The Virginia Office of Education Economics (VOEE), founded in 2021, informs policy and practice at the intersection of education and workforce development. Utilizing comprehensive datasets, VOEE reports on the alignment of higher education with workforce needs and tracks emerging labor market trends across Virginia. As part of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), VOEE also supports the state's economic growth. To that end, the Office regularly supports stakeholder projects across the state with custom analyses and has developed several public, self-service dashboards that allow broader access to essential data. Our work serves a wide range of stakeholders, including the governor, General Assembly, secretariats of commerce and trade, labor, and education, as well as Virginia Works, the Virginia Board of Workforce Development, higher education institutions, and local workforce groups. Policymakers and practitioners rely on VOEE’s data, dashboards, and analyses to help guide and evaluate investments in workforce education and training.
Wendy Kang
Executive Director
wkang@vedp.org
Wendy Kang
Executive Director
wkang@vedp.org
Wendy Kang currently serves as the Executive Director for VOEE. Prior to working at VOEE, Wendy served as the lead legislative analyst for education at the Virginia Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. She also held leadership roles at the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and the Virginia Community College System where she focused on higher education finance, workforce programs, and policy evaluation. Wendy started her career as an analyst for the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) and served as a math teacher in the Peace Corps. Wendy earned her master's degree in public policy from Duke University and holds a bachelor's degree in business administration/actuarial sciences from Bentley University.
Bill Richter
Senior Data & Research Analyst
brichter@vedp.org
Bill Richter
Senior Data & Research Analyst
brichter@vedp.org
Bill Richter serves as the Senior Data & Research Analyst for VOEE. Prior to joining VOEE, Bill implemented workforce development grants with the Organization of American States and developed data management and analysis strategies at World Pediatric Project, a global healthcare non-profit. He holds a BA from Carleton College and a Master of Global Policy Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.
Anya Upadhyaya
Research & Data Analyst
aupadhyaya@vedp.org
Anya Upadhyaya
Research & Data Analyst
aupadhyaya@vedp.org
Anya Upadhyaya serves as a Research and Data Analyst for VOEE. Anya has an MSc in Data Analytics and a BS in Psychology and Statistics. Prior to joining VOEE, she worked for Northern Virginia Community College as part of their Labor Market Intelligence team. Anya is passionate about sports and volunteers as a digital scout analyst for the British American Football Association in her spare time.
Katrina Hamilton
Research & Data Analyst
khamilton@vedp.org
Katrina Hamilton
Research & Data Analyst
khamilton@vedp.org
Katrina Hamilton serves as a Research and Data Analyst for VOEE. Katrina previously worked in data analytics as the Workforce Program Evaluation Coordinator for Virginia’s Community College System. With both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in sociology, Katrina brings a unique perspective and skillset to VOEE’s analytics team.
Samantha Townsend
Executive Assistant
stownsend@vedp.org
Samantha Townsend
Executive Assistant
stownsend@vedp.org
Samantha Townsend serves as Executive Assistant for VOEE. Samantha has experience working in assistant roles for both the Virginia Education Association and the Virginia General Assembly and has a strong passion for public service. She holds a Bachelor's in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Master of Public Administration through the Wilder School of Government at VCU.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1995 to encourage, stimulate, and support development and expansion of the Commonwealth’s economy. To accomplish these objectives, the Partnership focuses on business recruitment, expansion, and international trade.
VEDP is governed by a 17-member Board of Directors. The Board selects the President and Chief Executive Officer and ensures that VEDP complies with all Board and statutory directives. The Board works with VEDP’s staff to develop, implement, and update strategic and marketing plans for the Commonwealth and an operational plan for VEDP.
To view the VEDP management team, click here.
