Stories
Stories
A Bid for the Future
When the RFP for Amazon’s HQ2 arrived in September 2017, Stephen Moret (MBA 2001) had been on the job as president and chief executive officer of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) for only eight months. The commonwealth was not known for the generous direct incentives that other states were likely to offer, but Moret knew immediately that Virginia could make a strong case. Both his own career and the planning he had undertaken in the early months of his tenure were perfectly aligned with what he called “the ultimate opportunity.”
Moret had spent years in economic development in Louisiana, a prime vantage point at the intersection of the public and private sectors that allowed him to “envision a future state and bring it to life.” In his new role at VEDP, he was in the midst of developing a comprehensive strategic plan for economic growth in Virginia, a plan that included growing the tech sector through a large investment in computer-science education. That idea would become the centerpiece for the commonwealth’s bid for the Amazon headquarters. “People think about economic development folks making pitches to companies, and wining and dining, and that is part of it,” says Moret. “But what really matters is creating a great operating environment for companies: stable and attractive tax and regulatory climate, outstanding talent, workforce development.”
The 14-month Amazon bid process was both familiar and unprecedented, Moret says. “It was similar to any RFP in its elements, but the stakes were enormously different. It’s probably the largest private-sector, competitive economic development project in US history.” And it was successful for Moret and the estimated 500 other people who worked on Virginia’s proposal. In November 2018, Amazon announced that it would open a headquarters in Arlington, and over the next several months the Virginia General Assembly began funding the ambitious tech-talent pipeline VEDP championed. “This is going to be transformational for us,” Moret says.
Support the next generation of leaders Make a gift nowPost a Comment
Related Stories
-
- 17 Nov 2022
- HBS Alumni News
Blockchain for Good
Re: Stella Dyer (MBA 1994); By: Ralph Ranalli -
- 23 Jun 2020
- Business Day
Bridging Nigeria's Infrastructure Gap
Re: Tariye Gbadegesin (MBA 2006) -
- 01 Dec 2019
- HBS Alumni Bulletin
Bridging the Gap
Re: Rosabeth M. Kanter (Ernest L. Arbuckle Professor of Business Administration); Mitchell B. Weiss (Richard L. Menschel Professor of Management Practice Chair, MBA Required Curriculum); Karen Mills (Senior Fellow); Jan W. Rivkin (C. Roland Christensen Professor of Business Administration); By: Julia Hanna; illustration by Josh Cochran; photographed by Melissa Golden -
- 16 Jun 2019
- Washingtonian
The Real Story of How Virginia Won Amazon’s HQ2
Re: Stephen Moret (MBA 2001)
Stories Featuring Stephen Moret
-
- 16 Jun 2019
- Washingtonian
The Real Story of How Virginia Won Amazon’s HQ2
Re: Stephen Moret (MBA 2001) -
- 01 Jun 2001
- HBS Alumni Bulletin
Character Studies: The Class of 2001 Graduates
Re: Chris McGuire (MBA 2001); Stephen Moret (MBA 2001); Alejandro Ramirez Magana (MBA 2001); Modupe Akinola (MBA 2001); Leng Lim (MBA 2001); Eric Feagler (MBA 2001) -
- 01 Jun 2001
- HBS Alumni Bulletin
Stephen M. Moret: A Campaign for Positive Change
Re: Stephen Moret (MBA 2001); Dan Roemer (MBA 1971); By: Susan Young
