Vice President of Education & Workforce Development
​Jim Wilson - jim@vrlta.org

Jim is the Vice President of Education and Workforce Development for the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging and Travel Association. Previously, he worked for Pearson, and previously worked for McGraw Hill publishing working with Virginia and Mid-Atlantic Schools on curriculum and textbooks. Jim is a former teacher and graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University. Jim and his wife, Gillian, live in The Fan in Richmond along with their dog, Dempsey.

More about Jim...

What is your ultimate Virginia weekend getaway?
I would head out to Southwest Virginia for a weekend of charming downtowns, hiking, good food and good beer. I’d start in Roanoke with a hike in Virginia’s Blue Ridge and finish the day in downtown Roanoke with dinner at Nawab and a stop at one (or two) of the many breweries on the Virginia’s Blue Ridge Cheers Trail and cap off the day with a stay at The Hotel Roanoke. The next day I would head down to Bristol and walk along State Street, lunch at The Burger Bar and a visit to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and end the trip with a stay at The Bristol Hotel.
 
What is your favorite cuisine, and a favorite Virginia restaurant that serves it?
It is way too hard to decide on a favorite cuisine. In Richmond some of my favorite restaurants are Edo’s Squid for Italian, Stella’s for Greek and Addis for Ethiopian. When in Northern Virginia I always try to visit Lost Dog Café for their extensive sandwich (and beer) list, and Pelon’s Baja Grill in Hampton Roads for amazing burritos. 
 
Which places are on your travel bucket list – Virginia and beyond?
In Virginia, Tangier Island is absolutely on my bucket list. Outside of Virginia, my wife and I are working on seeing a baseball game in every MLB ballpark (6 left to go!) and visiting every state capital (21 left) and internationally it would be Australia as well as catching a Premier League game (match?) in England.   
 
Mountains or beach?
All of the above!
 
Eat out or carry out?
Like everyone else, after the height of the pandemic, I enjoy eating in restaurants again!
 
Amusement park or camping?
Also a hard one to choose between. Growing up there was nothing like a visit to King’s Dominion, and I still enjoy going today. 
 
Name a place in Virginia you’d like to visit.
There aren’t too many places left that I haven’t visited. However, I am ashamed to admit that I have never stayed at Smith Mountain Lake. I am definitely a beach person so I am interested to see what the lake life is like.    
 
What’s your area’s best-kept secret?
It isn’t really a secret but the James River Park is an amazing asset for the City of Richmond. Just a short walk or bike ride from downtown and you can be surrounded by nature and feel like you’ve left the city completely.  
 
Favorite place for a beer or a cocktail?
The Brew Ridge Trail gives you some of the best views in the commonwealth with some great beers to enjoy. 

Perfect day in your (Virginia) hometown?
It would start with walking the dog around the Fan District and picking up coffee at Lamplighter Coffee and ending at the VMFA Sculpture Garden. For lunch I would head to Sally Bell’s Kitchen before heading to a Richmond Flying Squirrels game. I would end the day in Scott’s Addition at one of the many award winning breweries.