The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission (Virginia Tobacco Commission) met today in Richmond and has elected Terry Kilgore (Delegate, First District) as its chairman. Kilgore will succeed Charles Hawkins, former State Senator from Pittsylvania County, as its chair. Hawkins served as the chair of the Tobacco Commission since its inception in 1999. Kilgore stated, “It is an honor to succeed Charlie Hawkins as the chair of the Tobacco Commission.” Kilgore noted that Hawkins has brought the Tobacco Commission from its inception to where it is now. Kilgore stated that Hawkins was a great leader for the Virginia Tobacco Commission and is responsible for a lot of the successes that the Tobacco Commission had over the past 11 years. Kilgore is very excited about the opportunities the Tobacco Commission will have over the next few years in promoting the economic growth and development of our tobacco dependent communities. “This is an important role for Southwest and Southside Virginia, and I look forward to serving our citizens to insure that we continue the great work that Chairman Hawkins and the Tobacco Commission have promoted.”
The Virginia Tobacco Commission is a 31- member body created by the 1999 General Assembly. Its mission is promotion of economic growth and development in tobacco dependent communities using the proceeds from the national tobacco settlement. To date, the commission has awarded 1,188 grants totaling more than $640.6 million across the tobacco region of Southside and Southwest Virginia and has provided $234 million in indemnification payments to tobacco growers and quota owners. The Tobacco Commission has given regional scholarships to college students providing millions of dollars to families of tobacco farmers and former tobacco farmers to insure that we have an educated work force.
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