VACCE January 2024 E-Newsletter
The mission of VACCE is to equip Chamber of Commerce professionals with leadership skills and tools to build innovative Chambers.
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2024 VACCE Conference Dates & Locations |
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Be sure to save the dates for our 2024 conferences:
2024 VACCE Spring Conference
Thursday & Friday, March 21 & 22, 2024
Hotel 24 South
Staunton, VA
2024 VACCE Executive Leadership Conference
Thursday & Friday, August 22 & 23, 2024
The Bristol Hotel
Bristol, VA
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Chamber Day at the Capitol & Old Dominion Assembly Legislative Reception
Wednesday, January 17 - Omni Richmond Hotel
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VACCE Associate Member Updates |
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Forbes Management Self Employed Podcast
Are your business owner members leaving money on the table? To find out more, please click here.
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We are proud to share that our President, Brian Francis, will be joining the faculty of the US Chamber’s Institute for Organization Management. Brian will likely be teaching Effective Government Affairs Programs, Advocacy and Alliances and PACs and Political Endorsements. Interested in building your advocacy program in 2024? There is still time to enroll in our January cohort of the Advocacy Framework. Visit www.advocacyframework.com to learn more.
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Happy New Year 2024! Starfish Partnerships will be offering chamber staff specific private focus groups in 2024 – for Executives, Membership, Events and Office staff members. Investing in your team not only fosters confidence but also promotes empowerment. Each virtual group can accommodate only 30 participants, ensuring ample time for sharing and deriving maximum benefit. These sessions involve in-depth discussions on outlined topics and includes a 10-15 minute presentation followed by discussions, brainstorming and idea-sharing. It’s less than $25/month and paid annually at only $297. In addition, I’m offering a study group on the book Lead Like Jesus. The best part? It’s free! The only cost is for you to purchase your book. This opportunity is open to everyone so feel free to share this with your friends too. Register for both of these by January 26th! You can register here: https://www.starfishpartnerships.com/2024-programs. I shared the All Things Chamber program information with you in December – look for additional information on it from the state association soon! If you want to explore options for partnerships in 2024, please reach out to me at teri@starfishpartnerships.com.
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Alleghany Highlands Chamber
Teresa Hammond, Executive Director, has announced her retirement from the Chamber in early 2024. The Chamber is now accepting resumes for the Executive Director position. Please see the VACCE Careers page for more information.
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Bristol Chamber
The Chamber is pleased to announce that Sarah Hutchinson, Senior Director of IT & Graphic Design, recently received two recognitions - named to the Business Journal of Tri-Cities TN/VA 40 Under Forty and only a few weeks later also named to ACCE's 40 Under Forty list!
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ChamberRVA
PNC Bank and ChamberRVA are pleased to support C-Suite Conversations, a speaker series presented by the University of Richmond Robins School of Business. The C-Suite Conversation is a complimentary series of engaging, educational opportunities for students, alumni, and the Richmond community. The next event will be held Tuesday, January 23 with Moses Foster, West Cary Group.
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Charlottesville Regional Chamber
On December 11, the Chamber's Board of Directors announced the upcoming departure of President & CEO Natalie Masri. Effective January 16, 2024, current Chairwoman of the Board, Rebecca Ivins, will transition to Interim President & CEO of the Chamber. Sasha Tripp, current Vice Chairwoman of the Board, will also transition to serve as the Chairwoman of the Board in January.
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Culpeper Chamber
On December 6th, the Chamber hosted a dynamic Legislative Breakfast. Delegate Nick Frietas and representatives from Representative Abagail Spanger and Senator Bryce Reeves' offices engaged with the community on key issues—Education, Health Care, Workforce & Economic Development, Housing, and Agriculture. The event showcased a collaborative spirit, emphasizing local voices in shaping policies for a prosperous Culpeper future. The Chamber's commitment to ongoing advocacy was evident, promoting dialogue that connects businesses with elected officials.
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Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber
Danville Community College (DCC) is proud to announce the successful completion of its first 16-week Cybersecurity Training Program cohort. The completion ceremony for the inaugural cohort took place on Monday, December 4 at 5:30 p.m. at the Shields Student Center on the DCC campus. The cybersecurity training program, a hybrid initiative consisting of 15 hours per week over 16 weeks, has equipped 17 students with essential skills to navigate the dynamic landscape of cybersecurity. The program, made possible through strategic partnerships with the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce, RURAL Empowerment, and the City of Danville, is the product of a 2-year Department of Labor grant secured earlier this year.
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Gloucester County Chamber
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Greater Augusta Regional Chamber
The Chamber is excited to commemorate 25 years in 2024! In 1911, the Staunton-Augusta County Chamber of Commerce was founded and then in 1922, the Waynesboro-East Augusta Chamber of Commerce was founded. Subsequently, in 1999, they merged to create what is now known as the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce. We are excited to honor that heritage as we look forward to a year of celebrating with our members and unveiling a fresh new logo!
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Hampton Roads Chamber
The Chamber is celebrating a phenomenal 2023 and looking forward to 2024! We wrapped up the year with 550 of our closest friends and supporters at our Annual Meeting keynoted by Senator Mark Warner. There we recapped an outstanding year, thanked our outgoing board members and announced this year’s special awards! Find the full recap here.
As we look to 2024, we continue to be committed to being the voice of business in Hampton Roads. With new events, workshops for small businesses and partnerships on the way, we know it will be another good year of business for us and our region.
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Highland County Chamber
Looking to get away from it all in beautiful Highland County, Virginia? Use our 2024 Calendar of Events Rack Card to plan your visit, now available digitally here. You can also pick them up locally and regionally at Welcome Centers or request your copy online here.
Virginia’s sweetest event of the year returns on March 9 – 10 and 16 – 17, 2024 with the 64th Highland County Maple Festival! The county-wide event features free maple sugar camp tours, over 100 juried arts & crafts vendors, live entertainment, and delicious food like famous maple doughnuts. Get the full details here.
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Lexington Rockbridge Chamber
Join the Chamber for our 25th Annual State of the Community breakfast on Friday, January 5, 2024 at the Virginia Horse Center. Elected officials from our three local jurisdictions - Buena Vista, Lexington and Rockbridge County - and our state legislators have been invited to provide a review of this past year and a look ahead to 2024. Register here.
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Northern Virginia Black Chamber
The Chamber proudly announces the appointment of LeAnn White as its new Executive Director, effective November 2023. With a wealth of knowledge and a commitment to advancing the interests of the business community, LeAnn is set to lead NVBCC into a new era of growth and prosperity.
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Prince William Chamber
The Chamber will host their Women's Empowerment Conference - a 3-day conference in Northern Virginia designed to uplift and foster support among women - on Wednesday, March 6 through Friday, March 8. The event will kick off with opening day at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club with headlining speaker Sheila Johnson.
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Other Updates of Interest |
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ACCE
AskACCE - Free Online Q&A Service
With ACCE’s far-reaching network of members, we are able to collect and share innovative best practices and industry benchmarks. If you are struggling with a chamber management challenge, ACCE is here to help. AskACCE, our free online Q&A service, is an exclusive benefit of your chamber’s membership. Click here for a few questions our team answered recently.
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IOM Blog
Effective Emergency Response Plans
If current events have taught us one thing it is this: emergencies DO happen. As a result, insurance premiums for many facilities are skyrocketing, the cost of defending against lawsuits is rising, and regulatory agencies are paying closer attention to industries’ preparedness programs. Anticipating emergencies and planning your response can greatly lessen the extent of injuries and limit equipment, material and property damage. Click here to read the blog.
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