Governor McAuliffe Announces Technology Award Winners

~ Improvements in service delivery, efficiency by state and local governments, universities cited ~

RICHMOND - The annual Governor’s Technology Awards were presented to honorees in nine categories at a special ceremony at the Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium (COVITS) in Richmond on Sept. 9. On behalf of Governor Terry McAuliffe, Secretary of Technology Karen Jackson presented the awards to a distinguished group of Virginia government entrants, including state and local government and universities. 

“I want to congratulate the winners of these awards,” said Governor McAuliffe. “Building a new Virginia economy requires the ability to innovate and find ways to increase efficiency in government. The future is bright for the Commonwealth as these talented groups continue to use technology to make government more efficient, less expensive and more responsive to taxpayers.”

Winners were determined by a panel of government information technology (IT) experts. For 18 years, the Governor’s Technology Awards program has recognized public sector IT projects that have improved government service delivery and efficiency.

Multiple awards were presented in several categories because of the extremely close scores between projects. Executive summaries of each winner’s entries are posted on the COVITS website, http://covits.virginia.gov/winners.html, to provide inspiration and best practice examples to peers and partners.

The 2015 Virginia Governor’s Technology Awards winners, by category:

CROSS-BOUNDARY COLLABORATION ON IT INITIATIVES

·         Electronic Death Registration System

Virginia Department of Health

IT AS EFFICIENCY DRIVER – GOVERNMENT TO CITIZEN

·         Real Estate Property Report App 

Roanoke County         

·         Charlottesville Area Transit Mobile App

City of Charlottesville

IT AS EFFICIENCY DRIVER – GOVERNMENT TO BUSINESS

·         The C.A.R.E. Application

Virginia State Corporate Commission

·         Transportation Network Company Registration

Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles

·         GIS-centric Development Management System

Prince William County

·         E-GIFT

Virginia Department of Health

IT AS EFFICIENCY DRIVER – GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT

·         Cloud Technology Partnership for Economic Development 

Chesterfield County

IT AS EFFICIENCY DRIVER – GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT

·         BeneVets Automated Claims Application 

Virginia Department of Veterans Services

INNOVATIVE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT

·         Fire Department Tablet Project 

City of Lynchburg

·         CAD to CAD 

York-Poquoson-Williamsburg Regional 9-1-1 Center

James City 9-1-1 Center

INNOVATIVE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION

·         The Geospatial Semester

James Madison University

·         Frictionless High Speed Research Network

Virginia Commonwealth University

INNOVATIVE USE OF BIG DATA AND ANALYTICS

·         OneSource Data Warehouse 

Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services

·         Public Safety Operational Data Storage (PODS)

Chesterfield County

INNOVATIVE USE OF OPEN DATA

·         Open Data Portal

City of Richmond

BEST CITIZEN PORTAL

·         Citizen Portal 

City of Newport News

·         Virginia Law Portal

Division of Legislative Automated Systems

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Gloucester County, Va. vs. the ACLU

The ACLU is trying to tell Gloucester County that its public school students must be allowed to share restrooms without considering biological make up. When the School Board recently enacted fair and reasonable restroom use policies the ACLU filed complaints with federal agencies with an argument designed to jeopardize federal education money entitlements.

Their complaint refers to news reports as supporting evidence. Many news reports on such stories are typically one sided, lack evidence and are sensationalized just like most of the reports surrounding this issue. This tactic is used to inflame their arguments. The ACLU’s complaint is full of inaccuracies and speculative assertions. Their complaint contains descriptions of words and comments inconsistent with the context intended by the People who spoke the comments.

Why didn’t the ACLU include the videos of School Board meetings in their complaint? If they referred to the videos they would not be able to put their desired spin on their argument. They would not be able to twist the facts like they have. The word “freak”, spoken publicly by one of the People, is mentioned in negative context multiple times in the complaint. When the speaker used the word he was interrupted by the School Board Chairperson before he could complete what he was saying. Had the Chairperson truly been listening to what the person was saying and allowed him to complete his words instead of being more concerned about how much time the speaker had remaining, he would have realized the speaker was not personally attacking anyone. Maybe the Chairperson and the ACLU should learn the definition of the word “freak” (a sudden and odd or seemingly pointless idea or turn of the mind; the product of freakish thought or action; an irregular or abnormal product of some process, or, specifically, of the laws of nature.) and watch the School Board meeting videos.

The complaint suggests students did not express concerns to school personnel during the month the school Principle allowed the transgender student to use opposite sex restrooms. During the last School Board meeting several male students spoke against and expressed their discomfort with the idea of sharing their restroom with a biological female. One student specifically mentioned a fear of reprisals from the school system for addressing his discomfort at the public hearing and another even apologized for expressing his feelings and opinion. How many other students are in such fear of dealing with the “government” of their school system as to be afraid to express themselves freely in public? When students have a problem with certain issues about school they generally talk with their parents about it. It is the parents’ role to represent them to the government like many parents did. The ACLU asserts that adults are the ones most vocal against such restroom sharing. This is a fact and rightfully so. We as adults are the legal decision makers for all children under the age of 18. We are the children’s parents, mentors, teachers, neighbors and more. The ACLU has no standing in our places as adult People, Citizens and taxpayers of Gloucester County. They are not stakeholders by any means. The use of education money as leverage in situations such as this amounts to nothing short of blackmailing the People with their own money and at the expense of public education. The People and Citizens of Gloucester, through our elected School Board, have enacted well balanced rules on restroom use in our public schools without the assistance of the ACLU and the federal government. Their involvement is not necessary or desired. Gloucester’s newly established rules should be the model for all public schools as they offer every student a place to use the restroom while maintaining the moral biological separation desired by the overwhelming majority of adults and youth in the community.

