Marjette Upshur has served as the City of Lynchburg's economic development director for 19 years. For the first part of her career, she worked in banking and insurance. She is an alumna of Mary Baldwin College and a NYU Creative Cities certification program graduate. Her GO Virginia project, Airport Commerce Park Regional Development, is a collaboration between the City of Lynchburg, Campbell County, and the Lynchburg Regional Airport. The project will advance the Airport Commerce Park site from a Virginia Business Ready Sites Program characterization of Tier 2 to Tier 3 to strengthen its competitive position in the global marketplace and attract advanced manufacturing and technology, specifically focusing on aerospace.

1. What is your favorite part of your job as director of economic development for the City of Lynchburg?

All of the businesses and people I get to work with. I always consider it a great honor when businesses share their challenges and opportunities with me; their trust is how I judge whether I’m doing a good job, building strong relationships, and adding value. Also, there's never a dull moment. I work for the city with many other departments, and we intersect on multiple levels. I've always liked working on a team. You don't have to be the expert on everything because you've got a whole group of professionals you can tap into.

2. What made you interested in a career in economic development?

In my previous career, my professional journey primarily revolved around sales, where I engaged in marketing and shouldered direct, hands-on responsibility for delivering products or services. This experience allowed me to cultivate connections with numerous customers, emphasizing my commitment to building lasting relationships. Given my longstanding involvement in the business-to-business realm and my genuine concern for the well-being of my community, a natural affinity for public service emerged. When the opportunity arose for me to transition into a role in economic development, I was already deeply connected with many businesses in the area.

3. What inspired your GO Virginia project?

Conversations about this project started over twenty years ago. The city owns a large parcel in Campbell County. This property is adjacent to a 40-plus acre parcel owned by Campbell County. These properties sit right “outside the fence” of the Lynchburg Regional Airport. This land at the airport is one of the largest contiguous parcels in the area and is very valuable due to its location. Mike Davidson, director of economic development for Campbell County, advocated for many years that the City and Campbell County should consider developing an airport commerce park. However, he had difficulty making headway on the project as we knew it would be expensive to develop. In 2015, I worked on a master plan for the site with Mike, and we presented it to the Lynchburg Regional Airport Commission. With a plan, we would at least have something to show to interested prospects and had hoped to gain traction with our elected officials. This traction did not materialize. As is often the case, there are many competing priorities for municipalities. In 2019, Andrew LaGala became Lynchburg's new airport director. He came to the City from Tampa International Airport, which has an airport commerce park. Having an enthusiastic partner from the airport is essential, and Andrew has been very supportive. In 2021, our new city manager, Wynter Benda, met with the Campbell County administrator, Frank Rogers, about the project. They gave Nina Rezia, Campbell County’s Economic Development Director, who picked up the torch on this project after Mike retired, and me the green light to proceed with another master plan and due diligence on what it would take to develop. We completed a new master plan and applied to GO Virginia and the Virginia Business Ready Sites program afterward. I’m so thankful to have gotten a GO Virginia grant and overcome the barriers we faced. We came together with a common goal and worked to apply for the GO Virginia grant. We continue to work together to bring this Airport Commerce Park to life. I see this project as a real testimonial to municipal cooperation.

4. What are the next steps for the project?

Complete due diligence with the GO Virginia Grant and collaborate with the Airport and the Federal Aviation Administration on the path forward for building infrastructure and utilities. This project has been included in the city’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan with the estimates.

5. What do you like most about being a GO Virginia grantee?

Having the Region 2 council excited about our project and for them to walk alongside us to promote to the State and DHCD. We've worked so long and hard on this. Having the confidence of this group of professionals was a real point of pride for me.

6. What is one of the most memorable places you’ve ever visited?

Iceland was like being in another world; the topography is unreal. I recently visited Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. It's the longest known cave in the world, and to date, has 426 miles that have been mapped and explored. It was truly unique.

7. What activities do you like to do outside of work?

I love being outside. I’m a runner, and I like to hike. I also like to knit. We knit hats, gloves, scarves, and sweaters for a charitable event that happens once a year called "Chase the Chill." I try to incorporate at least one item a month, so I have 12 things to donate to the community when the event comes around on the first of January.