Virginia
Chamber Professional Digest
October,
2016
Good
morning #chamber world! Have a GREAT month!
Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce will
hold its third Local Legends event
FREDERICKSBURG – The Fredericksburg Regional
Chamber of Commerce will hold its third Local Legends event, recognizing four
area business leaders retiring this year.
The honorees this year are G. William “Billy”
Beale, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Union Bankshares Corporation, Ron
Branscome, Executive Director of Rappahannock Area Community Services Board
(RACSB), Karen Hedelt, Director of Economic Development & Tourism for the
City of Fredericksburg, and Dr. David Sam, President of Germanna Community
College.
The celebration will be held on Tuesday,
November 1 at Jepson Alumni Executive Center starting at noon.
“This is a way to recognize the business and
community contributions of the honorees,” said Susan Spears, Chamber President
& CEO. “These leaders have made outstanding contributions to their
organizations as well as the broader community. They are our local legends.”
Billy Beale will step down as CEO on January 2,
2017. Beale has served as President and CEO of Union Bankshares Corporation
(and its predecessor companies) since 1991. He has served on the Board of
Directors since that time. During his tenure, bank assets have grown to $8.1
billion from $180 million, representing a compounded annual growth rate of
16.5%. Total shareholder return through August 5th has been 858%. Beale started
his banking career in Texas after receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in
Business Administration from The Citadel. Prior to relocating to Virginia, he
graduated from the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern
Methodist University.
RACSB Executive Director Ron Branscome will
retire June 30, 2017, after guiding the public behavioral health and
developmental services agencies for more than 30 years. Branscome first came to
Fredericksburg in 1974 to coordinate a Developmental Disabilities Grant project
for the Association for Retarded Citizens – Rappahannock, which established a
community-based system of care for mentally retarded citizens in Planning
District 16. As director of this division, Branscome implemented services such
as a case management program to improve care for individuals served and an
infant development program to provide therapy and training for infants and
toddlers with developmental delays and their families. He also oversaw the
creation of a day support program, Rappahannock Adult Activities. For these efforts,
he was named the Employee of the Year of the now Virginia Department of
Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. Today RACSB employs 266 full-time
and 134 part-time employees and serviced more than 11,000 mentally ill patients
in 2015. In addition to its role as a community service provider, RACSB is a
contributor to the local economy. In 2015, RACSB provided 514 jobs, paid $23
million in employee compensation, and spent $9 million in total
output/expenditures. It is estimated these direct outputs may have supported
164 additional jobs, $12.9 million in additional labor income, and $4.9 million
in additional economic output.
Karen Hedelt joined the city staff in 1981 as a
communication coordinator. In the ensuing years, she served as the department’s
public relations and marketing manager, acting director, and director of
tourism. She was named the director of the Department of Economic Development
and Tourism in 2010.
While her job requires Hedelt to represent the
city on a myriad of commissions, task forces, committees, and boards, she is
equally comfortable behind the scenes of tourism and economic development
initiatives. Since 2010, Hedelt oversaw the creation of innovative business
districts and incentive programs to encourage business growth. New tourism and
economic development websites have been introduced, making it easier for
tourists and businesses to learn about Fredericksburg’s assets. She was an
early and strong supporter of the city’s Main Street program. She left her post
on August 1.
Dr. David Sam will retire on June 30, 2017,
after 10 years at the helm as Germanna’s fifth president. During Sam’s time as
president of Germanna Community College, the school’s total student headcount
has increased more than 60 percent, the Fredericksburg campus in Spotsylvania
was expanded, and new centers in Stafford and Caroline counties were added.
When he started in March 2007, Germanna enrollment
hovered around 7,542 but rose to 12,317 during the 2015-16 school year.
Together, Sam, 66, and the late Rick Brehm, his vice president for
administrative services, steered Germanna through the recession without layoffs
despite the budget cuts.
