Beth Hester – CoVaBiz Magazine

Suffolk Connects Farmers with City, Opportunity

By Beth Hester CoVaBIZ: What was the impetus for establishing this position in 2025? Julia Hillegass: “That’s a great question. Agriculture has always been a major part of Suffolk’s identity. What’s changed is the level of complexity farmers are dealing with today. Between development pressure, shifting markets, and generational transitions, there’s a real need for […]

Creative Capital

by Beth Hester My early musical experiences were informed by the sounds coming from my parents’ eclectic record collection which they played on one of those giant Zenith console stereos—essential pieces of furniture in the Mad Men era. Their assemblage included: Handel’s Messiah, Tony Bennett, Sergio Mendes, Big Band leaders Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman, […]

Perspectives From Around the Region: Arts and Business Community Partnerships

by Beth Hester Since this issue has an editorial focus on Coastal Virginia’s creative economy, we thought this would be a great opportunity to ask leaders in our arts community to weigh in on the following question: What inspires you most when you see the arts and business communities working together successfully, and how can […]

Bringing the World Back Home: Global Insight, Local Impact

by Beth Hester / Photo above, Tiffany Boyle CoVaBIZ: Your father worked for Boeing when you were young, and your family lived in Saudi Arabia for a time. You later attended boarding school in Germany. These experiences gave you an early, global perspective that not every young person has the opportunity to develop. How did […]

Constitutional Law, Fundamental Rights, and Policymaking in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

by Beth Hester Among her many professional achievements, Hu is a Faculty Affiliate with the Global Research Institute and Data Science at W&M, and a Research Affiliate with Pennsylvania State University’s Institute for Computational and Data Sciences. Her research focuses on the intersection of civil rights, national security, cybersurveillance, and AI. She is author of […]

A Lifeline for Small Business

Retail Alliance and ABNB Federal Credit Union Launch Groundbreaking Project to Help Retail Businesses Thrive

What We’re Reading Now

Business Books to Inspire, Inform and Challenge

The Round Up

As Coastal Virginia’s innovation ecosystem continues to evolve and coalesce, the partnerships and collaborations driving that momentum are advancing the ways in which academia, research facilities, industry and regional development organizations are working together. These cooperative efforts serve to attract investment, nurture talent, and advance economic development. The success of these partnerships along with new […]

Guess Who’s Creating the Silicon Valley of Water Innovation in Coastal Virginia?

by Beth Hester / Photo above: Dr. Charles Bott, Chief Technology Officer at Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) Lauren Zuravnsky, Director of Design & Construction – SWIFT at HRSD Dan Holloway, Hydrogeologist, HRSD Located in northern Suffolk, the unassuming HRSD SWIFT Research Center is home to a forward-thinking team of scientists, engineers, researchers, and project […]