Our Region’s future growth and economic stability are top discussion points during this year’s Virginia General Assembly, which began January 7th and will run through March 9th in Richmond. Currently in Week 6, the General Assembly has seen its share of highs and lows, with critical bills centering around taxes, education, and workforce issues. The Chamber’s Vice President of Government …
The Paradox of Big Ideas and Paralyzing Caution
In today’s fiercely competitive and largely fragmented marketplace, you need more than entry-level, safe ideas. You need, shall we say, brass-like fortitude. Yet, when it comes to campaign ideas, many brands get caught at a crossroads. And not the one where you sell your soul to become a legend. (If you ask us, Johnny beat the Devil hands down.) This …
How ISO’s HR Standards Can Improve Your Workplace
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an independent, non-governmental international organization that develops and publishes standards focused on relevant, topical issues of importance to address market needs. Since 1946, ISO standards have evolved alongside the way work is conducted across the globe. The ISO describes these standards “as a formula that describes the best way of doing something.” You …
End of Year Wrap-Up, a Message From Deb Gandy, Chairman of the Chamber’s Board of Directors
As we approach this game-changing year’s end, I reflect on the extraordinary journey we, a dynamic Chamber community, undertook together. It is with great pride and gratitude that I extend my heartfelt thanks to each one of you for your unwavering commitment, dedication, and support. Together, we have advocated for the growth of our Region, expanded workforce solutions, championed diversity …
E-Waste to Green Profits: the Advantage of Electronics Recycling
As the year comes to a close, millions of us will be buying or receiving new electronic devices. Holiday gift-giving may mean new phones, drones, TVs, remote-controlled cars, and thousands of other items that contain batteries, printed circuit boards, mixed metals, and plastic. New technology is great, but what is the plan for your older items? Rather than hiding your …
2023 GovCon Awards Charity Partner: Hope For The Warriors
“We began as military spouses coming together to help each other stay strong during a crazy time. We supported each others’ families financially, emotionally, physically, and through life transitions so their service members could remain focused on their missions.” Seventeen years later, this year’s GovCon Awards’ Charity Partner, Hope For The Warriors, has become an international force supporting military families, veterans, …
Member Blog Post: 5 Tips For Planning Impactful and Memorable Employee-Centered Events
In our post-pandemic world, where organizations are striving to create authentic connections for their employees, some of whom may be working remotely, novel and memorable experiences can provide an invaluable workforce opportunity. Now that As our business world is entering 2023’s 4th quarter, it’s time to think about creating those opportunities in the form of year-end events. With today’s renewed …
Teamwork is everything: veterans understand that we all find success by working together. A discussion with James Schenck
“How can we ever do enough to thank and serve through our actions those who volunteer to go into harm’s way to fight our nation’s wars? I live with that question every day.” That’s the mantra of the 2023 Distinguished Service Awards’ Lifetime Service Award Honoree James Schenck, President & CEO, PenFed Credit Union. We sat down with James to …
10 Common Mistakes with Form I-9 (and how to avoid them)
The process of completing Form I-9—which confirms an employee’s eligibility to legally work in the United States—has gone through major changes in recent years. Many of these changes were driven by the pandemic, which made it difficult for employers to perform in-person document checks. Pandemic-era regulation is now winding down, and the Department of Homeland Security is taking this opportunity …
Veterans Enhance the Workplace: A Conversation with the 2023 DSA Keynote Speaker, Dr. Linda Singh
“Veterans offer businesses an immediate level of professionalism and maturity. They enhance the workplace. They’ve seen and experienced things not found in the typical business environment and they evaluate challenges from a different perspective that can’t be taught.” So says our 2023 Distinguished Service Awards Keynote speaker, Dr. Linda Singh, Major General (Retired). We recently spoke with Dr. Singh about her …