Tickets price is $35/pp and can be purchased by
calling Chamber office 540-373-9400. Contact: Dawn Haun, Communications
Director - (540)373-9400, Dawn@fredericksburgchamber.org
Coalition of Northern Virginia Chambers along
with other regional leaders facilitates the creation of a Steering Committee to
develop the GO Virginia Regional Council for Northern Virginia
13-member committee will identify members and
establish structure for Regional Council responsible for proposing projects to
compete for GO Virginia's economic development funds
A steering committee, comprised of top
Northern Virginia business, education and economic development leaders, has
been formed to develop the Regional Council. This Council will identify, review
and propose local projects that will compete with other regions of the state
for funds from the GO Virginia economic development program.
An initiative of the Coalition of Northern
Virginia Chambers, the Steering Committee has the task of identifying
candidates to serve on the GO Virginia Regional Council for Northern Virginia
and to initiate the development of a regional economic development strategy.
GO Virginia is a bipartisan initiative adopted
by the Virginia General Assembly and Governor McAuliffe to encourage greater
collaboration amongst the Commonwealth's localities, higher education and
private sector partners on projects that create jobs and spur economic growth.
At their first meeting, Steering Committee
members named Matt McQueen, of Northrop Grumman, and Kerry Donley, of John
Marshall Bank, the committee's Chairman and Vice Chairman, respectively.
"Alongside Kerry, I am proud to help lead
this important effort to develop the strongest possible GO Virginia Regional
Council for Northern Virginia. By encouraging greater collaboration and less
parochialism, this groundbreaking initiative will change the paradigm for
economic development in Virginia. Along with my fellow Steering Committee
members, I am excited to be a part of that change," said McQueen.
"On behalf of the Coalition of Northern
Virginia Chambers, I want to thank these business leaders for investing their
time and expertise in this Steering Committee. The Governor and General
Assembly have demonstrated tremendous confidence in the ability of Virginia's
region's to create the partnerships and spirit of collaboration needed to drive
our economy forward. Northern Virginia's chambers of commerce are fully
committed to that goal and to GO Virginia's success," said Mark Ingrao,
President & CEO of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce.
Contact: Mark Ingrao, Greater Reston Chamber -
703.930.6518 or Tony Howard, Loudoun County Chamber - 571.209.9020
Rising Tide
Demographic: Virginia Peninsula Chamber Senior Advocate Round-Table
November
16: Peninsula Chamber Senior Advocate Round-Table
Presenter:
Virginia Health Services
Topic:
TBA
Location:
Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce
21
Enterprise Parkway
Lakefront Plaza
Hampton,
VA 23666
Time:
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (Lunch begins at 11:30 AM)
Fee:
Members FREE
Non-Members $10
#Bestchamber practices: Prince William Chamber
Invites Business, Not-for-Profit Communities to Semi-Annual “Meet the Media”
Event
Manassas, VA- On Tuesday, October 11 the Prince William Chamber of Commerce will host
their semi-annual Meet the Media event at the offices of The REALTOR®
Association of Prince William (4545 Daisy Reid Avenue; Prince William, VA
22192) from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. Crafted by Chamber members working in
marketing, communications and the news media, the program features four panel
discussions offering opportunities for business and not-for-profit executives
to foster and strengthen relationships with the news media for greater results
in their public relations efforts. Kicking off the event will be guest speaker
Christina Daves, Serial Entrepreneur and Founder of PR for Anyone. Each
attendee will also take home a media guide booklet featuring contact
information and preferences for dozens of local and regional news publishers,
reporters and editors.
As the Keynote Speaker,
Daves will cover “How to Build a Relationship with the Media,” drawing on her
story of garnering media attention for her CastMedic Designs with no PR budget
and no media contacts. Within a year she had been featured in over 50 media
outlets, including national television.
