Friday, June 6, 2014

Ready Virginia app presented to President Obama during hurricane season briefing

Official photographic portrait of US President...Official photographic portrait of US President Barack Obama (born 4 August 1961; assumed office 20 January 2009) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
App users will now receive instant notification of weather hazards

WASHINGTON – The free Ready Virginia mobile application that helps people prepare for emergencies and stay informed during disasters was demonstrated to President Barack Obama May 30 in preparation for hurricane season, which started yesterday and extends through Nov. 30. The president’s annual briefing was held at FEMA headquarters and included three presentations on innovative apps that reach people with critical emergency information. Virginia was the only state invited to present.

“I am proud of the work the Virginia Department of Emergency Management has done on this innovative app that will help Virginians stay informed and prepared in the event of a hurricane or other disaster,” said Governor McAuliffe.

“We were very proud to showcase the Ready Virginia app,” said Brian Moran, Virginia secretary of public safety and homeland security. “We know it’s important to meet people where they are, particularly during emergencies, and many of them are on mobile devices.”

“The invitation to present during this high-level, pre-hurricane season briefing was very timely,” said State Coordinator of Emergency Management Jeff Stern, who described the app’s features to President Obama following an introduction by Secretary Moran. “In fact, that day we had added push notifications to the app that allow users to receive instant weather warning alerts for their area from the National Weather Service. This is a critical safety feature to have, especially when you’re not tuned in to local radio or television.”

The Ready Virginia app for iPhone® and Android™ devices was developed by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) as an interactive tool that makes it easier to be prepared for emergencies. Users can make a customized emergency plan, identify and collect needed emergency supplies, and get the latest disaster news when there are widespread or high profile disaster events in the commonwealth.

Among the app’s features are:
  • Alerts: real-time weather and hazard alerts for your location
  • Plan: make your emergency plan and share it with family and friends
  • Local: GPS-enabled evacuation routes, flood risk updates, emergency manager contacts
  • Checklist: essential emergency supplies to have in your kit
  • Threats: learn what to do to prepare for the most likely disaster events in Virginia
  • Disaster news: stay informed on current emergency events or browse through previous disaster blogs

When Hurricane Sandy impacted the commonwealth in 2012, 40% more people used mobile browsers to access VDEM’s website than during Hurricane Irene the previous year.

The hurricane preparation briefing was moderated by Lisa Monaco, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism. NOAA Administrator Kathy Sullivan briefed the president on hurricane season. FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson discussed progress on the federal government’s efforts to prepare for and capacity to respond to severe storms. 


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Governor McAuliffe Announces Appointments to Virginia College and University Boards of Visitors

Newport News Victory ArchNewport News Victory Arch (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Today Governor Terry McAuliffe announced his appointments to the boards that govern Virginia’s higher education system, including the Boards of Visitors for Virginia colleges and universities, the Virginia State Board for Community Colleges and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

“Virginia’s higher education system is one of the best in the world and a cornerstone of our economic future,” said Governor McAuliffe. “As I spoke with each of these appointees I urged them to use their positions to help manage our colleges and universities prudently, to find cost efficiencies in order to keep tuition rates as low as possible and to embrace innovation in order to prepare every Virginia student to compete in a 21st Century economy.”

The Governor’s appointments to Virginia’s college and university Boards of Visitors and higher education boards are below:

·         Bill Ermatinger, of Newport News, Corp VP & CHRO of Huntington Ingalls Industries
·         *Vicki Siokis Freeman, of New York City and Newport News, Owner, PS Paperie
·         Charles B. "Brad" Hunter, of Portsmouth,  Assistant Vice President - Commercial Lending, TowneBank
·         The Honorable Gabe Morgan, of Newport News, Sheriff of Newport News
·         The Honorable Dr. Ella P. Ward, of Chesapeake, Chesapeake City Council member

·         *Sue H. Gerdelman, of Williamsburg
·         Christopher M. Little, of McDowell, Retired
·         William H. Payne, II, of Henrico, Principal with Bull Moose Strategies, LLC
·         Lisa Roday, of Henrico, Consultant

