DEVELOPING: Arlington’s Top Economic Development Official Poached by Fairfax County

(Updated at 2:30 p.m.) Victor Hoskins, the head of Arlington Economic Development who helped Arlington woo Amazon and its HQ2 to the county, is leaving for a job with Fairfax County.

The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority announced today that Hoskins will be its new president and CEO, replacing its now-retired longtime leader, Gerry Gordon. FCEDA is one of the largest economic development agencies in the country, with six global satellite offices.

Hoskin’s departure is seen as a major loss for Arlington, at a crucial time for the county with Amazon moving in and another key economic development official, Christina Winn, recently departing for the top economic job with Prince William County.

“We wish Victor well,” Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz said in a statement to ARLnow. “He has been a great leader and we know that he will continue to be a force for great regional collaboration.”

Schwartz says the county may announce an interim director for AED later this week.

Great news for @fairfaxcounty & Northern Va today — Victor Hoskins has been appointed prez/CEO of @FairfaxEDA. A key player in Va's successful HQ2 bid, he is smart, savvy, innovative, collaborative, & highly experienced. I can’t imagine a better pick. @VirginiaEDA @NOVAChamber pic.twitter.com/UPFDgZhVLm

— Stephen Moret (@StephenMoret) July 8, 2019

More from an FCEDA press release, after the jump.

The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) has named Victor Hoskins as its new president and chief executive officer. Hoskins is currently Director of Economic Development for Arlington County, Virginia, where he helped lead the successful regional effort to bring Amazon’s HQ2 to Northern Virginia. He previously served as Deputy Mayor of Planning and Economic Development for the District of Columbia where he was instrumental in the development of major sites in the District including City Center, the Wharf and Union Market.

The FCEDA helps businesses start, expand and relocate in Fairfax County by promoting the county as one of the world’s best business locations. Fairfax County already is home to 10 Fortune 500 companies, more than 100 companies on the Inc. 5000 list and 8,800 tech companies. It also has one of the nation’s most educated workforces with top-ranked schools and nearly 150,000 technology workers, or one in four jobs in the county. Hoskins will assume his new role August 5.

“Victor has been an economic-development dynamo in our region for years. We are thrilled he is bringing his experience and expertise to Fairfax County,” said Catherine Lange, Chair of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority Board. “After an extensive search, Fairfax County found the right leader in our own backyard. Victor will be a tremendous asset as we launch new initiatives to strengthen and broaden our workforce and grow our commercial enterprises. With his energy and wide-ranging contacts, Victor will step up our efforts to attract and retain top talent and increase business investment in Fairfax County.”

Hoskins said he is eager to start his new job. “I couldn’t be more excited to join the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority as its new leader,” Hoskins said. “Fairfax County is well known for its pro-growth environment and its ability to attract, train and retain talented workers. With the backing of FCEDA’s excellent staff, I hope to do more of that with increased outreach in the U.S. and abroad, especially among young people. As always, I hope to work closely with my colleagues and friends in the region. I also plan to increase our use of research and digital communications to expand the county’s dynamic workforce, attract startups and grow existing businesses.”

The FCEDA recently announced a new talent attraction and retention program to build on opportunities created by Amazon’s HQ2 in Northern Virginia. The program, which will receive $1 million in its first year and $800,000 in succeeding years, will study what organizations are doing to expand the talent pipeline and will use that knowledge to create a communications effort that will include digital advertising, social media, video/multimedia and outreach to journalists.

Stephen Moret, president and CEO of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, said Hoskins will bring innovation and cooperation to his new role. “Victor will bring a uniquely compelling mix of experience, savvy and collaborative spirit to the FCEDA,” Moret said. “He has a deep understanding of all the elements of economic development and how they interact. Both innovative and practical, Victor energetically cultivates local, regional and state partnerships that enable collective success, just as he did in helping attract HQ2 to Virginia.”

“Fairfax County is proud to have one of the best workforces and business environments in the U.S.,” said Sharon Bulova, Chair of the Fairfax Board of Supervisors. “Under Victor’s leadership, we will make sure Fairfax County is a place where talent and innovation want to be. We enthusiastically welcome Victor to the Fairfax team.”

During his career, Hoskins’ work has resulted in the creation of nearly 375,000 jobs. He has led teams that negotiated more than 700 major business deals resulting in billions of dollars in private investment. Amazon’s move to Northern Virginia alone will bring more than 25,000 high tech jobs to the region and will generate at least $3.2 billion for Virginia.

Hoskins will succeed Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., who retired in late 2018 after being with the FCEDA for 35 years and its president and CEO since 1987. Hoskins’ selection follows a national search conducted by Korn Ferry.

The award-winning Fairfax County Economic Development Authority promotes Fairfax County as a business and technology center. The FCEDA offers site location and business development assistance, and connections with county and state government agencies, to help companies locate and expand in Fairfax County. In addition to its headquarters in Tysons, Fairfax County’s largest business district, the FCEDA maintains marketing offices in six important global business centers: Bangalore/Mumbai, Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Seoul and Tel Aviv. Follow the FCEDA on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.