Virginia Law

Article 2. A.L. Philpott Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

A. The A.L. Philpott Manufacturing Extension Partnership (the Extension Partnership), doing business as Genedge Alliance, is established as a political subdivision of the Commonwealth to help create and maintain industrial and manufacturing jobs. The Extension Partnership shall:

1. Develop, demonstrate, test, and assist in the implementation of advanced manufacturing technologies;

2. Promote industrial expansion by providing manufacturing technology consulting services to manufacturers in the Commonwealth;

3. Foster the creation of manufacturing networks and the development of buyer and supplier relationships in the region and throughout the Commonwealth;

4. Serve as a resource center for industrial training and technology transfer programs for the renewal, enhancement, and expansion of existing manufacturing enterprises and manufacturing modernization outreach;

5. Be available as a federal demonstration center for the training of displaced workers in any manufacturing area; and

6. Receive and accept any available grants from any federal, state, or private agency, corporation, association, or person to be expended in fulfilling the duties enumerated in this subsection.

B. The Extension Partnership is a local or regional industrial or economic development authority or organization for purposes of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.).

1992, cc. 217, 668, § 23-231.8; 1994, cc. 31, 383; 1996, c. 336; 1997, c. 324; 2016, c. 588; 2020, c. 398.

A. The Extension Partnership shall be governed by a 24-member board of trustees (the board) appointed by the Governor, consisting of three presidents of comprehensive community colleges, or their designees; two presidents of baccalaureate public institutions of higher education, or their designees; one president of a baccalaureate private institution of higher education, or his designee; and 15 nonlegislative citizen members representing manufacturing industries. The director of the Center for Innovative Technology, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Labor shall also sit on the board of trustees, to serve ex officio with voting privileges.

B. Appointments shall be for terms of four years. Ex officio members of the board shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office. Appointments to fill vacancies, other than by expiration of a term, shall be for the unexpired terms. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments. All members may be reappointed. No member shall serve more than two consecutive four-year terms; however, a member appointed to serve an unexpired term is eligible to serve two consecutive four-year terms immediately succeeding such unexpired term.

C. The board shall elect a chairman and a vice-chairman from among its membership. The board shall elect a secretary and a treasurer who need not be members of the board. The board may elect other subordinate officers who need not be members of the board.

D. Eight members shall constitute a quorum. The meetings of the board shall be held at the call of the chairman or whenever the majority of the members so request.

E. The board may adopt, alter, or repeal its own bylaws that govern the manner in which its business may be transacted and may form committees and advisory councils, which may include representatives who are not board members.

1992, cc. 217, 668, § 23-231.9; 1994, cc. 31, 383; 1997, c. 324; 2004, c. 989; 2016, c. 588; 2020, c. 738; 2022, cc. 576, 577.

All members shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in §§ 2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825. Funding for expenses of the members shall be provided by the Extension Partnership.

1992, cc. 217, 668, § 23-231.9; 1994, cc. 31, 383; 1997, c. 324; 2004, c. 989; 2016, c. 588.

A. The board shall appoint an executive director who shall (i) supervise and manage the Extension Partnership, (ii) perform such functions as may be directed by the board, and (iii) prepare and submit, upon the direction and approval of the board, all requests for appropriations. The executive director may employ such staff as necessary to enable the Extension Partnership to perform its duties as set forth in this article. The board may determine staff duties and fix salaries and compensation from such funds as may be appropriated or received. Staff of the Extension Partnership shall be treated as state employees for purposes of participation in the Virginia Retirement System, health insurance, and all other employee benefits offered by the Commonwealth to its classified employees. In addition, the board may make arrangements with institutions of higher education to extend course credit to graduate students employed by the Extension Partnership.

B. Additional staff support for the functions of the Extension Partnership may be provided by the Center for Innovative Technology, the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia, public institutions of higher education, small business development centers, and private businesses.

1992, cc. 217, 668, § 23-231.10; 1994, cc. 31, 383; 1997, c. 324; 2016, c. 588; 2020, c. 398.

In order to carry out the purposes of the Extension Partnership, the board may:

1. Apply for, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from public or private sources to enable the Extension Partnership to carry out its purposes;

2. Fix, alter, charge, and collect rates, fees, and other charges for the sale of the products of and services rendered by the Extension Partnership at rates determined by the board to pay the expenses of the Extension Partnership;

3. Make and enter into all contracts or agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of powers granted by this article, including agreements with any federal agency, person, private firm, or other organization that can provide technical or other business assistance to the Extension Partnership's industrial clients;

4. Employ consultants, researchers, architects, engineers, accountants, financial experts, investment bankers, superintendents, managers, and such other employees and agents as may be necessary and fix their compensation to be payable from funds made available to the Extension Partnership;

5. Render advice and assistance and provide services to state and federal agencies, local and regional economic development entities, private firms, and other persons or organizations providing services or facilities for small and medium-sized manufacturers and industrial firms in the Commonwealth;

6. Develop and provide programs or projects alone or in cooperation with any person, state or federal agency, state, local, or regional economic development entity, private firm, or other organization for economic development through improvements in industrial competitiveness in the Commonwealth; and

7. Do all acts and things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers granted to it by this article or any other act.

1992, cc. 217, 668, § 23-231.11; 1997, c. 324; 2016, c. 588.

A. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall cooperate with the Extension Partnership and, upon request, assist the Extension Partnership in the performance of its duties and responsibilities.

B. The Attorney General shall provide legal services for the Extension Partnership pursuant to Chapter 5 (§ 2.2-500 et seq.) of Title 2.2.

1992, cc. 217, 668, § 23-231.12; 1997, c. 324; 2016, c. 588.