George Mason University
·         Mahfuz Ahmed, of Great Falls, CEO, Digital Intelligence Systems LLC
·         Claire Dwoskin, of McLean, President, Children’s Medical Safety Research Institute
·         Jon Milton Peterson, of Fairfax Station, Principal, The Peterson Companies
·         Tracy Schar, of Fairfax, Vice President of Marketing, Comstock Companies

James Madison University
·         The Honorable William T. Bolling, of Mechanicsville, Senior Vice President and Managing Director for RCM&D and former Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.
·         Warren K. Coleman, of Henrico, CFO Harper Associates LLC
·         Vanessa M. Evans, of Charlottesville, Associate Director, Ron Brown Scholar Program
·         Lucy Hutchinson, of Falls Church, Senior Manager for Executive and Commercial Recruiting of Capital One
·         Edward Rice, of Vienna, Consultant

Longwood University
·         Eileen M. Anderson, of Glen Allen, CFO of InfoPro Incorporated
·         Katherine Elam Busser, of Goochland, CEO, Virginia Children’s Hospital Alliance
·         Lucia Anna “Pia” Trigiani, of Alexandria, Attorney at Law, MercerTrigiani

Norfolk State University
·         The Honorable Lamont Bagby, of Henrico, Director of Operations at Peter Paul Development Center and Henrico County School Board Member
·         Elwood B. Boone III, of Virginia Beach, President, Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital
·         *Thomas N. Chewning, of Richmond, Retired Executive Vice-President and CFO of Dominion Resources
·         *Bryan D. Cuffee, of Virginia Beach, Vice President of Development for Gold Key / PHR Hotels & Resorts
·         Larry A. Griffith, of Annandale, Senior Vice President Programs and Student Services, UNCF – the United Negro College Fund

Old Dominion University
·         Carlton Bennett, of Virginia Beach, Law Partner at Bennett and Zydron, P.C.
·         Jay Harris, of Bristol, Connecticut,  Sportscenter Anchor, ESPN
·         The Honorable William D. Sessoms, Jr., of Virginia Beach, President/CEO of Towne Financial Services Group and Mayor of Virginia Beach
·         Lisa Smith, of Norfolk, Community Volunteer
·         *Fred J. Whyte, of Virginia Beach, President of Stihl Incorporated

Radford University
·         The Honorable Andrew Fogarty, of Chesterfield, retired
·         Susan Whealler Johnston, of Berryville, Executive Vice President and COO, Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB)
·         *Steve Robinson, of Chapel Hill NC, Assistant Basketball Coach at the University of North Carolina
·         The Honorable Javaid Siddiqi, of Chesterfield, Director Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellows

State Board for Community Colleges
·         Dr. Thomas Brewster, of Falls Mills, Superintendent, Pulaski County Public Schools
·         Eleanor Saslaw, of Springfield, retired career educator and former President of the Virginia State Board of Education
·         The Honorable Michael J. Schewel, of Richmond, Partner, McGuireWoods LLP

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
·         Marge Connelly, of Keswick, financial services executive
·         Henry D. Light, of Norfolk, retired Senior VP Law of Norfolk Southern Corporation
·         Bill Murray, of Henrico, Managing Director, Public Policy, Dominion

University of Mary Washington
·         *Holly Tace Cuellar, Coronado, CA, Membership Development Coordinator, IABM
·         The Honorable R. Edward "Edd" Houck, of Spotsylvania County, former State Senator
·         Fred M. Rankin III, of Stafford, President and CEO of Mary Washington Health Care

University of Virginia and Affiliated Schools        
·         L. D. Britt, MD, MPH of Suffolk, Henry Ford Professor & Edward J. Brickhouse Chairman, Eastern Virginia Medical School
·         Frank M. “Rusty” Conner III, of Alexandria, Partner, Covington & Burling LLP
·         Barbara J. Fried, of Crozet, Chairman, Fried Companies, Inc.
·         John G. Macfarlane III, of Darien, CT, Managing Partner of Arrochar Management LLC

Virginia Commonwealth University
·         *William M. Ginther, of Midlothian, retired banking executive
·         The Honorable Franklin P. Hall, of Richmond, Attorney and Chairman of the Board of Hall & Hall, PLC, former Member of the Virginia House of Delegates
·         Colette Wallace McEachin, of Richmond, Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney, Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney's Office
·         *The Honorable Alexander B. McMurtrie Jr., of Richmond, retired and former Member of the Virginia House of Delegates

