Cynthia Richmond

Cynthia Richmond is an economic development leader with more than 30 years of experience in local economic development, spanning business recruitment and retention, small-business assistance, real estate development, economic policy, strategic planning and economic sustainability. Before retiring, she served as Deputy Director of Arlington Economic Development in Arlington, Virginia, and previously held leadership roles with Loudoun County, Virginia, and Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio.

Cynthia has been involved with the Intelligent Community Forum since 2008 and helped lead Arlington County to three ICF Top7 finishes. She continues to serve ICF as an analyst and site auditor, most recently conducting the site audit of Durham Region, Ontario, which was named the 2025 Intelligent Community of the Year.