Arlington names new economic development director who will play a key role as Amazon moves in

Alex Iams succeeds Victor Hoskins as the head of economic development in Arlington County. (Courtesy Arlington County Economic Development)

Virginia’s Arlington County named Alex Iams as interim director of Arlington Economic Development.

Iams, currently assistant director of , succeeds Victor Hoskins, who joins the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority as CEO Aug. 5.

Iams spent the , 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 .

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.

Jeff Clabaugh

Jeff Clabaugh has spent 20 years covering the Washington region's economy and financial markets for 鶹 as part of a partnership with the Washington Business Journal, and officially joined the 鶹 newsroom staff in January 2016.

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