Virginia Military Institute
·         *Bruce Gottwald Jr., of Richmond, Managing Director of Jonah, LLC
·         Conrad M. Hall, of Norfolk, retired President and CEO of Dominion Enterprises
·         Richard K. Hines, V, of Atlanta, GA, a partner of the law firm Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP
·         The Honorable Joe R. Reeder, of Alexandria, Shareholder at GreenbergTraurig and former United States Under Secretary of the Army

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
·         *Michael J. Quillen, of Bristol, Founder/retired Chairman Alpha Natural Resources 
·         Wayne H. Robinson, of Greensboro, North Carolina, Chief Diversity Practice Leader, Wyndham Mills International, Inc. and Senior Pastor, New Millennium Christian Center, Inc.
·         Mehul Sanghani, of Vienna, President & CEO of Octo Consulting Group, Inc.
·         Horacio A. Valeiras, of La Jolla, CA, Managing Principal of HAV Capital LLC

Virginia State University
·         *Harry Black, of Baltimore, MD, City of Baltimore Chief Financial Officer
·         Thursa D. Crittenden, of Suffolk, retired broadcast television and public affairs executive
·         Charlie W. Hill, of Hampton, President of the Hampton Roads Prostate Health Forum and retired Executive Vice President, Human Resources of Landmark Communications, Inc.
·         Dr. Alma C. Hobbs, of Richmond, retired
·         Xavier R. Richardson, of Spotsylvania, Executive Vice President, Mary Washington Healthcare
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Governor McAuliffe Announces Administration Appointments

Downtown RichmondDowntown Richmond (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
RICHMOND – Governor Terry McAuliffe announced additional appointments to his administration today. 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 Commerce and Trade

Meggie Lareau, Special Assistant
Meggie Lareau interned in Scheduling & Advance in the Governor’s office this past spring and was a part of the Governor-elect transition team beforehand. She also was deputy campus organizer for the McAuliffe campaign at the University of Richmond during her senior fall semester. She just graduated with a B.A. from the University of Richmond this May. She majored in International Studies concentration in Modern Europe and minored in Latin and Iberian Studies and History.


Secretariat of the Commonwealth

Agriculture and Forestry

Virginia Beef Industry Board
  • Marnie Potter Caldwell of Lexington, Field Representative, Rockbridge Farmers Cooperative
  • George L. Jones of Brookneal, Beef Cattle Farm Manager, End of the Road Farms
  • Mark A. Sowers of Floyd, Partner, Huckleberry Dairy

Virginia Pork Industry Board
  • J. Nelson Link* of Alton, Owner, Link Farms Incorporated
  • The Honorable Frank W. Nolen of Grottoes, former member of the Senate of Virginia and Owner, Grazelen Farm
  • T. Sean O’Hara* of Richmond, Financial Institution Liaison, The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond

Commerce and Trade

Virginia Coal Mine Safety Board
·       R. Thomas “Tom” Asbury of Wise, Safety Manager,  Alpha Natural Resources
·       Mike Kennedy of St. Paul, United Mine Workers of America (State of Virginia)
·       The Honorable Joseph Tate of Clintwood, Retired Circuit Court Clerk, Dickenson County

Virginia Gas and Oil Board
  • William S. Harris* of Big Stone Gap, Retired
  • Bruce A. Prather* of Abingdon, Consulting Geologist, Olin and Muriel Prather Charitable Foundation
  • Donald L. Ratliff* of Big Stone Gap, Vice President of State Governmental Affairs, Alpha Natural Resources, LLC
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Thursday, June 5, 2014

Governor McAuliffe Announces June as Business Appreciation Month

English: The state seal of Virginia. Српски / ...English: (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
RICHMOND, VA - Governor McAuliffe today announced that June will be designated as Virginia’s Business Appreciation Month to ensure that the history and growth of Virginia businesses are recognized across the Commonwealth.

