About Us

Mission and Vision

•Our MISSION: We are a catalyst for business growth on the Virginia Peninsula, and a collaborative partner for economic development within the region.

•Our VISION is to be the Virginia Peninsula's leading business advocacy organization that creates an environment to stimulate economic growth.

We Accomplish Our Vision Through the 5 C's

We are a Connector of people and organizations. Our strong business relationships enable us to offer members introductions that will enhance their ability to grow and thrive in their mission.
We are a Convener of discussions and initiatives. As a strong non-partisan advocate with knowledge on various issues, we can bring disparate groups together to collaborate on important initiatives that support economic growth.
We are a Conduit of information important to our member businesses. This information is disseminated through our bi-weekly newsletter, The Connector, and at various informational events.
We are a Champion of our great regional assets. Through programs like the Spotlight on the Peninsula, we raise the level of awareness of local industries, initiatives and resources that position our region to help grow our economy.
We are a regional Collaborator and serve as the Peninsula's representative on initiatives that benefit the entire Hampton Roads region.

Our main lines of effort as the Peninsula's catalyst for economic growth are Business Advocacy, Regional Collaboration and Leadership Development. Our strategy as a representative of the business community is based on these lines of effort and each program that we feature fits into one or more of these categories.

Strategic Plan

Strategic Outcome #1: LEADERSHIP
Strengthen the Chamber's reputation as a developer of emerging leaders.
Goal 1.
Become the recognized first choice of businesses to train/coach/develop their emerging leaders.

Strategy 1. Market our leadership products more effectively.
Tactic A: Establish 2023 baseline of impressions on digital platforms.
Tactic B: Capture testimonials (written/video).
Strategy 2. Expand leadership programs.
Tactic A: Develop new leadership programs, like LEAD follow-up course.
Strategy 3. Activate LEAD Alumni.
Tactic A: More collaboration with Civic, LEAD Virginia, and Sorenson.
Tactic B: Expand membership/offerings.
Tactic C: Grow partnerships.

Strategic Outcome #2: ADVOCACY
Increase our value as a non-partisan business advocate to businesses of all sizes and sectors.
Goal 1.
Grow influence and awareness as the advocate for business growth and success.

Strategy 1. Expand business educational offerings.
Tactic A: Build and market multi-faceted small business educational series.
Tactic B: Create and expand partnerships with organizations that can provide assistance to our members.
Strategy 2. Broaden our membership.
Tactic A: Market the value of a Chamber membership.
Tactic B: Lead expansion of Peninsula entrepreneurship eco-system.
Strategy 3. Increase Public Policy engagement.
Tactic A: Develop a pro-business Public Policy platform and a plan to enact it.
Tactic B: Host business roundtables focused on legislative priorities.
Tactic C: Create opportunities for business owners to engage with public officials.

Strategic Outcome #3: COLLABORATION
Drive, inspire, and lead collaborative initiatives that impact economic growth and development.
Goal 1.
Strengthen leadership presence and engagement on relevant initiatives.

Strategy 1. Influence organizations to recognize the added value and strength of the Peninsula business community.
Tactic A: Ensure Peninsula representation in organizations and initiatives affecting economic growth and quality of life.
Tactic B: Utilize Convenor role in the Regional Organizations Presidents' Council (ROPC) to drive regional branding.
Strategy 2. Raise awareness of Peninsula economic growth assets.
Tactic A: Drive Regional Chamber collaboration (Legislative agenda, joint Board Meetings)
Tactic B: Drive more Leadership program collaboration (joint events between leadership programs, Alumni Organizations).

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Business Development Chamber

What is it? What does it do?

Business development is the creation of long-term value for an organization from customers, markets, and relationships.

At its heart, business development is all about figuring out how the interactions of those forces combine together to create opportunities for growth.

Long-Term Value: Business development is about creating opportunities of value that persist over the long-term, which keep the floodgates open so that value can flow indefinitely. Thinking about business development as a means to creating long-term value is the only true way to succeed in consistently growing an organization.

Customers: Find new ones and extract more value from current ones.

Markets: Figure out where new customers “live” (both geographically and in terms of “buying mindset“) and find a way to reach them.

Relationships: Build and leverage relationships founded on trust and integrity to facilitate opportunities.

As a Business Development Chamber of Commerce, we connect businesses with opportunities, providing long-term value, creating and building upon new and existing customers and relationships, while providing opportunities to expand their markets. Long-Term Value is key to the viability of the Peninsula business community. By concentrating our efforts on the present and future business community, the Peninsula will become a premier business community.

