Past Roundtables

2021 Schedule

• Tuesday, January 12, 2021 @12 pm
  • Speaker: Adria Vanhoozier, Hospital President of Riverside Doctors' Hospital Williamsburg
  • Topic: Riverside Doctors Hospital Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic  
  • Miss the session? View a copy of the presentation or watch the recording.    

• Tuesday, January 12, 2021 @12 pm

  • Speaker: Terry Banez, CEO of the Greater Williamsburg Business Council and Von Gilbreath, Executive Director of the Greater Williamsburg Partnership
  • Topic: The Williamsburg Business Council and the Greater Williamsburg Partnership 
  • Miss the session? Watch the recording. 

• Tuesday, March 9, 2021 @12 pm 

  • Speaker: Chris Chmura, CEO and Chief Economist of Chmura Economics & Analytics 
  • Topic: 2021 Economic Outlook 
  • Miss the session? Watch the recording.
• Tuesday, April 13, 2021 @12 pm 
  • Speaker: Kathleen Powell, Associate VP for Career Development & Renard Miles, Director of Employer Engagement and Programming at the William & Mary Cohen Career Center  
  • Topic: The William & Mary Cohen Career Center as a Resource for Local Businesses
  • Miss the session? Watch the recording. 
• Tuesday, May 11, 2021 @12 pm 
  • Speaker: Staci Martin, Senior Destination Development Specialist for the Virginia Tourism Corporation
  • Topic: Grants, Resources and Resiliency Tools Available to City Businesses Through VTC
  • Miss the session? Watch the recording. 
• Tuesday, June 8, 2021 @12 pm 
  • Speaker: Aaron Small, P.E., City Engineer for the City of Williamsburg
  • Topic: Capitol Landing Road Improvement Project Overview 
  • Miss the session? Watch the recording. 
• Tuesday, July 13, 2021 @12 pm 
  • Speaker: The Honorable Lara Overy,  City of Williamsburg Commissioner of the Revenue
  • Topic: Business Taxation Changes & Business License Renewals for City Businesses   
• Tuesday, August 10, 2021 @12 pm  
  • *Cancelled*
• Tuesday, September 14, 2021 @12 pm 
  • Speaker: Aras Holden, Vice President of Acquisitions and Development for Broad Street 
  • Topic: Development and Opening of Midtown Row 
  • Miss the session? Watch the recording.
• Tuesday, October 12, 2021 @12 pm 
  • *Cancelled* 
• Tuesday, November 9, 2021 @12 pm 
  • Speaker: Robert Merkl, Special Assistant to the President for Military and Veteran Affairs at William & Mary  
  • Topic: How Local Businesses Can Engage with the Military & Veteran Student Community at William & Mary  
  • Miss the session? Watch the recording.
• Tuesday, December 14, 2021 @12 pm 
  • Speaker: Rachel Frazier, Director of Launchpad  
  • Topic: Launchpad, The Greater Williamsburg Incubator: A Resource for New and Existing Businesses  
  • Miss the session? Watch the recording.

The September 2020 Business Roundtable

The September 8th, 2020 Business Roundtable was held virtually and our speakers were Vicki Harrington and Cara Simpson, Co-Founders of the Crim Dell Small Business Network. 

Harrington and Simpson are both currently Masters of Business Administration students at William & Mary. Together, they co-founded the Crim Dell SBN, a network that supports small businesses in the Greater Williamsburg area by bringing together W&M business students and a vast network to support business owners. In partnership with Hampton Roads' Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Students from William & Mary are offering 10 hrs of free business counseling services to support small local businesses. Their focus areas include:

• Operations: Supply chain, Technology, Data collection, Work from home, and Logistics 
• Finance: Disaster relief loans, Cash flow forecasting, and Profitability 
• Marketing: eCommerce, Digital, Brand, Market analysis, and Customer experience 
• Leadership: Business planning, Crisis management Pivoting, and General COVID-19 resources

 To learn how your business can benefit from the Crim Dell Small Business Network, visit their website or sign up for free business counseling. You can also see their PowerPoint or check out the recording the September 2020 Business Roundtable.  

The August 2020 Business Roundtable 

The August 11, 2020 Business Roundtable was held virtually, and our speaker was Dr. Mike Dacey, President and Chief Operating Officer of Riverside Health System. 

