 cost. Mr. Fairbanks asked Ms. May to share previous efforts to identify land bays. Ms. May responded that there were efforts to do so previously internally. Ms. Kearns shared that there was a rubric utilized to rank potential properties. Mr. Aikens supported moving forward and asked about the potential to include smaller areas, e.g. less than 250 acres. Ms. May responded that the option exists to ask for altered parameters for the study and that she would inquire. Mr. Aikens shared that even if there is an additional cost, it is something the EDA could consider. On motion of Doug Rinker, seconded by Diane Kearns, participation in the study was authorized by the following recorded vote: Jason Aikens Aye Bryan Fairbanks Aye Diane Kearns Aye Christine Kriz Aye Gary Lofton Aye -3 - Tina Murphy Aye Doug Rinker Aye OVERVIEW OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES Ms. May and Ms. Rickard provided an overview of types of business development processes the EDA typically sees, ranging from smaller, entrepreneurial businesses, to large-scale projects through site consultants. EDA STRATEGY UPDATE Mr. Fairbanks shared that each EDA board member had been contacted to discuss the Frederick County Board of Supervisors’ newly adopted strategic vision for the EDA. Mr. Aikens went through each of the eight pillars of the plan and shared that the EDA would now take the lead on identifying the action plan to move those items forward. The eight pillars are as follows: •Pillar 1: Alignment and Governance - Establish formal BOS-directed strategic direction. Monthly anonymized pipeline reports to EDA Board and BOS. Bi-annual BOS alignment work sessions. Director recruitment with direct BOS input. •Pillar 2: Unified County Decree - Formalize cross-department coordination across Tourism, Airport, Frederick Water, Service Authority, Building, and Planning. EDA/Tourism/Airport leads serve as non-voting cross-board members. Prioritize Virginia Inland Port and rail infrastructure relationships. •Pillar 3: Site Readiness - Establish $250k PPP Site Investment Reserve. Identify 200–400 acre land tracts in collaboration with the 2026 Comprehensive Plan. Pursue 2–3 VEDP- backed PPP agreements. Reduce rezoning timeline from 18 to 9 months. •Pillar 4: Targeted Industry Strategy - Focus proactive recruitment on advanced manufacturing, information technology, aerospace, and corporate services with emerging tech overlays (AI, clean energy). Deprioritize warehousing. Shift agri-tourism support to Tourism/SBDC. •Pillar 5: Workforce Development - EDA serves as lead communications conduit between industry and education partners: Laurel Ridge, Shenandoah University, FCPS, Dowell J. Howard CTC, and the Shihadeh Innovation Center. Maximize Fast Forward utilization before June 2026 expiration. Transfer Widget Cup and Worlds of Work to FCPS. •Pillar 6: Communications & Engagement - Launch countywide Communications Department replacing fragmented PIO model. Execute EDA marketing refresh. Host a formal stakeholder summit for commercial real estate, developers, and major employers to communicate the EDA 2.0 transformation. -4 - •Pillar 7: Operational Refocus - Restructure budget into $525k core operations + $250k PPP Reserve. Transfer marketing, tourism, and program functions. Consolidate websites. 80% of staff time directed to site development, industry recruitment, workforce, and retention. •Pillar 8: Regional Partnerships & Retention - 52+ employer contacts per year. Partner on Northern Virginia manufacturing and transportation clusters and Region 8 Go Virginia. Evaluate Northern Shenandoah Valley Coalition role and bring recommendation to Board Ms. Kearns supported further discovery related to agriculture support and where that would best lie within the County given the number of departments connected to the industry. Mr. Fairbanks asked Ms. May to connect with the County Administrator to discuss this and report back. Ms. Murphy asked about how we could ensure accountability for programs being transferred outside of the EDA. Ms. May and Ms. Rickard discussed the evolution of workforce development support within the region and that they were confident partners would shepherd the programs forward. Ms. May shared that the FredCo Eats brand was built as an umbrella brand, non-reliant on any one person or organization for its success, and that efforts would be made to ensure its success moving forward. SUCH OTHER BUSINESS AS MAY COME BEFORE THIS AUTHORITY Mr. Fairbanks and Ms. May will connect with Winchester Regional Airport to discuss the potential of holding an upcoming EDA Board meeting at the airport this summer. Ms. May shared that the June EDA Board meeting will be moved from June 4 to June 11. The July 2 meeting will be held as scheduled. Mr. Aikens shared that the search for a new EDA Director would begin soon. With the resignation of Mr. Till, Mr. Fairbanks is serving as the acting Chair. Mr. Fairbanks shared that he would discuss Chair and Vice-Chair opportunities with each board member prior to the next meeting to determine