Chamber Executive Virginia Digest

December, 2015

Good morning Chamber world! Today is going to be a GREAT day!

Alexandria Chamber Of Commerce Names Joseph Haggerty New CEO

The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce today announced that it has named Joseph V. Haggerty, the former Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for United Way Worldwide, as its new Chief Executive Officer.

“We are extremely pleased to have Joe at the helm of the Alexandria Chamber,” said Walter Clarke, the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce’s Chairman of the Board of Directors. “He has had a long and distinguished career in community relationship-building, strategic organization and planning, and philanthropic fundraising. He will bring those valuable skills and expertise to Alexandria’s very active Chamber of Commerce, which will benefit greatly from his depth of knowledge and experience as the local business community continues to grow and prosper.”

Haggerty's career has been with the United Way. He has served as president of United Way organizations in St. Paul, Minnesota and Phoenix, Arizona. Moving to Alexandria from the CEO position at the Los Angeles United Way in 2004, he was named Executive V.P. and Chief Operating Officer for United Way Worldwide. He has been a volunteer with the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce since 2009.

"I am honored to step into this position with the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce and I believe my skills and experience can help the Chamber move forward,” said Haggerty. “Both business and individuals need to be the Chamber’s strong voice, working with our elected leaders, to ensure that we thrive economically.”

Haggerty received his undergraduate degree from Boston College and earned a Master’s Degree of Social Work, with a major in Community Organization and Planning, from the University of Connecticut. He has also completed executive management programs at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, Harvard Business School, and United Way of America. Read more: AlexandriaNews.Org

Fairfax Chamber Board of Directors Approves Change to Become the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce

Tysons, Va. – Today, the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce (Fairfax Chamber) Board of Directors approved the re-branding and restructuring of the Fairfax Chamber to the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce. The new entity, effective January 2016, is an answer to the call from business and political leaders for one unified business voice for Northern Virginia and more accurately reflects a role the Fairfax Chamber is already fulfilling.

“The Fairfax Chamber is the Voice of Business in Northern Virginia™ and has been for some time now,” said Mitchell D. Weintraub, Partner, Cordia Partners and Chairman, Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce. “The re-branding and restructuring will allow us to better serve and increase our value to our members, stakeholders and business community.”

The largest regional chamber in Virginia representing more than 500,000 employees, the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce will be the region’s leading voice for business advocacy, thought leadership, business-to-business opportunities and key community partnerships.

During the next several months, the Fairfax Chamber will bring together other chamber executives, business and political leaders, and community partners in a collaborative manner to help shape the launch of the new entity in January 2016.

“The new Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce will seek to complement, not compete with the other chambers,” Weintraub continued. “This is about strengthening and unifying the regional business voice region.”

Further information on the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce will be announced in January 2016. CONTACT: Alex Chagouris, Director, Communications & Marketing <achagouris@fairfaxchamber.org> --- 703-752-7526

#BestChamber Practices: Virginia Peninsula Strategic Values

Business Driven:
Acting always in the best interest of the Peninsula business community.

Excellence: 
Conducting all activities so as to bring credit to our Region.

Leadership: 
Providing visionary leadership by looking at the big picture and the long term in formulating policies and positions. 

Proactive: 
Positioning the Chamber to positively and creatively respond to challenges and opportunities. 

Collaborative: 
Partnering with advocates and stakeholders in addressing common issues and opportunities throughout our region. 

Responsive: 
Maintaining a flexible and responsive organizational structure so that we can effectively and quickly change activities or programs to serve the needs of the Peninsula business community in a rapidly changing environment.

