Virginia Appointed First Director of Outdoor Recreation
The new role will coordinate strategy for business operators and tourism stakeholders across the state.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in People
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Governor Abigail Spanberger has appointed Heather Barrar as Virginia's first Director of Outdoor Recreation to oversee a new statewide economic strategy. This initiative, launched via Executive Directive 3, aims to bolster the outdoor economy through a stakeholder advisory group.
Why it matters
The appointment signals a formal state effort to scale the outdoor recreation sector, which currently serves as a vital economic engine for many regional businesses and tourism-dependent communities. This move seeks to optimize how state agencies and private operators collaborate to manage and promote public lands.
Outdoor recreation added $14.4 billion to the state economy in 2024, supporting over 126,000 jobs across Virginia. A newly formed advisory group, which will help shape future policy, includes 25 private stakeholders and representatives from 10 state agencies.
The players
Abigail Spanberger
The Governor of Virginia who serves as the state's chief executive responsible for implementing economic development initiatives.
Heather Barrar
Virginia's first Director of Outdoor Recreation tasked with building a statewide strategy for the industry.
Adam Spanberger
Co-chair of the newly formed Outdoor Recreation Stakeholder Advisory Group.
The details
Heather Barrar will co-chair an advisory group alongside Adam Spanberger to synthesize industry feedback and align state agency resources. This process begins with a listening tour across 10 tourism regions, designed to gather input from local business operators on how to better leverage public lands. The ultimate objective is to establish a comprehensive statewide strategy that clarifies regulatory paths and development opportunities for businesses within the outdoor recreation space.
Timeline
September 29, 2026: Governor Spanberger announced the appointment and Executive Directive 3.
October 14, 2026: The statewide listening tour begins.
November 16, 2026: The listening tour concludes.
Market Landscape
This appointment follows the framework set by Executive Directive 3, which prioritizes the formalization of outdoor recreation as a pillar of economic development. It signals a move toward centralized state management similar to recent efforts in neighboring jurisdictions to capture tourism growth.
Operators in the outdoor and tourism sectors should prepare to engage with the upcoming regional listening tour to represent their specific business needs. Monitoring the output of the advisory group will be essential for identifying upcoming changes to land use policy or state-backed marketing initiatives.
The takeaway
The state is shifting toward a more cohesive strategy to capture value from the $14.4 billion outdoor recreation market. Operators should monitor the progress of the advisory group's strategy development to anticipate shifts in how state resources are allocated to tourism-dependent regions.
What happens next
The listening tour is scheduled to occur across 10 tourism regions between October 14, 2026, and November 16, 2026.
Further reading
For more on industry leadership and administrative changes in the state, see People.
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Should your state government prioritize investment in outdoor recreation to stimulate economic growth?
