Virginia Secretary of Commerce to Speak to ODU Real Estate Organization Annual Meeting

May 20, 2014

Maurice Jones

Maurice A. Jones, Secretary of Commerce and Trade for the Commonwealth of Virginia and former publisher of The Virginian-Pilot, will deliver the keynote address at the annual meeting of Old Dominion University's E.V. Williams Center for Real Estate and Economic Development (CREED).

Jones, former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, will highlight the event Monday, June 9, which runs from 3:30-6:00 p.m.at ODU's Ted Constant Convocation Center.

Register online before Friday, June 6, 2014. The registration fee is $35 pp for the program and reception. To register, see: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/2014-creed-annual-meeting-tickets-11560805681.

The event is complimentary to current CREED members. Members should RSVP to CREED program manager Kyllie Bullion at kbrinkle@odu.edu.

The CREED Annual Meeting is a forum to assemble CREED members and Hampton Roads' real estate and economic development leaders for a topical presentation by a distinguished keynote speaker.

Among other topics, Jones will speak about how to position Hampton Roads for economic growth, leveraging regional assets like advanced manufacturing and the Port of Virginia to bolster state and local economic development efforts. He will also speak about the practical application of research and development expertise sourced from public universities such as ODU and collaboration between higher education innovation, government and the private sector.

Jones was appointed Secretary of Commerce and Trade by Governor Terry McAuliffe in January 2014. Previously, Jones served as Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from April 2012 through January 2014. As the second most senior official at HUD, Jones managed the Department's day-to-day operations, the annual operating budget, and the agency's 8,900 employees.

A Kenbridge, Virginia native, Jones also served as Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services and Deputy Chief of Staff to then-Virginia Governor Mark Warner.

Jones received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Hampden-Sydney College and attended Oxford University in England on a Rhodes scholarship, where he received a Master of Philosophy in International Relations. He later received a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia.

The mission of Old Dominion University's E.V. Williams Center for Real Estate and Economic Development is to provide information and resources for the Hampton Roads real estate and economic development communities in their quest to improve the regional economy through job creation and investment.

CREED fosters relationships with the development community by hosting topical seminars on key development issues affecting the region and works closely with all related professional service organizations.