Virginia. Dept. of Economic Development.

The Department of Economic Development traces its beginnings to the Commission on Conservation and Development, created by an act of the General Assembly on March 17, 1926. The responsibility for planning and assisting Virginia's industrial development was carried out by an administrative division within the Commission, which evolved into department status by 1948. Subsequently, the Division of Industrial Development and Planning was established by the General Assembly March 30, 1962, under the supervision and direction of the Governor.

In 1966, the planning function was transferred to the newly-created Division of State Planning and Community Affairs, which developed a master plan for the state. This division became the Department of Planning and Budget in 1976. The Division of Industrial Development continued with its function of offering assistance in the development of industries within the state under the Secretary of Commerce and Resources.

In September, 1984, the Division of Industrial Development and the Division of Tourism merged to created the Department of Economic Development, under the Secretary of Economic Development. The Department was tasked with creating new jobs for Virginians and increasing the tax base.

With headquarters in Richmond, the department is organized into two divisions: industrial development and tourism. The Industrial Division has four regional offices in Virginia, in Abingdon, Appomattox, Portsmouth, and Radford, plus offices in Brussels, Belgium, and Tokyo, Japan. The Tourism Division operates ten welcome centers at key points on the state's interstate highway system, visitor centers at Capitol Square in Richmond, Rockefeller Center in New York City, and an office in Washington, D.C. Until July 1, 1990, the Department maintained a salt water fishing tournament office in Virginia Beach; this now falls under the Marine Resources Commission.

Within the Division of Industrial Development are services in domestic and international marketing, a film office, which increasingly attracts film-makers to the state, small business and financial services, industrial training, and marketing research. The Division of Tourism focuses on advertising and research, public relations, sales and promotions, international marketing and community development of tourist resources. Publications include: Virginia Film Production Services Directory, Virginia Facts and Figures, Economic Developments: a statistical summary, Virginia Travel Guide, Tour Planner's Guide, and special interest brochures on golf, historic homes, and Civil War battlefields.

The Department is a full-service state agency designed to promote the Commonwealth in an aggressive manner, in order to create jobs in the private sector, and to encourage both foreign and domestic investment in state industries. The Virginia World Trade Council assists the Department in the organization and preparation of materials for use in foreign trade missions conducted by the Governor and other representatives of the Commonwealth.