Kenneth E. Hogge, Sr.
Gloucester Point

(Our Notes:  We have filed multiple counter claims to the ACLU's complaints with the federal civil liberties court.  You can too.  A link below to the story where we did this has a form you can copy and make slight modifications to and then send to the address on the form.)

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Governor McAuliffe’s Statement on Board of Health Regulatory Action Vote

RICHMOND - Governor Terry McAuliffe released the following statement today after the Virginia Board of Health voted to adopt a Notice of Intended Regulatory Action to review regulations on Virginia women’s health clinics:

“I would like to commend the Board of Health for adopting the Notice of Intended Regulatory Action, which will begin the review process of the 2013 regulations on women's health clinics across Virginia. These clinics provide essential preventive care and cancer screenings to many women and families and unfortunately were facing closure due to onerous regulations that were the result of politics being inserted into the regulatory process.

“In May, I asked my Commissioner of Health, Dr. Marissa Levine, to evaluate the 2013 regulations with the primary goals of ensuring that all Virginians have access to the quality healthcare they need and deserve and protecting women's rights to make their own healthcare decisions.

Dr. Levine in October informed me that the existing regulations should in fact be amended to be aligned more accurately with medical practices, and today the Board of Health agreed with her recommendation. I am encouraged that the Board of Health has adopted this action and that the health and welfare of all Virginians will continue to be the Commonwealth's top concern.”

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Governor McAuliffe Announces New Virginia Economy Bioscience Initiative

~ Kicks off roundtable on commercialization of university bioscience research with special guest, MIT Professor Robert Langer ~

RICHMOND – Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced a Virginia Bioscience Initiative, kicking off the effort with a public and private sector roundtable discussion on the commercialization of university bioscience research at the State Capitol.  University representatives and bio industry leaders joined the Governor, members of his administration and renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Dr. Robert S. Langer for this discussion.

Speaking at today’s announcement, Governor McAuliffe stated, “The bioscience industry in Virginia is strong, and can be even stronger with this focused initiative.  Our charge today is to use the Commonwealth’s extensive assets, including our excellent research universities and world class businesses, to catalyze the growth of this strategic sector and the new Virginia economy.”

Governor McAuliffe’s initiative will be a collaborative, multi-year effort involving several secretariats, state agencies, higher education, private sector research enterprises and businesses throughout the Commonwealth.  Today’s announcement is the first step in this journey to build strategic momentum in this critical sector.  Initial focus areas include elevating the profile of the Virginia bioscience industry, enhancing incentives for bioscience businesses, leveraging existing assets into new opportunities, assuring an outstanding bioscience workforce, and promoting commercialization of university research.

The Governor’s Bioscience Initiative will focus on six core goals:

1.                 Elevate the profile of the industry within and outside the state, communicate the state’s focused commitment, and challenge the industry to reach its potential.

2.                 Expand on strategies that support entrepreneurship, innovation, collaboration, and business development, and prioritize funding of commercialization programs.

3.                 Capitalize on our strengths to leverage extramural funding, launch new businesses, recruit investment, and create high paying jobs by focusing on areas of competitive research and industry advantage and creating synergies with Virginia’s world class IT sector through big data.

4.                 Establish a Virginia Ag Bio Initiative with a Virginia Ag Bio Advisory Committee to harness and grow industries that utilize bioscience for producing food and fuel.

5.                 Identify workforce development initiatives that align with Virginia bioscience industry needs.

6.                 Lead the nation in the ease of commercializing translational research from public universities and getting innovation to the patient’s bedside faster.

Virginia enjoys a diverse and highly educated, technical workforce, a strong private investment community, strong research universities, an entrepreneurial and business friendly environment, and proximity to both the nation’s capital and key resources, all of which will allow the bioscience industry in the Commonwealth to become a leading pillar of the new Virginia economy.  Further, fifty percent of all research done by Virginia universities is in the biosciences. Virginia has tremendous resources in its research universities, including extraordinary research which can spark and sustain bioscience economic activity, but the interface between universities and industries will garner more attention and improvement from this statewide effort.   

Professor Langer, who serves as the distinguished David H. Koch Institute Professor at MIT, said today, “I applaud Governor McAuliffe for recognizing the importance of the bioscience field to the economic future of Virginia.  Many researchers, entrepreneurs and policy makers have worked hard to put Virginia in the strong position it is in today.  Innovative and important research is being conducted and commercialized all over the state and the potential is there for Virginia to become even more of a leader in this industry.”

