Todd heads the firm’s global economic development, commerce and government relations group. Having worked at the intersection of business and government in various public- and private-sector leadership positions, Todd is deft at providing strategic advice and guiding companies through the most vexing challenges relating to business expansion or relocation within Virginia, throughout the United States and abroad. In fact, Virginia Business Magazine named Todd one of the Commonwealth’s “Heavy Hitters” in the publication’s inaugural list of business leaders who get things done. The magazine also has named him annually as one of the 500 most influential Virginians, with a particular focus on his business and economic development skills, since creating the “The Virginia 500 Power List” in 2020.

As Virginia’s Secretary of Commerce and Trade and Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry under Governors Terry McAuliffe and Bob McDonnell, and Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under Governor Tim Kaine, Todd gained invaluable insights into the inner workings of government, building relationships across party lines to promote Virginia businesses here and abroad as well as attracting foreign business investments to Virginia. He worked closely with private-sector companies, regional entities and local, state and federal government officials to grow exports from Virginia and implement economic development strategies, including the creation of new and highly impactful economic development incentive programs. He was instrumental in leading Governor McAuliffe’s “New Virginia Economy” diversification effort that saw record-breaking capital investment of more than $20 billion from more than 1,100 economic development projects injected into Virginia’s economy. Todd is also a veteran of more than 50 national and international gubernatorial trade and marketing missions.

Under Governor McAuliffe, Todd served as Virginia’s chief economic and workforce development officer, overseeing the state’s 13 commerce and trade agencies, including the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the state’s lead agency for corporate recruitment, business expansion and export generation. He also served as Governor McAuliffe’s point person for the legislative effort to reform and re-structure the VEDP and the hiring of VEDP’s new leadership team. During his two secretariat leadership posts, Todd also served as an ex-officio board member to a number of economic and workforce development-focused organizations, including VEDP, the Virginia Tourism Corporation, the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, the Virginia Board of Workforce Development and the Virginia Biotechnology Research Partnership Authority.

Prior to his stints in state government, Todd held several leadership positions in the private sector, including serving as head of external affairs and corporate communications for two Fortune Global 1000 companies and lead project manager on several greenfield and expansion projects. He also assisted the companies’ global sales teams on facilitating export growth and dealing with barriers of entry in certain countries. Equally accomplished in corporate philanthropy, Todd also previously worked as a foundation vice president, devising and executing strategies to improve the business’s philanthropic efforts within the community. In addition, Todd served as key legislative and communications advisor to former US Congressman L. F. Payne.

Todd has been recognized for work in economic development and trade by various business advocacy associations, including the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Maritime Association, the Virginia International Business Council, the Virginia Agribusiness Council, the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, the Virginia Wineries Association and the Virginia Cattlemen’s Association.

Education
MBA, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2004

BA, Political Science, University of Richmond, 1991

• Todd P. Haymore column: Right to Work is Good For Employees, Business Investment and Job Creation In Virginia, Richmond Times-Dispatch
• Todd P. Heorer Column: The Key to Making Virginia More Competitive, Gaining Big Investments, The Service Now
• Column: Site readiness is key to job creation in Va., Richmond Times-Dispatch
• Todd Haymore Column: USMCA is Essential for Virginia’s Farms and Economy
• A decade of Virginia’s AFID program: Successfully encouraging more agriculture and forestry investments across the commonwealth, Cardinal News
• Clement/Haymore: Danville Rising - Not boarded up; definitely not desperate, GoDanRiver.com
• Clement/Haymore: Danville Rising, GoDanRiver.com