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Dear DC Board of Directors, Staff and Members:

Today, June 30, 2020, marks the last day of my tenure as President and Chief Executive Officer of our 82 year old prestigious organization, the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce.

Thank you for allowing me to serve in this position for four years. Our accomplishments together have been tremendous, overwhelming and outstanding. I’m very proud to have worked with you to bring in nearly 475 new members to the DC Chamber.

With a staff of seven workers, we were able to overcome significant challenges, barriers and obstacles and rise from the fourth rank Chamber in the region to the ranking of second as reported by the Washington Business Journal in the 2020 Book of List. Upon filing the DC Chamber’s 2019 Form 990, due July 15, 2020, indicating gross revenue in excess of three million dollars, will more likely than not, propel the DC Chamber to the number one ranking. We achieved this gross revenue goal of $3 million a year ahead of schedule. See background information below.

Together we secured a new state of the art 7,154 square foot headquarters, avoided utilization of our line of credit for 3 1/2 years, and maintained a healthy monthly spending capacity.

Moreover, we were able to stay true to and enhance our mission to advocate, connect and educate. We achieved the reduction in the corporate franchise tax rate from 9.75% to 8.25%, increased the DC Estate tax exemption from $2 million to $5 million, secured government commitment to paying off the bonds on NATS ballpark ten years early (although recently COVID-19 put this initiative on hold), tabled the False Claims Amendment Act and defeated a $600 million carbon emissions tax. Our three state of the business reports have been legendary and widely quoted. We led extremely successful trade missions to Spain, Bahamas, Israel and Ethiopia, and established working memorandum of understandings (MOUs) in three of the countries. Our educational initiatives through seminars, policy forums, morning fixes, summits and publications have served the DC Chamber, community and government well.

The overall performance at the DC Chamber also afforded me the opportunity to be recognized in the class of Power 100 recognition by the Washington Business Journal in 2017 and 2018, being appointed to the United States Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100 Chief Executive Officers, a Boardmember of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, a member of the Metro Cities Council and a 2018 induction into the Washington, DC Hall of Fame Society, Inc.

As widely publicized, I am now pursuing a run to become an independent progressive democrat on the Council of the District of Columbia.

I end my tenure as President and CEO today while simultaneously becoming a new member, the Law Office of Vincent Orange , of the DC Chamber of Commerce.

Thank you so much for the unique opportunity to serve the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce. I now look forward to a great DC Chamber member experience.

Sincerely,
VINCENT BERNARD ORANGE SR.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
1. One Year In At DC Chamber
https://twitter.com/orangevo40/status/1273378853008936962?s=21

2. Orange  reaches $3 Million Gross Revenue for DC Chamber earlier then predicted by one year— WBJ in its Book of List presents DC Chamber ranked #2 in the Region of 25 Chambers. When Orange started it was ranked #4. When DC Chamber files it’s Form 990  on July 15, 2020  indicating Gross Revenue of $3 Million, it will more likely than not become the #1 Chamber in the Region.
https://twitter.com/orangevo40/status/1273377716289638401?s=21

3. DC Chamber Chairman Madan confirms Orange leaves DC Chamber in strong financial position

In WBJ article, DC Chamber Ajay Madan states the following:

But Madan said he is "bullish" on the chamber's financial prospects, and said that the nonprofit is "a little ahead of where we expected to be" as business returns to some form of normalcy as the Covid-19 lockdown eases.

"The chamber is in a good place, and it's not in any bad place," Madan said.

The Orange tenure at the DC Chamber of Commerce commenced on August 16, 2016 and will  end on June 30, 2020 . This period represents the accurate period of review of Vincent Orange’s performance.
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