Virginia business briefs for Feb. 16

Credit: Bailey

By: Times-Dispatch Staff | Times-Dispatch
Published: February 16, 2012

Virginia Tourism Corp. chief to return to W.Va.

Alisa Bailey, the president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corp., the state's tourism promotion agency, is leaving to take a job in West Virginia.

She will become the president and CEO of the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau. Her appointment is effective April 2.

Bailey is a Charleston native and former West Virginia commerce and state tourism commissioner. She left that job in 2003 to take the top position with the Virginia Tourism Corp.

Her replacement has not been named.

Bailey will replace Patty Bradley, who was fired Dec. 7.

VDOT says it met targets for late 2011

The Virginia Department of Transportation has completed all of its construction and maintenance project goals over the past quarter.

Gov. Bob McDonnell's office said it met the goal for the period of October through December 2011. His office says it's the first time the agency has met all of its goals since the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2010.

The department released the results during the monthly meeting of the Commonwealth Transportation Board on Wednesday.

According to the report, VDOT had 340 maintenance and construction projects due for completion during the period and completed 262 of them both on time and within budget. That met the agency's goal of 77 percent.

VDOT Commissioner Greg Whirley says the achievement is a testament to the agency's dedication to keeping drivers safe on Virginia's roads.

Air-quality fines set for Alexandria coal plant

An Alexandria coal-burning power plant scheduled to shut down in October has been fined about $280,700 for violating air-quality laws.

GenOn Energy's Potomac River Generating Station exceeded its nitrogen-oxides limit six times between June 28 and July 18 last year, according to a consent decree issued last week by the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board and agreed to by Houston-based GenOn.

The fine is the largest ever imposed against the plant.

The plant began operation on the Potomac riverfront in 1949. It is scheduled to shut down after years of opposition from environmentalists and residents.

From staff and wire reports

More briefs, Page D3