“Many business people and
not-for-profit executives are looking for an easy path to getting their news
published. But just as with anything else in business, it’s really all about
relationships,” says Prince William Chamber of Commerce Director of Marketing
& Communications, Andrea Whaley. “You need to know the person on the other
end of the proverbial line. Know what they cover. Discover how to be a help to
them rather than seeing them as a tool to get your story out on the streets. Meet
the Media provides the perfect venue for our members and others in the
community to begin developing those important relationships. Plus, you can
leave with a short list of media contacts who are looking to cover the kinds of
stories you have to offer.”
Confirmed media
participants to date include representatives from InsideNOVA; Prince
William Living Magazine, The Observer Newspapers,
PotomacLocal.com, WAVA and What’s Up Woodbridge. More
panelists are signing up daily.
Breakout Sessions for Meet
the Media include:
Pitching a
Story in the 21st Century: Welcome to the future, where a good
old fashioned press release may not always cut it. Our panel of media
professionals will share what works well when pitching a story in today’s
email/internet/social media jungle. Discover new ways to pitch story ideas and
the preferred methods of communication of each of our panelists. Plus, ask
questions on how you can stand out from the crowd.
Get it Published in Your
Own Words: That’s what
everyone wants, right? You want to tell your OWN story in your OWN words. You
wrote the perfect release, wouldn’t it be nice if your favorite news outlet
could just publish the story as is? With the advent of promoted posts, your PR
dreams can now be a reality. This panel discussion is for any
businesses/organizations seeking opportunities to submit/write content. Find
out how that process works and how to connect with the right publication for
your content.
Find Your Niche: Are you sending every press release to every
person on your media list? That could be why you’re not getting published as
often as you would like. Every media outlet is different. Just like your
organization, they have a mission and a vision; and they cover different kinds
of stories. Some focus on quality of life stories, others on business or
government or economic development…even women’s issues. Within each staff,
different reporters are even assigned to different beats. Know your audience so
that you can cultivate a media list that enables you to send the right story to
the right person for the greatest likelihood of making a connection that works
for everyone involved. Ask our panelists about their niche and how to find the
right media contacts for your kind of news.
Is This News?: Stop! Before you send that press release, ask
yourself….”Is this really news?” Our guest speaker knows how to identify a good
story, and how to turn a mediocre story into a GREAT story. She joins us to
offer tips on identifying the stories you may be missing and how NOT to bore the
media with story pitches that will never see the light of day.
Tickets for Meet the Media are
$50 for members of the Prince William Chamber of Commerce and $65 for
non-members. Pricing includes continental breakfast, attendance at all sessions
and a printed media guide booklet featuring dozens of up-to-date media
contacts. For more information or to register, call 703-368-6600 or go to
PWChamber.org.
#FamousChamber of Commerce Quotations: Warren
Buffett
It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.
Northern Virginia
Chamber of Commerce Announces Partnership with Virginia International Trade
Alliance (VITAL)
Tysons,
Va. – The Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce (Northern Virginia Chamber)
announced today its continued partnership with the Virginia
International Trade Alliance (VITAL),
an initiative to increase international trade in Virginia. Through its
participation in VITAL, the Northern Virginia Chamber will promote Virginia’s
international trade development programs and services to its member companies
to grow their international sales.
VITAL, which
was launched in July 2015 by Governor Terry McAuliffe and is managed by
the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), expands the Commonwealth’s
nationally recognized international trade programs via formal partnerships with
Virginia’s public universities, industry associations and chambers of commerce.
Northern
Virginia Chamber President & CEO Jim Corcoran stated, “The Northern
Virginia Chamber, the Voice of Business in Northern Virginia™, is thrilled to
renew our partnership with VEDP and the VITAL program to grow and diversify the
Northern Virginia economy. The VITAL program promises to expose Virginia
businesses to new markets and new customers abroad, allowing them to be more
successful and employ more Virginians. We look forward to engaging member
companies in this initiative in order to enhance the regional economy.”
VITAL builds
upon Virginia’s proven export assistance programs, including tailored market
research, face-to-face meetings with qualified partners overseas, and VEDP’s
award-winning Virginia Leaders in Export Trade (VALET) Program.
