Lynchburg native named to lead Virginia tobacco commission

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Gov. Terry McAuliffe has appointed a new executive director to the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission. Evan Feinman, a Lynchburg native, was tapped for the post on Friday. Feinman previously served as deputy secretary of natural resources and as deputy policy director for the governor’s post-election transition team.The Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission is the new name for the Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission. The name was changed during the recent legislative session. The commission was created 16 years ago to spend Virginia’s portion of the national tobacco settlement, but has come under scrutiny for how it’s spent the money. The legislation also requires a dollar-for-dollar match for all economic development grant awards, creates an online database of all commission awards and requires a biennial comprehensive strategic plan process.