Prior to joining Riverside, Dr. Dacey was President and Chief Operating Officer at Kent Hospital and served the Care New England Health System (CNE) for 17 years.  Kent Hospital is a community teaching hospital with 2,200 employees and a medical staff of over 700 physicians.  He was also appointed President of Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, a Brown University School of Medicine teaching hospital during 2015. He is highly respected for his clinical work as a hospitalist and intensivist, as well as for bringing expertise and a patient-focused approach to his leadership roles. 

For the August Business Roundtable, Dr. Dacey shared with our business community Riverside's response to COVID-19. His presentation was very informative, and highlighted statistics and health data specific to the Greater Williamsburg and Hampton Roads Regions. To learn more, see his PowerPoint and check out the recording of the August 2020 Business Roundtable. 

The July 2020 Business Roundtable

The July 14, 2020 Virtual Business Roundtable hosted 37 attendees, and our speaker was Robert Currie, Director of Entertainment for Colonial Williamsburg.  

Mr. Currie has served as the Director of Entertainment for Colonial Williamsburg Foundation since 2016, and manages all aspects of business development, content, logistics and overall operations for Historic Area Evening Programs and Special Events. Originally from New York, he has a background in set design and prop fabrication for television, music videos and commercials.  He is a creative professional with an entrepreneurial spirit rooted in business and strategic planning. 

In his presentation, Mr. Currie shared some information on how Colonial Williamsburg's live events and entertainment have pivoted due to the COVID-19 crisis, and shared some ways that the business community can engage with Colonial Williamsburg in mutually supportive ways. To learn more, see his PowerPoint and check out the recording of the July 2020 Business Roundtable.  

The June 2020 Business Roundtable

On June 9, 2020, the Virtual Business Roundtable hosted James Carroll, Executive Director of the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Vice President of Small Business at the Hampton Roads Chamber. 

Mr. Carroll is a graduate of Villanova University and served in the Navy for 21 years as a Commissioned Officer. During his career he has earned three Masters degrees: Masters in International Relations, Masters in National Security Affairs and Strategic Studies, and an MBA in International Business.

Since 1997 he has served as the Executive Director for the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center, Inc. and Vice President for Small Business for the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce.  The Center provides one on one counseling and training and education programs for small businesses throughout the 18 cities and counties in southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore.  

During the June Business Roundtable, Mr. Carroll presented on "Doing Business in the Post-COVID Market". He included information on dealing with the "new normal", expanding customer base, and ways that the Hampton Roads SBDC can serve the business community in Williamsburg. Check out the PowerPoint from his presentation. 

The May 2020 Business Roundtable 

The May 20, 2020 Business Roundtable was held virtually, and our speaker was Vicki Cimino, Chief Executive Officer of the Williamsburg Tourism Council. 

In her role as CEO of the Williamsburg Tourism Council, Vickie provides expertise, leadership, and vision in all marketing efforts, as well as overall management of the Destination Marketing Organization. She has spent the majority of her professional career providing communication solutions, counsel, and creative direction to both government agencies and private sector organizations. Cimino has also served as the Director of International Marketing for the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. 

The May Roundtable provided the Williamsburg business community with an overview of the Williamsburg Tourism Council, and an update on some recent activity. View the Business Roundtable Recording. You may also view the PowerPoint from Cimino's presentation.   

The April 2020 Business Roundtable 

On April 15th, 2020 the Williamsburg Economic Development Authority hosted its first Virtual Business Roundtable with Congresswoman Elaine Luria. 

Congresswoman Luria represents Virginia’s Second Congressional District. Prior to her election in 2018, Rep. Luria served two decades in the Navy, retiring at the rank of Commander. A member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Rep. Luria was one of the first women in the Navy’s nuclear power program and among the first women to serve the entirety of her career in combatant ships. She leads the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, and is Vice Chair of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces. Luria graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and received a master’s in engineering management from Old Dominion University.  

The April Roundtable was a Q&A session with the Congresswoman, with questions that submitted community members and business owners. Want to hear what she had to say? View the Q&A Recording.  

The February 2020 Business Roundtable 

On February 11, 2020 the Business Roundtable was held at and catered by the Movie Tavern at 1430 High Street, Suite 600. In February of each year, Roy Pearson, Chancellor of Business Emeritus at the William & Mary Mason School of Business, provides an Economic Outlook for the year.  