See the proclamation below:

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

BUSINESS APPRECIATION MONTH

WHEREAS, Virginia businesses provide a wide array of products and services to customers throughout the world, and employ nearly 4 million people throughout the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, Virginia is currently home to more than 30 Fortune 1,000 firms and more than 70 firms with annual revenues in excess of $1 billion; and
WHEREAS, Virginia ranks among the top ten states best prepared—in knowledge, innovation and internet technology—to navigate the  demands of an increasingly globalized economy; and
WHEREAS, Virginia businesses employ a diverse, high-skilled workforce—including the largest concentration of high-tech workers in the country—and generate increased economic opportunity and well-being for all Virginians; and
WHEREAS, Business Appreciation Month is an opportunity to acknowledge the essential role our thriving business community plays in contributing to a stronger, more prosperous Commonwealth;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Terence R. McAuliffe do hereby recognize June 2014 as BUSINESS APPRECIATION MONTH in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of our citizens.
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Governor McAuliffe Announces $500,000 Nature Conservancy Grant

English: The Nature Conservancy logoEnglish: The Nature Conservancy logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Governor McAuliffe Announces $500,000 Nature Conservancy Grant For Large-scale Oyster Sanctuary in the Piankatank River

NEWPORT NEWS, VA.--Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced a $500,000 grant from The Nature Conservancy to support the construction of a large-scale oyster sanctuary in the Piankatank River near Fishing Bay in Middlesex County, a project aimed at bolstering oyster stocks throughout the river.

Construction on the $3.8 million project—a joint venture between the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, The Nature Conservancy, the Army Corps of Engineers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—began on May 26, 2014. Additional sanctuary reefs at the location will be constructed next year. The sanctuary is situated in a part of the river that will provide optimal oyster larvae distribution through the river, increasing the chances the larvae will produce oysters far beyond the sanctuary's boundaries.

"This oyster sanctuary will help clean the water, provide habitat for crabs and fish, and will be a prime source of larvae to create future generations of oysters in the Piankatank River,'' said Governor McAuliffe. "I am deeply grateful for The Nature Conservancy's generous grant to help make all this happen. This is an exciting initiative."

The project is part of the Corps' goal to restore 10 Virginia tributaries for native oysters by 2025. The $500,000 grant, given to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC), will be the state's funding match for the first phase of the project. The reef will be off-limits to oyster harvesting.

"Through the support of our donors, we are pleased to provide the essential funding to move this large-scale oyster project forward,” said Michael Lipford, Virginia Director of The Nature Conservancy. “This represents a great public-and-private partnership that will benefit recreational fisheries, the oyster industry and the health of the Chesapeake Bay.”

The Conservancy’s grant to VMRC for the non-federal match component of this project was made possible by two grants from The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation and the Virginia Environmental Endowment that were matched by private donors and public funds.

A single adult oyster can purge as many as 50 gallons of water a day. Large-scale reefs are necessary to achieve a self-sustaining oyster population in a water body. Focusing ecological restoration efforts at a large-scale is the strategy most likely to ensure that large populations of oysters persist in the face of oyster diseases and other environmental factors.

"Over my past two and a half years, I have been continually amazed by the ingenuity I find among the various groups with whom we serve," said Colonel Paul Olsen, 57th Commander of the Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "The use of recycled concrete, in lieu of valuable oyster shell, for our Nation's sanctuary reefs is just one example of how this ingenuity directly translates into affordable, effective, and sustainable projects for the region."

The reef project will experiment with the use of clean ground concrete as substrate. Ground concrete is less expensive than building the entire reef out of oyster shells. Building the reef foundation with clean ground concrete will allow the state to conserve oyster shells for oyster aquaculture operations and for VMRC's annual oyster replenishment program, where empty oyster shells serve their most productive uses.

"We need a less costly, equally safe and effective substrate for our oyster sanctuary reefs so we can continue the tremendous progress we have made in restoring Virginia's oyster harvests through replenishment shell plantings and to continue to surge in the production of oyster aquaculture products," said John M.R. Bull, Virginia Marine Resources Commissioner.

The clean ground concrete, the size of an oyster shell, will be transported by truck to a mobilization site and loaded onto boats by a loader and conveyor and then deployed within the sanctuary boundaries.

The four partners in this project, VMRC, TNC, the Corps, and NOAA will monitor the sanctuary to determine if this type of substrate can be used successfully and safely in future oyster reef sanctuaries. The Virginia Marine Police will work to ensure the sanctuary remains off limits to all oyster harvesters.
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