Diverse & Inclusive: 
Diversity and inclusion is about creating a work force that represents the global communities in which we live and work and ensuring an environment in which every individual’s contributions are valued. A diverse and inclusive environment challenges our way of thinking by bringing together a variety of talents, backgrounds and experiences, and serves as a catalyst for new ideas and innovation. Source: Virginia Peninsula

Prince William Chamber Holds Legislative Kick-Off, December 16

State Legislators Talk Policy Priorities, Business Concerns

The Prince William Chamber of Commerce hosts the Prince William delegation to the Virginia General Assembly during its annual “Legislative Kick-Off” breakfast on Wednesday, December 16, 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. at Old Hickory Golf Club, 11921 Chanceford Drive near County Center.   The entire business community is invited to meet with elected officials before they head to Richmond for the 2016 legislative session.   Attendance at this event is open to all businesses in the region.

“There is incredible economic opportunity in the Prince William region.  It is vitally important that the small business community remains engaged in the policy making process and aware of changes in Richmond that could potentially impact their industry.  Our region has one of the most influential delegations to the General Assembly and we are excited to share our 2016 legislative priorities with them,” said Brendon Shaw, Prince William Chamber of Commerce Director of Government Relations.

To date, Senator George Barker, Senator-Elect Scott Surovell, Delegate Scott Lingamfelter and Delegate Richard Anderson have confirmed plans to attend.  All members of the Prince William delegation to Virginia’s General Assembly have been invited.  Additionally, the Chamber will present the delegation with its 2016 Public Policy Agenda.  A copy will be made available at pwchamberadvocate.org following the event.

Cost is $30 for Chamber members, $45 for non-members and includes breakfast.  Pre-register online at pwchamber.org.  The Presenting Sponsor is Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC); the Framework Sponsor is Compton and Duling, LC, Attorneys at Law; and Transurban is the Chamber’s Advocacy Vision Partner, supporting the Chamber’s comprehensive efforts to foster economic opportunity and a high quality of life in our region.   To learn more about these efforts, or the Legislative Kick-off event, Contact:  Andrea Whaley, Director of Marketing & Communications, visit pwchamber.org or call 703.368.6600.  

Southwest Virginia Chamber event addresses legislative issues

A delegation from the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce attended the 29th annual Southwest Virginia Chamber of Commerce Legislative Breakfast & Forum recently at the Holiday Inn and Hotel Bristol Conference Center.

The annual event, hosted by the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, has become a prelude to the upcoming legislative issues and concerns that will be the topics for the 2016 General Assembly.

Represented at the forum were Senator Bill Carrico from the 40th District, Delegate Will Morefield from the 3rd District and Delegate Israel O’Quinn from the 5th District.

Questions were submitted from the localities of the 13 participating chambers that included the towns of Richlands and Wytheville, and counties of Dickenson, Pulaski, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington and Wise. Read more: Southwest Times

Greater Richmond Chamber moving to SunTrust Center

The Greater Richmond Chamber is moving to new digs.The business group announced Wednesday that it had signed a lease to take over much of the 17th floor of the SunTrust Center at 919 E. Main St. downtown. Its board approved the move Wednesday morning.

The chamber will lease nearly 12,000 square feet, taking about two-thirds of the floor. It will have views looking north, east and south.

The organization currently leases 17,000 square feet on the seventh floor of the Main Street Centre building, which the state now owns. It moved there in January 2006.

The group’s 10-year lease there expires in January. It plans to move into the new space in late January or early February, depending upon when construction on the new space can be completed.

Kim Scheeler, the chamber’s president and CEO, said the group has been looking for new space for more than a year. One of its goals was to find space where the chamber could hold larger-scale meetings. Read more: Richmond Times Dispatch

Chamber Executive Ongoing Education Weekly New Idea: The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal

By Tony Schwartz and Jim Loehr

The number of hours in a day is fixed, but the quantity and quality of energy available to us is not. This fundamental insight has the power to revolutionize the way you live. 

As Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz demonstrate in their groundbreaking New York Times bestseller, managing energy, not time, is the key to enduring high performance as well as to health, happiness, and life balance. Their Full Engagement Training System is grounded in twenty-five years of working with great athletes -- tennis champ Monica Seles and speed-skating gold medalist Dan Jansen, to name just two -- to help them perform more effectively under brutal competitive pressures. Now this powerful, step-by-step program will help you to: 

· Mobilize four key sources of energy 

· Balance energy expenditure with intermittent energy renewal 

· Expand capacity in the same systematic way that elite athletes do 

· Create highly specific, positive energy management rituals 

The Power of Full Engagement is a highly practical, scientifically based approach to managing your energy more skillfully. It provides a clear road map to becoming more physically energized, emotionally connected, mentally focused, and spiritually aligned -- both on and off the job. Read more: Amazon

31st Annual Meeting of the Hampton Roads Regional Chamber of Commerce

The 31st Annual Meeting, the Chamber’s premier annual event, will be one of the largest

gatherings of business leaders and elected officials in Hampton Roads.

The Chamber will recognize outgoing and incoming volunteer leadership and present its Volunteer of the Year Award.

 

This year's keynote speaker will be Former Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder.  Governor Wilder was the first African-American to be elected as Governor of Virginia, serving as the 66th Governor of Virginia from 1990-1994. Governor Wilder, always outspoken and insightful, will be discussing the economic and political climate in Virginia.  He will also be signing his book, "Son of Virginia: A Life in America's Political Arena" after the event.

WHEN:           Wednesday, December 9, 2015

11:30am (Registration and Networking), 12-2pm (Lunch & Program)

WHERE:        Virginia Beach Convention Center

1000 19th Street
Virginia Beach, VA 23451

Arlington Chamber announces annual speaker, award winners

Technology leader Aneesh Chopra has been announced as keynote speaker of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce’s 91st annual meeting, to be held on Friday, Dec. 11 at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel.

Chopra formerly held top technology posts for both the Virginia and federal governments, and is co-founder and executive vice president of Hunch Analytics.

At the meeting, the Arlington Chamber also will present its annual awards. The Leadership Center for Excellence, an initiative of Leadership Arlington, will receive the Chair’s Award; David Kinney of Kinco LC will receive the President’s Award; and the Membership Engagement Committee will receive the Committee of the Year Award.

Tickets are at $55 for Chamber members, $70 for non-members, and sponsorship opportunities are available. The registration deadline is Dec. 3. Read more: Inside NOVA

Chamber Chuckle -  Wacky Wednesday Weirdest Chamber Requests

"Can you come fix my outside light?"

Fredericksburg Regional Chamber program: Final Four: Meet the Made in Fred Va finalists

Four finalists will compete for $10,000 to help with business startup expenses during the third annual Made in Fred VA competition.

Hosted by The Next Generation of Business Leaders, a program of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, the event will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Inn at the Old Silk Mill, 1707 Princess Anne St.

REPO-ROCKS

Repo-Rocks turns plastic waste into lightweight, decorative rocks for landscaping.

Founder: Evelyn Ellis White of Falmouth who has a home-based alterations and flower business

How did you come up with your business idea? I was always fascinated with my dad’s tinkering and inventions. He never threw away anything. So I always tried to create things . . . drawing up ideas but never acting on them, especially while raising my family. I came up with the idea of Repo-Rocks at least five or so years ago. Michael Crute, who I made an inventor on the patent worked so hard to perfect my vision. It could help tackle a huge problem: plastic waste.

How will your startup help the area? Fredericksburg is underemployed. I had these challenges as well, raising four children as a single mom and working several jobs to make ends meet. To be able to get Repo-Rocks out of the garage and into full production will be a creditable avenue in offering training and employment locally. It would also help get it into the retail market. More information: Fredericksburg Chamber

Gloucester County Chamber's wine fest returns for 6th year

Organizers say the sixth annual Gloucester Wine Festival this weekend is a fun opportunity to bring the community together.

The festival, hosted by the Gloucester County Chamber of Commerce, is set for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday at Brent and Becky's Bulbs located at 7900 Daffodil Lane.