To see his predictions and to view some local and national comparisons, see Mr. Pearson's February Business Roundtable Presentation. 

Click here to view a video recording of this presentation.

The January 2020 Business Roundtable 

The January 2020 Business Roundtable was held at the Quarterpath Parks and Recreation Center and was catered by Qdoba Mexican Grille. Our speaker was Carrie Rhoades, Senior Engineer and the Center Partnerships Development Lead in the Office of Strategic Analysis, Communications and Business Development at NASA Langley Research Center. With over 20 years of experience performing integration and testing of flight systems, she has worked on a variety of projects including X-Planes, sounding rockets, Small Satellites and more. Her presentation focused around how local businesses can partner with NASA Langley. 

Some highlights from her presentation: 

• Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) provides seed funding for small businesses to engage in Federal Research & Development with potential for commercialization. 
• Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) is a sister set-aside program to SBIR and facilitates cooperative Research & Development between small business concerns and US research institutions with the potential for commercialization. 
• Technology Transfers - NASA is a public entity and what they develop is available to the public. With technology transfers, they work with businesses to patent and commercialize products. 

Want to learn more about how you and your business can partner with NASA Langley Research Center? Check out Ms. Rhoades' January 2020 Business Roundtable Presentation. 

The December 2019 Business Roundtable

The December 2019 Business Roundtable was held at the Williamsburg Community Building (401 N. Boundary Street) and was catered by Aromas. Our speaker was Lara Overy, Commissioner of the Revenue for the City of Williamsburg. She was elected in November 2017 and began her 4-year term on January 1, 2018. In her short term as Commissioner of Revenue, Ms. Overy has improved processes, implemented an audit program and increased compliance resulting in additional revenue for the City. She is passionate about ensuring that all businesses are reporting accurately and being fairly taxed. In her presentation she shared information about recent changes to tax reporting procedures for local businesses as well as an update on the 2020 census.

Notable changes in the Commissioner's office in 2020:

• New Business License Software
• Updated Business License renewal form
• Updated Business Licenses
• Online Meal, Room & Lodging tax coupons

For more information on the Commissioner of the Revenue's office, upcoming changes to tax reporting and updates on the 2020 Census, check out Ms. Overy's December 2019 Business Roundtable Presentation.

The October 2019 Business Roundtable

The October 2019 Business Roundtable was held at the Williamsburg Community Building at 401 N. Boundary Street and was catered by the Cheese Shop. Our speaker was John Martin, a futurist, award-winning author, and  President and CEO of the Southeastern Institute of Research (most commonly referred to as S-I-R). SIR is a 55-year old strategic consultancy based in Richmond that helps businesses, non-profit organizations, governmental and educational institutions, and even entire regions conduct market research, understand trends, and formulate winning strategies.

Mr. Martin's presentation covered an explanation and outline of the RVA-Hampton Roads Megaregion Collaborative. This collaborative is an inclusive, mutually supportive network of leaders representing community, business and higher education. They work to identify, support and advance major opportunities, initiatives and projects that will meaningfully benefit our communities for generations to come. If you would like to learn more about the collaborative, see Mr. Martin's October Business Roundtable Presentation.

The September 2019 Business Roundtable

The September Business Roundtable was hosted at the Williamsburg Community Building and catered by Manhattan Bagel. Our speaker was Steve Cook, Vice President of Workforce Innovation for the Hampton Roads Workforce Council. Mr. Cook has over 20 years of both local and regional Economic Development experience and provided for us an update on the Southeastern Virginia Regional Workforce Collaborative, a partnership between the Hampton Roads Workforce Council and the Greater Peninsula Workforce Board.  

Mr. Cook shared information on the Hampton Roads Talent Alignment Strategy, an effort hosted in collaboration with the Hampton Roads Community Foundation and ReInvent Hampton Roads. This work is being done to ensure education and workforce development efforts are aligned with the needs of employers and to coordinate existing education and workforce development initiatives underway throughout the region. 

If you would like to learn more about the work being done by the Southeastern Virginia Regional Workforce Collaborative, see Mr. Cook's Presentation.

The August 2019 Business Roundtable

The August Roundtable took place at the Williamsburg Community Building and was catered by Manhattan Bagel. Our speaker was Graham Henshaw, Executive Director of the William & Mary Entrepreneurship Center. The topic of the luncheon was "Launchpad and William & Mary Entrepreneurship Center Both Move Locations and Join Forces in Tribe Square.

