Virginia Economic Development Partnership
As Associate Brand Manager on the Marketing and Communications team at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) from 2021 to 2025, I advanced organizational initiatives across print, digital, and social channels through cross-divisional collaboration. I produced compelling campaigns to highlight regional achievements, turned dense data into engaging, digestible graphics, and created provocative content for audiences ranging from C-suite executives to policymakers.
Event Collateral
The Events team, within the Marketing and Communications division, promotes Virginia’s achievements to site consultants through targeted events and experiences. As key intermediaries between economic developers and company leaders, consultants are essential to Virginia’s visibility. The team organized events across the Commonwealth and participated in industry gatherings throughout the U.S. and Canada. Collateral was designed to deliver strategic messaging to influential audiences, with brand consistency serving as the foundation for impactful, memorable visuals.
Site Consultant Event at the VMFA
Inspired by the museum, I used colors from the VMFA lobby art for the event’s design suite, including invitations, posters, and food cards. I designed custom cocktail napkins with recent Virginia accolades in a doodle style, highlighting the state’s business advantages. Photos of key Virginia companies, wrapped around a lifesize “LOVEworks” sign, greeted attendees as they arrived.
Virginia Consultants Forum 2025
The Virginia Consultants Forum is a bi-annual event hosted by VEDP, TEAMVIRGINIA, and the Virginia Economic Developers Association. I developed a logo that integrated the primary brand colors of all three organizations, unified by black text and a merged “VA” graphic. This logo was applied to all event materials, including invitations, door clings, messaging, posters, and presentation slides. Additional design elements, such as notched bars, incorporated each organization’s colors. Menus used bold black typography to maintain brand consistency and complement the restaurant decor.
I also created a photo wall featuring scenes from all regions of the Commonwealth, providing an interactive backdrop for attendees.
Photography by Nichole Terry, Maryland Corporate Photography
Secret Dinner
The Secret Dinner invited select consultants to a confidential location for a distinctive Virginia experience. Attendees received several hints leading up to the event that alluded to the unique destination.
Branding materials were designed to reflect each location. I featured the flowering dogwood, Virginia’s state tree, and VEDP’s “V” favicon across all Secret Dinner collateral to serve as a brand element for these more bespoke experiences.
The Inn at Little Washington
Handmade paper, formal typefaces, and textural printing techniques such as embossing and foil enhanced the elegance and historic character of the dinner at this Michelin-starred Northern Virginia restaurant. I designed all collateral, managed production, and wrote all four hints.
Photography by Ali Caudill, Free Bird Imagery
Nicewonder Farm & Vineyard
Clean lines, bold geometry, and an autumnal palette conveyed the modern luxury of this secret dinner in the Appalachian region. I managed all design and production, and wrote each hint. The final invitation, not pictured, included a tonal dogwood graphic as a watermark on the burgundy envelope liner.
Photography by Tess Brod, Virginia Economic Development Partnership
Menus
Below are examples of menus I designed for VEDP that did not require full collateral suites. I ensured consistent VIRGINIA branding while integrating key elements from each venue. When available, I used the restaurant’s brand kit for colors, logos, and graphics, such as the bird in Carriqui. In other cases, I created custom illustrations, like the vines in Primo, or refined design features, such as the capital C swoosh in Capa, to reflect each space’s decor and add visual interest.
Ads
With content and strategy from our marketing and communications leads, I designed ads showcasing Virginia’s achievements for leading publications targeting site consultants and C-suite executives.
Chief Executive 2025
Area Development 2025
Area Development 2024
Area Development 2024
Chief Executive 2024
Digital
I worked closely with the marketing manager to create digital content to support VEDP’s storytelling strategy on LinkedIn.
Animations
Storyboarded / art-directed by me; produced by Kieran Padilla @kpadilla-ad.com.
Storyboarded / art-directed by me; produced by Kieran Padilla @kpadilla-ad.com.
Trade Tuesday Graphics
These graphics were part of Marketing and Communications' collaboration with VEDP’s International Trade division to highlight export metrics from select Virginia regions. They were displayed as a carousel or a collage, as shown below.
Virginia Economic Review Social Graphics
The Virginia Economic Review is a quarterly publication produced by the agency Avoq in tandem with VEDP’s Marketing and Communications division. I developed social graphics using each issue’s design elements to promote key articles and related podcasts. Additionally, I designed the VER podcast logo to identify podcast articles.
Trade Show Booths
VEDP’s trade show booths effectively highlighted Virginia’s achievements in key industries, including aerospace and defense, cybersecurity and technology, and health sciences and biopharma. I worked with the VEDP research team and division leaders to ensure all materials were accurate and compelling, and designed all elements of the booth per specs provided to ensure timely, high-quality production.