interest in serving. New elections will be held at the June 11 meeting. ADJOURN There being no further business to come before this Authority, the meeting was adjourned at 9:20 a.m. - 5 - ________________________________ ____________________________ Bryan Fairbanks Jay Tibbs Acting Chairman Secretary TREASURER'S REPORT SYNOPSIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY April 30, 2026 BANK OF CLARKE COUNTY Beginning Bank Statement Balance - as of March 31, 2026 $126,956.22 Total Deposits $10,000.00 Total Disbursements -$123,741.50 BANK STATEMENT BALANCE AS OF April 30, 2026 $13,214.72 BANK OF CLARKE - INTRAFI ACCOUNT Beginning Bank Statement Balance - as of March 31, 2026 $3,248,360.76 Total Deposits $7,039.11 Total Disbursements -$10,000.00 BANK STATEMENT BALANCE AS OF April 30, 2026 $3,245,399.87 TREASURER'S REPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY March 31, 2026 BANK OF CLARKE COUNTY Beginning Bank Statement Balance - as of March 31, 2026 $126,956.22 Deposits 3/19/2026 Transfer from IntraFi $10,000.00 TOTAL DEPOSITS $10,000.00 Disbursements 1649 3/19/2026 Laurel Ridge Community College -$120,464.00 1650 3/19/2026 Michael L. Bryan (Legal Fees) -$1,173.00 1651 4/8/2026 Michael L. Bryan (Legal Fees) -$2,104.50 TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS -$123,741.50 BANK STATEMENT BALANCE AS OF April 30, 2026 $13,214.72 TREASURER'S REPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY March 31, 2026 BANK OF CLARKE - INTRAFI ACCOUNT Beginning Bank Statement Balance - as of March 31, 2026 $3,248,360.76 Deposits 4/30/2026 Interest $7,039.11 TOTAL DEPOSITS $7,039.11 Disbursements 4/8/2026 Transfer to Bank of Clarke Checking -$10,000.00 TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS -$10,000.00 BANK STATEMENT BALANCE AS OF April 30, 2026 $3,245,399.87 ** $1,907,000 represents proceeds from the sale of the Robinson School properties. DATE: May 27, 2026 TO: Board of Directors Frederick County Economic Development Authority FROM: Wendy May, CEcD Interim Director CC: Jay Tibbs Deputy County Administrator RE: Election of Chair and Vice Chair The EDA needs to elect a Chair and Vice Chair to reflect recent changes to EDA board membership. Bryan Fairbanks, who was previously elected as Vice Chair, is currently serving as Chair. Jay Tibbs will continue in his role as Secretary/Treasurer. Article 3 of the EDA Bylaws outlines the roles and responsibilities of the Chair and Vice Chair: • Chair: The Chair presides over all Authority meetings; ensures required notice of meetings is provided to Directors and officers; oversees official correspondence; makes committee appointments; may appoint Authority members as liaisons to other governmental entities; serves as an authorized signatory when permitted; and performs other duties inherent to the office or assigned by the Board of Directors. • Vice Chair: The Vice Chair assumes all powers and duties of the Chair in the Chair’s absence. If the Chair position becomes vacant, the Vice Chair immediately succeeds to the role of Chair. DATE: May 27, 2026 TO: Board of Directors Frederick County Economic Development Authority FROM: Wendy May, CEcD Interim Director CC: Jay Tibbs Deputy County Administrator RE: Budget Restructure Review The EDA is currently restructuring its budget to align with the new direction set forth by the Frederick County Board of Supervisors in the EDA 2.0 Strategic Plan. This work supports the action items identified in Pillar 7 – Operational Refocus. The objective is to establish a budget that clearly distinguishes core operational funding from investment capital. Under the proposed structure: •A total of $525,000 dedicated to core operations, including staff, business development, workforce development, and business retention. •An additional $250,000 allocated exclusively for site-readiness initiatives through a Public‑ Private Partnership Site Investment Reserve. This approach ensures that operational needs are fully supported while also positioning the EDA to proactively advance site development opportunities in partnership with the private sector. DATE: May 27, 2026 TO: Board of Directors Frederick County Economic Development Authority FROM: Wendy May, CEcD Interim Director CC: Jay Tibbs Deputy County Administrator RE: EDA Director Search Frederick County, led by its Human Resources Department, is seeking a dynamic Economic Development Director to lead the County’s economic growth strategy and drive business expansion, tax base growth, and high-quality job creation. This highly visible leadership role oversees strategic initiatives in Site Readiness, Business Development, and Workforce Readiness, and builds strong partnerships with developers, businesses, and community stakeholders to turn opportunities into impactful projects. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: •Lead Frederick County’s economic development strategy, including long-range planning to support business growth, investment attraction, tax base expansion, and high-quality job creation. •Oversee the inventory, assessment, and advancement of commercial and industrial sites, with a focus on site readiness, infrastructure coordination, and accelerating speed-to-market. •Establish and manage public-private partnerships (P3s) to support site development and infrastructure improvements, while negotiating development agreements and incentive packages. •Serve as the primary liaison between developers, property owners, brokers, and County departments (planning, engineering, utilities) to streamline development processes. •Execute proactive business recruitment, retention, and expansion strategies, including direct engagement with site selectors, corporate executives, and local employers. •Manage inbound inquiries, RFP responses, prospect tours, and project pipeline activity while promoting Frederick County as a competitive investment location. -2 - •Collaborate with educational institutions, workforce partners, and regional organizations to align talent development with employer needs. •Maintain a highly visible presence in the business and development community through active engagement with industry partners, civic organizations, and regional economic development stakeholders. •Build and maintain strong partnerships with organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, Winchester Regional Airport, Small Business Development Center, and the Winchester- Frederick County Convention and Visitors Bureau. •Provide regular reporting to County Administration, the EDA Board, and the Board of Supervisors on project pipeline activity, BRE efforts, and site readiness status. •Manage all administrative aspects of the department, including personnel, budgeting, and County processes. The position was listed May 26, 2026, and will remain open until filled. DATE: TO: FROM: CC: RE: May 27, 2026 Board of Directors Frederick County Economic Development Authority Wendy May, CEcD Interim Director Jay Tibbs Deputy County Administrator Virginia Business Ready Sites Program The Virginia Business Ready Sites Program (VBRSP) Project Review and Funding Approval Committees have recommended One Logistics Park Phase B in Frederick County to receive a VBRSP Accelerated Site Characterization Grant FY26 in the amount of $250,000. VBRSP is managed by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP). The award will reimburse funding up to $250,000 upon receipt of Market Demand Study Completion, Geotechnical Study, Boundary and Topographic Survey, Utility As-Built Survey, Traffic Impact Assessment, Preliminary Engineering Report, Power Study, Utility Routing Plan and Roadway Design. This award requires executed performance agreements between the EDA and VEDP as well as between the EDA and One Logistics. After negotiation and approval by EDA counsel, VEDP counsel, and One Logistics counsel, the agreements will be presented to the EDA Board for approval. Additionally, the EDA is submitting two sites for consideration of a Site Development grant through the same program. DATE: May 27, 2026 TO: Board of Directors Frederick County Economic Development Authority FROM: Wendy May, CEcD Interim Director CC: Jay Tibbs Deputy County Administrator RE: Agricultural Support Update As part of the EDA 2.0 Strategic Plan, staff efforts will be concentrated on the Authority’s core target industry sectors: advanced manufacturing, aerospace, corporate services, information technology, and the expansion of existing Frederick County businesses. Agricultural and agritourism support will be delivered through our economic development partners—the Laurel Ridge Small Business Development Center and the Winchester–Frederick County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Frederick County’s Planning and Development Department will maintain responsibility for land-use initiatives that preserve open space and rural lands, including administration of the Conservation Easement Authority and the Transfer of Development Rights program. The EDA’s updated strategic direction emphasizes collaboration to ensure all partners are operating to their strengths. While primary agricultural support functions will shift to partner organizations, the EDA will continue serving as a convener for businesses seeking to grow or expand in Frederick County. This includes coordinating with the Virginia Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services to pursue potential financial support through the Agricultural and Forestry Industrial Development grant program. DATE: May 27, 2026 TO: Board of Directors Frederick County Economic Development Authority FROM: Wendy May, CEcD Interim Director CC: Jay Tibbs Deputy County Administrator RE: August EDA Board Meeting The EDA’s August meeting will be hosted at the Winchester Regional Airport (OKV). Nick Sabo, Executive Director, will provide an overview of current and emerging economic development opportunities at the Airport, followed by an optional guided tour. Strengthening the EDA’s alignment with OKV remains a priority as we continue to support regional competitiveness and pursue strategic opportunities tied to aviation-related growth.