Meet Megan Lucas CEO Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance

As the CEO of the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance, Megan Lucas works to drive economic development and foster a thriving business community in the Lynchburg region.

“We help grow leaders who help connect people to business development, professional development, personal development, because at the end of the day it's about having a strong and successful community,” she said.

She said the heart of the Alliance's mission is its dedication to advocacy, workforce development and business growth.

“What I love about the work is the people, the businesses, the leaders,” she said. “I love working on the regional ecosystem and helping businesses be successful, shining light on what businesses contribute to a community and to an economy. Without a strong business community, we would not have a strong community, but really at the core every day, it's about commerce. And commerce is about jobs and you and I have jobs and we have money to feed our families, feed our habits and support all the philanthropy in this region.”

Lucas oversees an organization that serves as the region's chamber of commerce and economic development entity. Collaborating with businesses, civic leaders and municipal partners, the Alliance works to promote initiatives that will drive the regional economy and sustainable growth.

She said businesses looking at the area thinking of it as a “region,” not just as individual counties and cities and many businesses operate across county lines, so regional collaboration is essential.

“The federal government identifies us as a region. Our economy is driven regionally,” she said. “So, at the Alliance we want to help leaders and businesses become stronger and we do that by providing leadership training, professional development, connecting young professionals to leadership opportunities so they can grow personally and professionally.”

A key focus for the Alliance is supporting businesses in attracting new clients, customers, and workforce, ultimately impacting the bottom line, and contributing to the region's growth.

By providing resources, advocacy and strategic guidance, the Alliance helps businesses of all sizes to thrive and succeed in the competitive marketplace, Lucas said.

She gives the state of the region a “B Plus” rating and sees the future characterized by slow, methodical and sustainable development.

Positioned at the edge of innovation and education, Lynchburg offers a unique blend of opportunity and potential for businesses seeking to establish roots in the region.

“The Lynchburg region is on the edge of it all. “We’re at the edge of innovation, we’re at the edge of education with the fastest growing university in the country right here,” she said. “But our region really is at the edge of innovation, workforce and opportunity.” 

One of the critical challenges facing the region is the need for infrastructure to support business growth and expansion. Lucas said the region needs to have existing industrial buildings and pad-ready sites to attract manufacturers and companies looking to relocate or expand their operations.

"Growth happens when manufacturers and new companies choose us and manufactures and new companies outside of this region who know that because of our location, our demographics, our natural beauty, our historical beauty, they want to be here. But companies are businesses, and they have to be up and running quickly and they need infrastructure.”

The Alliance is a resource for all enterprises seeking support and guidance, whether that’s assisting solopreneurs or facilitating economic development projects.

Looking ahead, Lucas hopes to see continued growth in the Lynchburg region including the realization of the Central Virginia Training Center to the expansion of existing manufacturers and the recruitment of new industries.