Luke Virgil

Opening Plenary Response Panel

Luke Virgil is the executive director at Wayne Area Economic Development (WAED). He has been working in economic development since 2012 and has assisted multiple businesses of varying sizes via recruitment, retention visits, and transition planning. Since starting at WAED, Virgil has championed broadband, child care, and housing as strategies to grow and improve rural Nebraska. Most recently, WAED has been working with municipal leaders, businesses, and local property owners to develop a new industrial site and additional housing developments for Wayne. In 2020, WAED welcomed Ace Hardware & Home to Wayne, which filled the local retail void created by the closing of Shopko in 2019. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, WAED has been an active advocate for businesses in the community, even though the full impact on individual businesses and the community may not be felt for months or years. Virgil grew up near Wahoo, Nebraska, and received his B.S. in political science at Wayne State College. Virgil and his wife, Megan, have an 8-year-old son, Brody, and a 5-year-old daughter, Brynn.