~Deputy Chief Administrative Officer of Finance and Administration, Director of Economic Development, and Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Named~ Mayor Dwight C. Jones today announced the following city appointments; Eric M. Tucker to the position of deputy chief administrative officer of finance and administration; Lee Downey to the position of director of economic development; and Dr. Norman Merrifield to the position of director of parks, recreation and community facilities. Tucker begins city service on April 25, Downey begins work on May 2, and Merrifield will start on May 21. During today’s announcement Mayor Dwight C. Jones stated that, “Eric Tucker’s accomplishments and comprehension of government finance and management reforms will prove to be a tremendous resource for the city of Richmond as we continue to position ourselves for future growth. Lee Downey and Norman Merrifield both possess a wealth of knowledge and experience as indicated in their many un

The city of Richmond has been named the Best Small American City of the Future by Foreign Direct Investment (fDi) magazine. Richmond was also ranked as the third Top Small Cities FDI Strategy, and fifth overall for Small Cities Business Friendliness. According to the judging panel, the city of Richmond and Huntsville (Alabama) had the best FDI strategy amongst the small cities. The rankings are based on each city’s population range, with that of small cities being from 100,000 to 250,000 residents. Mayor Dwight C. Jones said, “Rankings such as this provide reassurance that we are moving in the right direction. As a location of the future and one that reaches full FDI potential, we have embraced economic development as a core foundational service and we are committed to maintaining an international focus. Our plan for success includes making strategic investments to develop tomorrow’s workforce; partnering with our nationally renowned universities; developing innovative business program