Virginia’s Arlington County named Alex Iams as interim director of Arlington Economic Development.
Iams, currently assistant director of Arlington County Economic Development, succeeds Victor Hoskins, who joins the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority as CEO Aug. 5.
Iams spent the last 16 years in economic development, including the past 12 with Arlington County. He’s worked on teams that helped recruit Amazon, Nestle USA’s Rosslyn headquarters and Lidl’s North American headquarters in Crystal City.
Before joining the director’s office, he worked on land use and infrastructure plans for the redevelopment of Crystal City, now home to Amazon’s HQ2.
“As a key member of Arlington’s economic development team, Alex brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this critical role,” said Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz in a statement announcing Iams’ appointment.
“Alex has a deep understanding of and strong relationships with Arlington’s business and civic communities, which will help ensure continued economic success in Arlington’s future.”
Arlington County’s Long Range Planning Committee begins the review process July 15 for Amazon’s construction plans for the first phase of HQ2, including two 22-story office buildings at Metropolitan Park in Crystal City.
Last week, Amazon held a community meeting to present its plans to the public.
Amazon expects to break ground on its buildings in 2020, with completion scheduled for 2022 and 2023.
