July August Chamber Magazine FINAL

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Chairman’s Update Chairman’s Column By Bill Hession One of the duties of the Chamber’s board of directors is to call our members and ask how things are going with your membership. I always enjoy talking directly with folks I would likely not encounter in my daily routine as a program manager for a defense contracting company. It’s fulfilling to hear how useful an educational seminar was to your business or how much you enjoyed a recent tour of one of our military installations. Occasionally I get asked about the Chamber’s relevance and why someone should remain a member. When considering visiting or relocating to any community or region, the cold and distant internet may provide quick information, but it cannot serve as the “front door to a community” the way your Chamber does. Our office manager, Stacey Hicks, ahas one of the most important roles on our professional staff as she regularly responds to inquiries about restaurants, realtors, professional services, local governments, etc. Stacey always maintains a smile and a pleasant disposition when explaining that we are located in Virginia – not Texas (sometimes, six times a day!). Stacey refers people to countless businesses every day– and she only refers people to members of the Chamber of Commerce. This personal point of contact is invaluable. For those that make the wise decision to join our Chamber, I want you to know that your membership is much more than that – it is an investment in your business, and in your community. Even if you are disinterested in attending our many events, committee meetings, and educational opportunities, you’ve still made a great investment. The Chamber works tirelessly to improve our business Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce receives award for 100 th year Susan Spears, Chamber President & CEO is lauded at the Virginia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives meeting for the Chamber’s 100 years of leadership and advocacy for the region. Barry DuVal, Virginia Chamber President & CEO presented the award at the annual meeting in Smithfield on June 24. climate by advocating for sensible business laws and obvious needs, like transportation infrastructure improvements. I encourage you to make an effort to find your Chamber niche and cultivate relationships over time. While your business may be aggressive in your advertising and/or social media marketing, nothing Bill Hession is Chairman of the replaces the personal touch Board of the Fredericksburg of meeting potential new Regional Chamber of Commerce. customers and clients face-to-face and one-on-one, in an established, credible business setting. Our Chamber offers plenty of those types of opportunities. We also offer increased exposure for your business through our online membership directory, online and email advertising, event sponsorships, publications and our responsive social media and website. Being a member of the Chamber by itself is not going to make or break your business. But it can be an important part of any business’s marketing plan and development strategies. Even if you’ve been a member for many years, consider refreshing your Chamber experience and come out to something new. If you’d like to learn more about us, give Desiree Suggs a call at 540-373-9400 or email her at desiree@fredericksburgchamber.org. When I make my next round of calls, I look forward to talking to you! Local unemployment rate below 4 percent for first time since recession For the first time since The Great Recession, the Fredericksburg region’s unemployment rate has dipped below 4 percent, according to data released by the Virginia Employment Commission Wednesday. Regional unemployment was reported at 3.5 percent in April, down from 4.3 percent in March and 4.5 percent in April 2015. In Caroline County, the jobless rate fell to 3.8 percent from 4.9 percent in April 2015 and 4.6 percent the previous month. The city of Fredericksburg also saw a dramatic decrease, dropping to 4 percent from 5.2 percent compared to the same month last year and 4.8 percent in March. King George County reported 3.6 percent of its workforce is without jobs, compared to 4.5 percent in April 2015 and 4.6 percent in March. In Spotsylvania County, April’s 3.5 percent unemployment fell from 4.5 percent a year ago and 4.2 percent the month before. And in Stafford County, the 3.4 percent unemployment rate last month decreased from April 2015’s 4.4 percent and the 4 percent rate posted in March. The statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has been trending downward since September 2011 and is at its lowest level since June 2008, according to the VEC. 4 Fredericksburg Regional Business JULY/AUGUST 2016