History of the Chamber

Although there is archeological evidence that some sort of business trade associations existed in Mesopotamia, the first recognized chamber of commerce was established in France in 1599. It is still in existence today and is known as the Chambre’de Commerce. The second chamber was established nearly 100 years later on the English Channel Island of St. Helier off the Jersey coast.

The first American Chamber of Commerce was established in 1770 in New York City. It later moved to Albany and is known today as the Empire State Chamber of Commerce. The first local Chamber was established in 1773 in Charleston.

The Virginia Peninsula Chamber traces its history back to its earliest records dating to 1898 where we find the Hampton Board of Trade and The Newport News Business Men’s Association. In July 1903, the Chamber of Commerce of Newport News was formed. In 1904, the Hampton Chamber of Commerce was established.

In April 1935, under the leadership of Lloyd Noland Sr., the following business organizations: Newport News, Hampton, Phoebus, Warwick, Williamsburg, James City County, York County and Elizabeth City County, consolidated to form the Virginia Peninsula Association of Commerce. In December 1958, the name changed to the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, and in September 1984, the named changed to the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. Today, it is called the Virginia Peninsula Chamber. The records indicated the preceding list of volunteer leaders through those years.

Newport News Business Men's Association

1898 - 1900
1901
1902

William B. Vest
J. Addison Willett, Jr.
William E. Barret

Hampton Board of Trade

1898 - 1899
1900 - 1904

William E. Lawson
William J.A. Cumming

Chamber of Commerce of Hampton

1904 - 1935

Records Unavailable

Chamber of Commerce of Newport News

1903 - 1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913 - 1914
1915
1916
1917 - 1919
1920
1921
1922
1923 - 1924
1925 - 1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932 - 1934

James L. Patton
Albert L. Powell
Henry B. Holmes
Walter B. Livezey
Clarence P. Jones, M.D.
Walter S. Copeland
W. Lee Powell
T. Otis Bland
William B. Colonna
Matthew C. Armstrong
Bernard W. Crump
John I. Viney
John N. Shannahan
Joseph A. Massie
Philip W. Hiden
Robert P. Holt
Godfrey L. Smith
Chester D. Porter
Abe Horowitz
Thomas J. Hundley
William B. Ferguson
Norman E. Drexler
Lewis T. Jester
Eugene F. Dugger

Virginia Peninsula Association of Commerce

1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944 - 1946
1947
1948
1949
1950 - 1951
1952
1953 - 1954
1955
1956 - 1957

Lloyd U. Noland
Robert P. Wallace
Raymond B. Bottom
Harry A. Keitz
G. Franklin Lenz
Edward J. Robenson, Jr.
Charles A. Ferguson
Joe W. Wheeler
Alex M. Conner
Charles K. Hutchens
David Dick
Ward R. Scull
S. Sydney Bortner
Leslie R. O’Hara
Max Shapiro
Frank A. Mitchell
George T. Abernathy
W. Ward Anderson

Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

1958 - 1959
1960 - 1961
1962 - 1963
1964 - 1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974-1975
1976-1977
1978-1979
1980-1981
1982
1982
1983

Willits H. Bowditch, Sr.
William R. Van Buren, Jr.
Lewis A. McMurran, Jr.
Robert S. Hornsby
William W. Wyatt
George H. Hill
Rodgers A. Smith
Robert J. Curtin
Charles E. Hastings
Troy L. Davis
Gordon B. Cutler
Richard Newman
Prentis Smiley, Jr.
Karl F. Lanier
Alden A. West
Sylvia Berry
Edward Harris
Erwin B. Drucker
Gordon L. Gentry, Jr.

Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003 - 2004
2005 - 2006
2007
2008
2009 - 2010
2011 - 2012
2013 - 2014
2015 - 2016
2017
2017 - 2019
2020 - 2021

Frank R. Bloxom, Jr.
Kenneth F. Palmer
Robert B. Terrell
Gerald R. Brink
W. Lee Barnes
William M. Grace
Alan Witt
L.E. Queen
Robert Kenerley
Conway H. Sheild, III
S. Michael Evans
C. Wayne Williamson
Howard B. Waters
Arthur J. Kamp
Alfred J. Shrieves
Anna V.B. McNider
Svein J. Lassen
Charles G. Armfield
Paul W. Garman
Frederick N. Elofson
Joseph R. Witt
D. Guy Manchester
Chuck Mitchell
Joycelyn Spight-Thrower
Mark Hanna
Kasia Grzelkowski
Robert F. Shuford, Jr.
Debra Flores
Daniel Chenoweth
Kevin Joyce

Virginia Peninsula Chamber

2022 - 2023
2024 - Present

Thomas Cosgrove
Eric Floyd