Mr. Henshaw noted several times in the presentation that this merge is not just a priority for the Entrepreneurship Center, but for the University as a whole. The impetus behind the project comes all the way from the top -- from University President Katherine Rowe. This has allowed the new entrepreneurship center to do unprecedented things in welcoming the Launchpad into its community. This includes providing all Launchpad clients with a William & Mary ID card, which will get them access to a multitude of tools and resources on campus.  

The new Launchpad & Entrepreneurship Center plans to engineer and manufacture "collisions" between the students and the entrepreneurs, hoping to blur the lines between the two in the "Hub" (the main center of activity for the venture).

The Entrepreneurship Center's eight elements of focus will also hopefully benefit the clients of the Launchpad:

For more information on the project, visit the William & Mary Website.

The July 2019 Business Roundtable

The EDA's July Business Roundtable was hosted at Quarterpath Recreation Center and catered by Qdoba Mexican Grille. Our speaker was Danny Plaugher, Executive Director of Virginians for High Speed Rail, and his presentation was titled "Transportation and a Changing Virginia". 

Highlights from the presentation:

• Virginians for High Speed Rail is a non-profit coalition of citizens, businesses, localities and community groups that educate and advocate for the expansion of fast, frequent, and reliable intercity rail service. They were founded in 1994 as a partnership between the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce and the Future of Hampton Roads.
• "Virginia is changing and our transportation challenges are increasing". Between 1990 and 2017, Virginia's population increased by 36.9%, our road network increased by 13%, our highways increased by 12%, and access to flights decreased by 30.8%.
• Since 2000, passenger rail is the fastest growing mode of transportation in Hampton Roads (cars: 6%, plans: 8%, trains: 17%)
• .The Williamsburg station averages 61,000 trips a year with ridership up 44% over the last decade. It generates about $8 million in tourism spending annually and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 5.8 million pounds each year.

The June 2019 Business Roundtable

The June 2019 Business Roundtable was hosted at and catered by Revolution Golf and Grille. Our speaker was Tracy Grey, Manager of the Williamsburg Farmers Market (WFM). The topic of the luncheon was "Williamsburg Farmers Market: Cultivating Community Around Food". Some fun facts from the presentation:

• The Williamsburg Farmers Market is a collaboration between the City of Williamsburg, Colonial Williamsburg, the Merchants Square Association, the Williamsburg Land Conservancy and William & Mary.
• The Market's first season began in July 2002 with just 16 vendors.
• In its 17 seasons, the WFM has produced $14.5 million in vendor sales.
• The market boasts 81 varieties of produce, and averages about 4,871 visitors each day.  
• In 2018, 366 volunteer hours were put forward to help make the market run.

Missed the roundtable? No worries. Here is Ms. Frey's Williamsburg Farmers Market Presentation.

The May 2019 Business Roundtable

Our May 2019 Business Roundtable was hosted at Quarterpath Recreation Center, and attendees enjoyed a BBQ Taco & Sandwich Bar by Old City BBQ. Our speaker was Terry Walker with SCORE. Mr. Walker is a business development strategist with extensive experience in team-building, change management, sales process, execution, negotiations, CRM and e-commerce. His areas of expertise include sales, marketing, web-based marketing, finance and warehouse & distribution operations. He uses his background and expertise in his volunteer capacity at SCORE, helping new businesses start and existing businesses grow. Some highlights from his presentation:

• SCORE was established in 1965 in partnership with the Small Business Administration to help small businesses. They (1) provide free, confidential business advice and mentoring, (2) offer low or no-cost business training through seminars and webinars and (3) share free business templates and resources. The Williamsburg chapter of   SCORE was established in 1985.
• Williamsburg SCORE has over 25 local volunteer mentors with various business expertise including Business Start-Ups, Sales, Non-Profits, Finance, Manufacturing, Human Resources, Marketing, Customer Service, Business Plans, Strategic Planning, Operations, Research & Development, Electronics, Import/Export, Retail/Restaurant/Breweries, and more. These mentors each come from highly skilled backgrounds and have a wealth of knowledge to share.
• SCORE is able to help Pre-Startups and Startups by confidentially reviewing business ideas, helping to create a detailed business plan, provide advice on business negotiations and provide coaching through pre-finance preparations.
• SCORE can help existing businesses by confidentially reviewing and evaluating individual business situations and help identify new markets and attract new customers.
• In just the past 3 years, SCORE has helped 20 non-profits get up and running in the Williamsburg area.

