Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
Virginia Peninsula Chamber outlines programs, asks Poquoson to boost local membership
Loading...
Summary
Bob McKenna, president and CEO of the Virginia Peninsula Chamber, told Poquoson City Council the chamber’s mission is to act as "a catalyst for business growth on the Peninsula," described its five core functions and programs, and said the chamber currently has nine Poquoson members and wants to recruit more.
Bob McKenna, president and chief executive officer of the Virginia Peninsula Chamber, told Poquoson City Council on the evening of the regular session that the chamber’s mission is “to be a catalyst for business growth on the Peninsula and a regional collaborator for economic development.” McKenna, a retired Navy captain who has led the chamber for about eight years, described the organization’s five core functions — “connector, convener, collaborator, conduit and champion” — and explained how those roles support businesses and regional projects.
McKenna walked the council through the chamber’s regular programs and partnerships: LEAD Peninsula, a civic‑immersion program that runs 11 months a year and has operated for more than four decades; LEAD Higher, an advanced leadership program developed in partnership with Christopher Newport University’s leadership studies and Luter School of Business; monthly networking events such as coffee and after‑hours business connections; ribbon cuttings; and a small‑business seminar series. He said the chamber conducts roughly 110–120 events annually with a small full‑time staff and that its monthly newsletter goes to about 3,500 email addresses with an opening rate he estimated at about 32 percent.
McKenna also discussed regional economic initiatives the chamber supports, including the Peninsula Economic Resource Team, the military affairs council that connects installation commanders with the business community, and early-stage work on an innovation district that would build on local federal and research assets such as Jefferson Lab and NASA Langley. He said the chamber acts as an “honest broker” to bring organizations together on issues such as early childhood education and elder care.
During a council question period, McKenna said the chamber currently counts nine Poquoson businesses among its members and asked for council ideas about recruiting more local businesses. He noted that retail businesses frequently cannot participate in daytime chamber events because of operating hours and invited suggestions on alternative outreach. Mayor Hooks presented McKenna a Poquoson 50th‑anniversary coin at the end of the presentation.
The presentation ran about 25 minutes and concluded without formal action; council members thanked McKenna and praised the chamber’s work.