Virginia Secretary
of Commerce and Trade Todd Haymore added, “With 95% of the world’s customers
living outside of the U.S., it is imperative that we explore new opportunities
to promote Virginia’s products and assets on the international stage. The
VITAL program is helping our companies access new markets and increase exports,
while spurring job growth here at home. We look forward to continuing
this partnership with the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and working to
help businesses in the region grow and reach new international customers. ”
The Northern
Virginia Chamber of Commerce is one of 12 VITAL partners, including:
Virginia
Chamber of Commerce
Virginia
Manufacturers Association
Virginia
Maritime Association
College of
William & Mary
James Madison
University
George Mason
University
Old Dominion
University
University of
Mary Washington
Virginia
Commonwealth University
Virginia
Military Institute
Virginia Tech
The
Commonwealth of Virginia exported more than $36 billion in manufactured goods
and services in 2014. Exports of Virginia’s products and services to the world
are vital to the growth of the Commonwealth, with an economic impact to
Virginia of more than $18.7 billion in labor income, $2 billion in tax revenue
and the creation of nearly 321,000 jobs.
For more
information on the VITAL Program, visit http://www.novachamber.org/vital-international-trade.html.
CONTACT:
Alex Chagouris, Director, Communications & Marketing
Northern Virginia Chamber
achagouris@NOVAChamber.org
703-752-7526
Hampton Roads Chamber presents U.S. Secretary of
the Navy, Ray Mabus
Norfolk, VA –The Hampton Roads Chamber of
Commerce is proud to present the Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus. Secretary
Mabus will present at the next Chamber Leadership Series event to meet with
Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce members to thank the business community for
supporting the Navy and give us an update on U.S. Navy initiatives. His remarks
will focus on Navy and Marine accomplishments over the past seven years and
continued efforts to advance the Department of the Navy in innovation, energy,
shipbuilding, personnel initiatives and partnerships.
Chamber Leadership Series with Secretary Mabus
Date: Friday, October 14
Time: 12:00-1:30pm
Where: Sheraton Norfolk Waterside
777 Waterside Drive, Norfolk VA
Contact: Shannon Curtin (570)-854-1882
Chamber Leadership Series with Secretary Mabus
Date: Friday, October 14
Time: 12:00-1:30pm
Where: Sheraton Norfolk Waterside
777 Waterside Drive, Norfolk VA
Contact: Shannon Curtin (570)-854-1882
#BestChamber practices: Finalists selected for
Made in FredVA contest: Five business ideas to compete for the $10,000 grand
prize
FREDERICKSBURG – The
five finalists have been selected for the fourth annual Made in FredVA business
startup competition organized by the Next Generation of Business Leader, a
program of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce. The businesses
selected are 2 Hearts 1 Dress, Hapcast, Homes and Hounds, TrakSafeT, and The
Virginia Divearium. Each will have five minutes to pitch their business ideas
to a panel of distinguished local entrepreneurs at the October 27 event at the
Inn at the Old Silk Mill in Fredericksburg. The judges will have ten minutes to
ask the business owners questions.
The event is patterned after the popular “Shark
Tank” television show. The winner will receive $10,000 toward their business
startup expenses. Additionally, the audience will vote for the $500 people’s
choice cash award. Potential investors are encouraged to attend and hear the
business ideas pitched. The public is welcome to attend the October 27 event,
which begins at 6 p.m. Tickets will be sold for a nominal price.
Details about the finalists:
· 2 Hearts 1 Dress, Stacey Thomas. 2 Hearts
1 Dress offers new and used maternity clothing and aspires to create a
community of mothers in the Fredericksburg region.
· Hapcast, Steve Labrador. Hapcast
is a mobile messaging application that allows businesses to post sales and
events so consumers find “what’s happening” around them.
· Homes and Hounds, Jackie Acquista. Homes
and Hounds is all about the love of dogs and the historical city they live in.
· TrakSafeT, Inc., Anthony Worthey. TrakSafeT, Inc. focuses on minimizing accidents/collisions at all
grade-level railroad crossings, across the nation, and around the world.
