Join us for our 2024 First Friday's Summer Speaker Series kickoff on Friday, June 7 at 8:30 a.m. to welcome Keynote Speaker Zach Jacobs, Assistant Secretary of Education, Office of Glen Youngkin.

Zach Jacobs was appointed by Governor Youngkin as Assistant Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia in September 2023. Prior to this role, he served as a Legislative Specialist for Virginia Farm Bureau’s Governmental Relations team. He previously served as a Senior Legislative Assistant for two members of Congress, working on education, agriculture, transportation, energy, and national security policy. Before his time on Capitol Hill, Zach worked as a Legislative Analyst in the Office of Congressional Relations at the U.S. Department of Agriculture for Secretary Sonny Perdue. Zach received his B.S. in Agribusiness Management and National Security and Foreign Affairs from Virginia Tech and his M.A. in Strategic Communications from Liberty University.

Special thanks to Southern Virginia University & our Innovation Partners.