The Southern Virginia Steering Committee leading the launch of the Region 3 Council for GoVirginia will hold a community information meeting Wednesday to encourage those interested to learn more about how to participate in the initiative.

According to a press release, a 90-minute session will be held at 5:30 p.m. at Charleys Waterfront Cafe, 201 B. Mill St., in Farmville. Refreshments will be available.

“Participation is encouraged and space is limited and to ensure these sessions are fully interactive, advance registration is required by 5 p.m. the day before the session. To register for either of these information sessions, call (434) 570-1319 or send an email to gosouthernva@gmail.com. “

GoVirginia is the commonwealth’s emerging economic development initiative, according to the release. “The mission of GoVirginia is to encourage collaboration among business, education, and government in each region, on activities that will enhance private sector growth and opportunity, economic competitiveness and alignment of workforce development programs with the needs of the employers in the regions.”

GoVirginia will be managed within nine regions of Virginia. The Southern Virginia region (Region 3) includes Patrick, Henry, Pittsylvania, Halifax, Mecklenburg, Brunswick, Nottoway, Prince Edward, Lunenburg, Buckingham, Cumberland, Charlotte, Amelia and the cities of Martinsville and Danville.

“The Southern Virginia Steering Committee is seeking input from stakeholders as it prepares its application for certification as a regional council. These information sessions will provide an opportunity for citizens and stakeholders to receive an overview of GoVirginia, understand the steps and timeline that the Southern Virginia Steering Committee is proposing and capture participant’s ideas about important elements by which regional capacity-building projects can be proposed and evaluated. Stakeholders from business, education, government, nonprofits and civic organizations are encouraged to participate in one of these meetings,” officials said in the release.