Feature Feature FOOTPRINTS of our past 100 YEARS OF OUR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LEADERS By Dawn Haun & Elizabeth Bruhl The Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce is rich with the influence of our past leaders: notable business owners, college presidents, and high-ranking politicians just to name a few. Our chamber reflects on the thousands of man hours contributed to our success, guided through economic hard times so that our quality of life would be enhanced and hopes the future generations would feel a sense of pride for past accomplishments and decisions. The following biographies were chosen based on the available archives. Also documented is the first female chamber member and president. THE EARLY YEARS Dr. J. Garnett King First Fredericksburg Chamber President-1916 The Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce was originally chartered in 1916, Dr. J. Garnett King served as the first president. He, along with other notable business leaders in Fredericksburg: H.F. Crismond, Edgar Young, J.P. Rowe, S.M. Janney, and R. Stuart Royer were the spearheads of the business organization. J. Garnett King Ten years earlier, the businessmen had first come together in 1906 and formed “The Fredericksburg Businessmen’s Association. Dr. King was energized. He said the Chamber would make Fredericksburg a “bigger and better” city, so he set in motion a challenge for Fredericksburg to win the world’s record for most members for cities under 10,000 residents. The record to beat was 292. They had seven recruitment teams, who together beat the record by nine members, and enrolled 301 members at the start. The occasion turned into a celebration, complete with a parade, headed by bands, marching boy scouts and noisemakers. Dr. King was a dentist. His dental office was located at 906 Main (now Caroline Street). He and his wife Nannie lived on 1011 Prince Edward Street in Fredericksburg. Morgan Lafayette Combs Chamber Director 1924-1941 Dr. Morgan L. Combs’ 17 years of leadership for the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce was during unstable economic times: The stock Market Crash of 1929, War in Europe, World War II, and the Great Depression. Combs had connections politically and held impressive credentials. So much in fact, he was appointed college president of the Mary Morgan Lafayette Combs Washington College (MWC) at the age of thirty-five. During Combs’ presidency at MWC he created dramatic growth in the institution. It grew from three buildings to 36, from 60 acres worth $500,000 to 381 acres worth $25 million and changed its mission from being a teachers’ college to a liberal arts college in 1935 and changed its name to “Mary Washington College” in 1938. In 1944, it was designated the Woman’s College of the University of Virginia. In addition to the directorship of the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce from 1924 to 1941, he was also involved in the Kiwanis club from 1930-1933, and the Inter-Racial Commission. Combs received the B’nai B’rith Valuable Citizen award in 1953 and was named “Fredericksburg Citizen of the Year” in 1952. Combs Science Hall at Mary Washington University is named in his memory. He died in October 1955, at age 64, after a long illness and is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Fredericksburg. Benjamin “Bennie” T. Pitts President 1934-1938 Bennie Pitts was fivetime president of the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce and served a two-year term as director of Virginia Chamber of Commerce. He was also director of Farmers & Merchants State Bank. Bennie T. Pitts Pitts was a state senator representing Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Orange, Goochland, and Louisa counties from 1944 until poor health forced him to resign in 1958. He was a member of the Board of Visitors of the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind in Staunton and was described in his obituary as being “a staunch Democrat.” Earlier in his career, he was appointed to Fredericksburg’s City Council in 1933, filling the unexpired term of Dr. J. Garnett King Jr. His appointment to Council was followed by his election in 1936 and his reelection in 1940. He started his career in 1909 with a small local movie house, which culminated to a chain of movie theaters across the state. He owned 37 successful movie theaters, including JULY/AUGUST 2016 Fredericksburg Regional Business 5
Page 1 and 2: FREDERICKSBURG REGIONAL BUSINESS JU
Page 3: President’s Message By Susan Spea
Page 7 and 8: troops. He was promoted to Colonel;
Page 9 and 10: Feature Hedelt retiring as City's T
Page 11 and 12: The Retirement of Joan McLaughlin A
Page 13 and 14: Feature Originally from: Boston, so
Page 15 and 16: continually strive to be involved i
Page 17 and 18: From the Cover Kris Sieber - Direct
Page 19 and 20: When you’re in medicine, it helps
Page 21 and 22: How SECURE is YOUR network? IN AS L
Page 23 and 24: Our Environment #GreenBiz2016 Talki
Page 25 and 26: 29 YEARS . . . AND ON TO 30! NOT EV
Page 27 and 28: REC earns distinguished Tree Line U
Page 29 and 30: Linda Rivera continued from page 16
Page 31 and 32: July 2016 12 - Special Dialogue wit

July August Chamber Magazine FINAL

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