According to a 2014 Battelle Bio study, Virginia’s biotechnology industry is thriving, with more than 26,500 industry jobs that spanned 1,451 business establishments in 2012.  The same study shows Virginia enjoyed double-digit employment gains from 2007 – 2012 in the agricultural feedstock and chemicals subsector, which involves industries that utilize biochemistry and biotechnology for producing everything from food to fuel.  Building on these strengths with cutting edge research at our universities, including land-grant universities and the statewide agricultural extension network, presents an opportunity for Virginia to continue growth in this sector.  Therefore, part of today’s announcement also includes the commencement of a Virginia Agriculture Biotechnology Initiative.

(So now the governor is raiding the universities in an effort to take away human resources for the gain of others?  Isn't that nice.)

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Loudoun County Selected to Host 2015 Wine Tourism Conference

LEESBURG - Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today that Loudoun County will host the 2015 Wine Tourism Conference.  Secured in coordination with the Virginia Tourism Corporation and Visit Loudoun and with assistance from the Virginia Wine Marketing Office, the conference will make its East Coast debut in 2015.  Wine tourism leaders from across the country and world will travel to Virginia November 18-20, 2015for the fifth annual Wine Tourism Conference at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg.  Jackie Saunders, Vice President of Marketing with Visit Loudoun, was present for the announcement at the 2014 Wine Tourism Conference held earlier this month in Paso Robles, California.

“We are thrilled that the 2015 Wine Tourism Conference will be hosted by Virginia and held in Loudoun County, one of the most iconic wine destinations in Virginia,” said Governor McAuliffe.  “I congratulate Loudoun County and the Virginia team for securing this nationally recognized conference.  As the nation’s fifth largest wine producer, Virginia is quickly becoming the premier international destination for wine and culinary travelers.  The conference will offer an exciting opportunity to showcase our award-winning wines and world-class wine industry.”

The Wine Tourism conference is organized by Zephyr Adventures and is expected to attract more than 200 wine tourism professionals from across the world.  Open to winery owners, journalists, wine associations, wine destination marketing organizations and tour operators, the conference serves as a networking forum and provides extensive educational opportunities for this growing industry.  Previous conferences have been held on the West Coast in the premier wine destinations of Napa and Sonoma in California and Portland, Oregon. 

“Securing the Wine Tourism Conference is another win for Virginia’s efforts to become the premier East Coast destination for wine and wine tourism,” said Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore.  “With our wines garnering international acclaim, sales at a new all-time high – surpassing 521,000 cases in the last fiscal year – and more people visiting our wineries than ever before, Virginia is already recognized as a rising star in the global wine trade.  The 2015 Wine Tourism Conference will further that well-deserved attention and reinforce all that we have to offer as a wine destination.”

“Virginia is a top destination for wine lovers across the country, with more than 1.6 million tourists visiting our wineries last year bringing instant revenue to the Commonwealth,” said Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Maurice Jones. “By hosting the 2015 Wine Tourism Conference, Virginia becomes the first East Coast destination for this annual event, once again showing the country and the world that we are a top location for wine tourism.”

“We are excited to be bringing the Wine Tourism Conference to Loudoun County and to Virginia,” said Allan Wright with Zephyr Adventures.  “We know both the county and the state have done a great job at promoting wine and tourism and think our attendees from other areas will be very impressed with the local hospitality.”

“Loudoun is thrilled to be hosting the 2015 conference and that organizers recognize Loudoun and Virginia’s important and growing role in the wine tourism industry,” said Visit Loudoun President & CEO Beth Erickson.

Recognized as one of the top wine destinations in the world by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, the Virginia wine industry continues to thrive in both Loudoun County and across the Commonwealth.  Currently, there are 3,100 acres of vineyards and 250 wineries in Virginia, more than 40 of which are in Loudoun.

Virginia currently ranks fifth in the number of wineries in the nation with more than 250.  Virginia is also the nation’s fifth largest wine grape producer.  According to a 2012 economic impact study, the Virginia wine industry employs more than 4,700 people and contributes almost $750 million to the Virginia economy on an annual basis.  In addition, more than 1.6 million tourists visited Virginia wineries in 2013 according the Virginia Tourism Corporation.

Virginia has been listed as one of the best wine travel destinations in numerous media outlets including Wine Enthusiast, USA Today, Food & Wine Magazine and the Washington Post, noting the state's picturesque landscapes and friendly winemakers set Virginia apart as an excellent wine destination.  Visit www.virginia.org/wine to learn more about wine travel in Virginia or call 1-800-VISITVA to request a free Virginia is for Lovers travel guide to start planning a trip to Virginia.  LOVE is at the heart of every Virginia vacation.  For more information, please visitwww.virginia.org.

About Visit Loudoun                                                          

Visit Loudoun is the destination management organization for Loudoun County, Va., known as DC’s Wine Country®, located 25 miles from Washington, DC.  This not-for-profit organization develops and implements programs that promote tourism and travel to Loudoun and its towns, to increase visitation and generate visitor spending.  The organization showcases Virginia’s culinary and heritage assets, including award-winning wineries, horse country, scenic byways, and towns and villages steeped in history.  Visitwww.VisitLoudoun.org for more information

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