Mr. Walker shared that Williamsburg is a special place, and has so many passionate people with entrepreneurial spirits. Many clients approach SCORE with a "weekend business" that has grown and developed so much that they want help turning it into a profitable full-time business. SCORE is located right downtown in the City of Williamsburg inside the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance building at 421 North Boundary St. They are available to answer any and all questions, anything from "What is an LLC and how do I register as one?" to "I've been been steadily growing every year for 10 years but I've stalled out, how do I jump start growth again?" to "Should I even stay in business?" If you would like to contact SCORE, visit their website to make an appointment or sign up for a mentor. Terry Walker Photo

The April 2019 Business Roundtable

The April 2019 business roundtable was held at and catered by the Best Western Williamsburg Hotel Historic District. This roundtable was hosted jointly with James City County Economic Development. Our speaker was Jenny Connors of the Williams Mullins Group, speaking on "How to Benefit from Opportunity Zones". Ms. Connors shared with attendees some background on Opportunity Zones as part of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act as well as some proposed regulations. She explained some of the potential tax benefits of opportunity zones, as well as examples of how the incentive may be used. This is a complicated topic, and you can find out more by checking out Ms. Connor's Yes Virginia Opportunity Zone Presentation here.

The March 2019 Business Roundtable  

The March 2019 Business Roundtable was attended by 71 members of the business community and hosted by the City of Williamsburg in the Community Building located at 401 N Boundary St. The lunch was catered by Berrets Seafood Restaurant & Taphouse Grill. Lisa Pacheco, Director of Sports Development for Sports Williamsburg, provided an update on Sports Williamsburg's growth and plans for the future. Some highlights from her presentation:

• Sports Williamsburg was formed in 2010 and is run by a community-driven operating board with members from area Parks & Recreation; Lodging, Dining & Attractions partners; the College of William & Mary and our local High Schools.  
• The organization has a $100,000 grant budget to help attract tournaments and sporting events to the area.
• Its mission is to establish Williamsburg as a top 5, year-round sports destination within Virginia.
• In 2019 there are 74 sporting events planned with events occurring each month, making Williamsburg a year-round sports destination. These events have a potential economic impact of over $9 million between the City of Williamsburg, James City County and York County.
• One new event this year is the Ironman Virginia 70.3 on Sunday, May 5th. The race was restricted to 2,100 registered athletes and sold out within 2 weeks. Expected Economic Impact is $1.5 million.

Missed out on the presentation? No worries! We've got Lisa Pacheco's Sports Williamsburg Presentation for you right here.

 The February 2019 Business Roundtable   

The February 2019 Business Roundtable was hosted at and catered by the Best Western Historic District. Roy Pearson, Chancellor of Business Emeritus of the William & Mary Mason School of Business, provided the Williamsburg Business Community with his annual Economic Outlook for the year. You can find his 2019 Economic Outlook Presentation here.

The January 2019 Roundtable

On January 8, 2019, eighty members of the Williamsburg business community gathered at the Williamsburg Community Building to hear from Terry Banez, Interim Executive Director of the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance. Lunch was catered by Second Street Bistro.

Prior to her position at GWCTA, Ms. Banez worked as Director of Trade Strategy and Operations for Newell Brands (Yankee Candle Company Division) leading over $300 million in businesses. She has a strong background of regional community involvement including serving on the Board for the United Way of Greater Williamsburg, the Board and Executive Committee for the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance, Wounded Warriors Project, Habitat for Humanity and many other community organizations.

Ms. Banez shared with the audience an update on changes to the Chamber & Tourism alliance in 2018, including Senate Bill 942 establishing the Tourism Council and enacting a 1% sales tax (excluding groceries), 50% of which goes to the localities and 50% of which goes to Tourism. With the passing of this bill, GWCTA reorganized into two councils: The Business Council and The Tourism Council. Ms. Banez further shared with the group her goals for the organization moving forward, including the Business Council's 2019 mission: "Serving, representing and enhancing business growth and success in the Greater Williamsburg area".

Here you can find a copy of the January 2019 Business Roundtable Presentation.