It will feature 12 Virginia wineries, food, live music, retail vendors, wine tasting, art and crafts, and educational seminars.

“The Wine Festival is a celebration of a growing industry in Virginia, and we are proud to host 12 Virginia Wineries from all over the Commonwealth, right here in Gloucester,” Gloria Williams, executive director of the Gloucester County Chamber of Commerce, said in a news release. “Each year, the festival continues to grow and incorporate new ideas and concepts.” Read more: Daily Press

Chamber interest: Washington County, Virginia wants to help create more local businesses

The Washington County, Virginia Business Plan Challenge will award over $10,000 in business investment grants for start-up and existing businesses looking to expand with additional job creating in Washington County, Virginia, Town of Abingdon, Town of Glade Spring or Town of Damascus.

Applications must be submitted or postmarked no later than 5:00 p.m. on January 13, 2016 and received at the Washington County Chamber of Commerce at 1 Government Center Place, Suite D, Abingdon, VA 24210 or by email at washctybiz@gmail.com or fax at 276-628-3984.

Eligible business categories include Arts and Culture, Outdoor Recreation, Value Added Agriculture/Agritourism, Restaurants and Hospitality, Technology/Manufacturing/R&D, Retail and Support Services, and Light Manufacturing.

You can download rules and an application here.

Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotations: (Positive Thoughts)

“The strangest and most fantastic fact about negative emotions is that people actually worship them.” – Peter Ouspensky

Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce Joins Virginia International Trade Alliance (VITAL)

International export service now available to Chamber members in Northern Virginia

Richmond, Va. - The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) today announced that the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce (Fairfax Chamber) will partner with the Virginia International Trade Alliance (VITAL), an initiative to increase international trade in Virginia. Through its participation in VITAL, the Chamber will expand services to its member companies as they grow their international sales. VITAL, which was launched in July 2015 by Governor Terry McAuliffe and is managed by VEDP, expands the Commonwealth’s nationally recognized international trade program via formal partnerships with Virginia’s public universities, industry associations and chambers of commerce.

Fairfax Chamber President & CEO Jim Corcoran stated, “The Fairfax Chamber, the Voice of Business in Northern Virginia^TM, is thrilled to partner 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. This collaboration between government, business, and higher education will help shepherd in a new Virginia 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. Goals for VITAL include:

·         Growing Virginia exports by $1.6 billion in five years

·         Creating 14,000 trade-supported jobs in five years

·         Serving 390 companies per year via Virginia’s international trade programs

Speaking about the Fairfax Chamber’s decision to join VITAL, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Maurice Jones said, “We have a great opportunity in Virginia to help our wonderful businesses in all corners of the state find customers outside of the country, where 95% of the world’s consumers live. Northern Virginia is home to many of these businesses, and we look forward to working with the Fairfax Chamber to help those businesses find international customers and grow.”

The Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce joins 12 partners in VITAL, including:

·         Virginia Chamber of Commerce

·         Virginia Manufacturers Association

·         Virginia Maritime Association

·         Christopher Newport University

·         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 Virginia Economic Development Partnership was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1995 to encourage, stimulate, and support the development and expansion of the economy of the Commonwealth. To accomplish its objectives of promoting economic expansion within the Commonwealth, the Partnership focuses its efforts on business recruitment, expansion and international trade. VEDP offers numerous programs to assist Virginia companies with selling into the global marketplace. Source: Fairfax Chamber

Top Three Daily Postings in the last month at Midwest Chamber of Commerce blog – click to go there or Google search “Midwest Chamber of Commerce blog”

St. Joseph County Chamber News: South Bend, Indian... Dec 3, 2015	110
Chamber Executive Ongoing Education Weekly New Ide... Nov 24, 2015	106
Lansing Regional Chamber Calls for Public/Private ... Nov 12, 2015	106

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