Leaders Applaud Governor McAuliffe’s Efforts to Curtail Prescription Drug and Heroin Abuse in Virginia

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Governor Terry McAuliffe today signed Executive Order 29 establishing the Governor’s Task Force on Prescription Drug and Heroin Abuse.  The task force will recommend immediate steps to address a growing and dangerous epidemic of prescription opioid and heroin abuse in the Commonwealth.

This executive order has received praise from leaders across the Commonwealth:

  

Attorney General Mark Herring:

"Too many families are losing loved ones and too many communities across Virginia are confronting a terrible rise in opiate and heroin abuse and overdose fatalities. The Governor's task force, along with efforts initiated by my office and the outstanding work of local law enforcement, shows that the Commonwealth is taking this problem seriously and responding aggressively. It will take a combination of prosecution, treatment, education, and prevention to turn the tide, and strong partnerships between federal, state, and local authorities, and the recommendations of this important task force, will be key."

Senator Don McEachin, Henrico:

"I commend the governor's initiative on heroin and prescription drug abuse -- problems that have brought terrible pain and cost to Virginia families. Attorney General Herring also recently announced a plan to address these  issues; I look forward to working with both the governor and the attorney general to remedy these problems."

Senator Bill Carrico, Grayson:

“I applaud Governor McAuliffe for his actions today to make Virginia communities safer and healthier. The creation of this task force is a significant step towards curtailing prescription drug and heroin abuse in the Commonwealth.”

Delegate John O’Bannon, Henrico:

                                                    

“I commend Governor McAuliffe for tackling this issue head on and I am in complete agreement that Virginia must curtail this unfortunate epidemic. The steps the governor announced today will put Virginia on a pathway toward building safer and healthier communities."

Delegate Keith Hodges, Middlesex:

“As a practicing pharmacist and legislator, I am proud of this bipartisan effort to address the prescription drug and heroin abuse epidemic.  Governor McAuliffe’s multi-faceted approach will go a long way in curbing this epidemic and ensuring the future health and safety of our families, communities and neighborhoods.”

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Governor McAuliffe Announces Administration Appointments

Map of Virginia highlighting Henrico County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

RICHMOND – Governor Terry McAuliffe announced additional appointments to his administration. The appointees will join McAuliffe’s administration focused on finding common ground with members of both parties on issues that will grow Virginia’s economy and create more jobs across the Commonwealth.

Secretariat of the Commonwealth

Board Appointments

Advisory Board on Physician Assistants

·       Rachel A. Carlson, EdD, MSBS, PA-C* of Winchester, Program Director and Associate Professor for the Division of Physician Assistant Studies at Shenandoah University; clinically practicing PA with Premier Health Resources, Inc. in family medicine

·       Eileen Davis, RN, of Henrico, Nurse, Educator, Henrico County

·       Thomas Parish, DHSc, PA-C* of Virginia Beach, Professor and PA Program Director, Eastern Virginia Medical School Vice-Chair, Physician Assistant Advisory Board

·       James T. Potter, Jr. MD* of Wise, President, Appalachian Healthcare Associates, PC

·       Portia S. Tomlinson, PA-C of Roanoke, Physician Assistant-Neurosurgery, Carilion Neurosurgical Care

Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice

·       Marilyn G. Brown, MSW of Richmond, Director Chesterfield Juvenile Detention Home

·       Lorenzo Collins of Glen Allen, President, LR Collins & Associates, Inc.

·       John Dougherty, MSW of Richmond,  Senior Vice President/Chief Administrative Officer, Virginia Home for Boys and Girls

·       Lindsay R. Fisher of Chester, Vice President, Legislative Analyst, Citigroup Management Corporation, Washington, DC

·       Melvin Johnson of Richmond, Student/Athlete, Virginia Commonwealth University;  Major: Criminal Justice; Volunteer, Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice and Shaka Smart Basketball Camps

·       Sarah Lewis of Blacksburg, Student, Virginia Tech; Major: Psychology

·       Regina O’Brien of Stephens City, Executive Director, Youth Development Center, Inc.

·       C. Shane Ringressy of Blacksburg, Student, Virginia Tech; Major: National Security, Legal Studies

·       Debbie Smith of Charles City, Founder/CEO H-E-A-R-T, Inc. (Hope Exists After Rape Trauma)

Family and Children’s Trust Fund

·       Dawn Chillon, PhD(c), NBCC of Rockville, Founder, The Foundation for Family Healing and The Attachment and Trauma Institute

Radford University Board of Visitors

·       Christopher Wade of Fairfax, COO, Aeronomy

*Denotes reappointments

Governor McAuliffe Announces 500 New Jobs for Henrico County

 Teleperformance (Photo credit: PresidenciaRD)

~Teleperformance to invest $3.5 million in customer service center~ 

RICHMOND - Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today that Teleperformance, the global leader in outsourced multichannel customer experience management, will establish a new customer service center in Henrico County, bringing 500 new jobs to the region.

            Speaking about today’s announcement, Governor McAuliffe said, “The addition of 500 new jobs in Henrico County is tremendous news for the region. Teleperformance is a leading international company with a presence in Virginia, and this new customer service center represents its second operation in the state. The company’s growth in the Commonwealth is a great testament to Virginia’s business climate and resources that businesses require in order to succeed in today’s competitive environment. We are honored to have Teleperformance as a corporate partner and look forward to its continued success.”

            “As Teleperformance expands its footprint in Virginia, we welcome significant new job opportunities and investment in Henrico County,” said Maurice Jones, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade. “This project is a win-win, as Teleperformance will benefit from the abundance of qualified employees in Central Virginia, and residents in the region will have career opportunities with a global, growing company.”

            Teleperformance, the worldwide leader in outsourced multichannel customer experience management, serves companies around the world with customer care, technical support, customer acquisition and debt collection programs. The company employs more than 149,000 people across 46 countries. In the U.S., Teleperformance operates 25 site locations and has approximately 20,000 employees, approximately 700 of which will be employed in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“Having enjoyed great success in Virginia over the past 10 years, this was an easy decision for us,” said Miranda Collard, President of Operational Delivery, Teleperformance U.S.A.  “At Teleperformance, we live by our core values and are fortunate to work with talented, passionate employees in Virginia, who share this same goal of providing world-class customer service for our clients.  We are grateful for the support we have received from the Commonwealth of Virginia and its people.  We are excited to bring more employment opportunities to the area and to build a long-term partnership with the local community.”

            The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Henrico County Economic Development Authority and the Greater Richmond Partnership to secure the project for Virginia.Through its Virginia Jobs Investment Program, the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity will provide funding and services to support the company’s training activities.

“Henrico County’s international business community has always been a stable part of our local and regional economy,” said Patricia S. O’Bannon, Chairman of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors. “So when Teleperformance selected us as the location for their multichannel customer contact center, I was very excited. This continues Henrico’s tradition, dating back to 1611, of being a center of commerce.”

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