· The Virginia Divearium, Al Rios. The Virginia
Divearium is a unique scuba diving venue that combines a diver training site
and an underwater museum within a partially simulated aquarium environment.
“We were thrilled to receive new and
creative ideas for our fourth year of the competition,” said Jorge Ibarra,
chairman of the NextGen board of directors. “It has been great to watch this
program grow.”
The final judges at the Made in FredVA event are
Kevin Fastabend, Senior VP, Virginia Partners Bank, Adam Fried, CEO, Atlantic
Builders, Ltd., and Catherine Sullivan, owner, Monkees of Fredericksburg.
The prizes are made possible through generous
sponsorships from the Stafford County Economic Development Authority, the Next
Generation of Business Leaders, and Virginia Partners Bank.
Contact: Whitney Watts, Vice President,
Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce
540-735-1922; whitney@fredericksburgchamber.org
#FamousChamber of Commerce Quotation: Glenn
Shepard
"What makes a winner a winner isn't that
they never lose. It's that they never lose faith in themselves, even when
they're not winning." - Glenn Shepard
GO CUBS!!
Top Five Daily Postings in the last month at Midwest Chamber of Commerce
blog – click to go there or Google search
“Midwest Chamber of Commerce blog”
|
Sep 30,
2016
|
169
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Sep 16,
2016
|
137
|
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Oct 24,
2016
|
83
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Sep 28,
2016
|
72
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Sep 29,
2016
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65
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Last Month’s Stories
#BestChamber practices: Front Royal-Warren County Chamber New Teacher Reception Click here for information.
Phil Hardwick — What remarkable associations do that others
don’t Mississippi Business
Prince William Chamber Presents Direct Access: A
Conversation with Local Leaders: A Municipal Themed Gameshow-style Event PWChamber.org or by calling
703-368-6600.
Northern Virginia Chamber,
Board of Trade, Prince George’s Chamber to Host DC, Maryland, and Virginia
Leaders at Annual Capital Region Business Forum website.
#BestChamber practices: WHAT IS #DoBizInReston? contact LJ Wilson,
Communications Manager at ljw@restonchamber.org.
#BestChamber Practices: Virginia Peninsula Chamber: Young
Entrepeneurs Academy (YEA!) Virginia Peninsula Chamber
Chamber Report: 2016 1st Half Retail Sales Up In Charlottesville
Region
#FamousChamber of
Commerce Quotation: Kernersville (NC) Chamber of Commerce
Thought for Today--- It
had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat
back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.
-Elinor Smith
Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotations:
(Leadership)
"We have to wake up every day with a
servant's heart!"
Frankfort, Indiana mayor Chris McBarnes, age 23
(that's right, 23!) to Indiana chamber executives at ICEA Annual Comference
McLean Chamber stresses community
ties in anniversary fete Inside NOVA
#BestChamber
practices: Wytheville-Wythe-Bland Chamber of Commerce: Leadership Development
Program
If you would like
delivery of a no-cost gloss chamber directory or map for June, 2017, please
contact me at your earliest convenience.
John
John Dussman | Chamber Manager
jdussman@tspubs.com | 847-427-4633 | Town Square Publications
Daily Herald Media Group
155 E. Algonquin Road | Arlington Heights, IL 60005
jdussman@tspubs.com | 847-427-4633 | Town Square Publications
Daily Herald Media Group
155 E. Algonquin Road | Arlington Heights, IL 60005
Do you have a story
idea?
If you know of a chamber news item that you would like to be included in the CHAMBER EXECUTIVE INTELLIGENCE REPORT or the MIDWEST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE blog, please email me at jdussman@tspubs.com or call me at (847)-427-4633. Thank you.
If you know of a chamber news item that you would like to be included in the CHAMBER EXECUTIVE INTELLIGENCE REPORT or the MIDWEST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE blog, please email me at jdussman@tspubs.com or call me at (847)-427-4633. Thank you.
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