2021 CHAMBER DAY PRESENTING LAW FIRM PLATINUM SPONSOR SIGNATURE SPONSOR VIDEO PRODUCTION SPONSOR PROGRAM SPONSOR
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2021 CHAMBER DAY
PRESENTING LAW FIRM
PLATINUM SPONSOR
SIGNATURE SPONSOR
VIDEO PRODUCTION SPONSOR
PROGRAM SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSORS SILVER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS CONTRIBUTING SPONSOR
With Special Thanks to the following Regional and Local Chambers
for participating in Chamber Day
Alexandria Chamber of Commerce
Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce
Arlington Chamber of Commerce
Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce
Bristol TN/VA Chamber of Commerce
Buchanan County Chamber of Commerce
Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce
ChamberRVA
Culpeper Chamber of Commerce
Danville Pittsylvania Chamber of Commerce
Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce
Fauquier Chamber of Commerce
Franklin-Southampton Area Chamber of Commerce
Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce
Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance
Halifax County Chamber of Commerce
Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce
Hanover Chamber of Commerce
Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce
Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce
Lancaster by the Bay Chamber of Commerce
Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce
Louisa County Chamber of Commerce
Mount Vernon – Lee Chamber of Commerce
Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce
Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce
Orange County Chamber of Commerce
Shenandoah County Chamber of Commerce
Top of Virginia Regional Chamber of Commerce
Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce
January 12, 2021
Dear Friends in the Business Community,
Welcome to the 2021 Chamber Day at the Capitol! We are delighted for you to join us today to hear from your
representatives in state government on policies that affect Virginia’s business climate and economic prosperity. Your
voice is important.
I would like to highlight some of the priorities of the business community that we hope to work collaboratively on with
members of the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates over the next couple months. Our most important area of focus
this legislative session will be to defend Virginia’s business climate. We know that there will be challenges to
foundational business policies that make Virginia a great place to do business. Legislation that would remove bed rock
principles like the Commonwealth’s right to work law, our legal and regulatory climate, and the Dillon’s rule will be
introduced this session. It will take a unified business voice and advocacy to successfully pushback against these
misguided efforts and maintain our standing as one of the best states to do business.
As Virginia continues to fight and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Virginia Chamber will be advocating for
policies that will help businesses get back to work stronger than before. The Commonwealth will likely be receiving
additional federal stimulus funds and the Chamber will be making targeted suggestions to assist struggling businesses.
Also, the Chamber will push for protections from frivolous lawsuits for businesses that have given a good faith effort
in adhering to new state and federal COVID-19 regulations.
Investing in workforce and education opportunities for all Virginians remains a pillar of the Virginia Chamber's
mission. We will continue to advocate for these opportunities, especially in the area of early childhood education. It is of
vital importance that we build a strong foundation by improving access to affordable, high-quality early childhood
education for Virginia's working families. Additionally, it is critical for Virginia to grow state and regional partnerships
among early childhood education, K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and business to align resources and
identify existing and future supply and demand for skills and jobs. We will work with legislators to enhance work-based
learning opportunities, internships, and apprenticeships to better prepare our workforce of the future.
The Virginia Chamber will be tracking much of the legislation put forward by members of the General Assembly
through our Bills We're Watching page which will be relaunching in the coming days. More information on these
important pieces of legislation can be found on our website at vachamber.com.
Your participation in Chamber Day displays the effectiveness the business community can have when we speak with a
unified voice. The presence of so many business leaders on the same day strengthens the message. Please reach out to
us with any questions or concerns you have as session progresses.
Sincerely,
Barry E. DuVal
President & CEO
919 East Main Street, Suite 900 | Richmond, VA 23219 | 804-644-1607 | VACHAMBER.COM
AGENDA
WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS
10:00 AM Barry DuVal, President & CEO, Virginia Chamber of Commerce
BRIEF REMARKS
Susan Horne, President & CEO, Lead Virginia
10:10 - REMARKS BY MEMBERS OF THE VIRGINIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11:20 AM
THE HONORABLE CARRIE COYNER, VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES
Introduced by: Matt Wells, Senior Regional Manager, State Government Relations,
WestRock
THE HONORABLE RIP SULLIVAN, HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS CHAIRMAN,
VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES
Introduced by: Tom Walls, Director of State Government Affairs, Verizon
THE HONORABLE JAY LEFTWICH, HOUSE MINORITY WHIP, VIRGINIA HOUSE
OF DELEGATES
Introduced by: J.D. Myers, II, Senior Vice President & Virginia Region Manager, Cox
Communications
THE HONORABLE EILEEN FILLER-CORN, SPEAKER, VIRGINIA HOUSE OF
DELEGATES
Introduced by: Clark Lewis, Partner, Troutman Sanders LLP and Principal, Troutman
Pepper Strategies
THE HONORABLE MARK OBENSHAIN, SENATE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS CO-
CHAIRMAN, VIRGINIA SENATE
Introduced by: Jeff Palmore, Partner, Reed Smith LLP
11:20 - UPDATE ON THE VIRGINIA CHAMBER’S LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES &
11:30 AM BLUEPRINT VIRGINIA 2030
Barry DuVal
11:30 AM ADJOURN
Virginia Capitol Connections
2021 Redbook is Online!
(Click below to view)
2021 CHAMBER DAY
Speaker Biographies
Barry DuVal
President & CEO
Virginia Chamber of Commerce
Barry DuVal was named president and CEO of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce on April 28, 2010.
Under his leadership, the Chamber has become Virginia’s largest business advocacy group, growing from 847
members in 2010 to more than 26,000 members today. In 2013, the Chamber produced Blueprint Virginia – the
Commonwealth’s first comprehensive business-led initiative to provide direction and long-term economic
development planning for Virginia. In 2017, the Chamber released an update to the original Blueprint, Blueprint Virginia 2025, which engaged
over 6,000 business and community leaders from around the Commonwealth to build an action plan for strengthening Virginia’s economic
competitiveness and getting Virginia back to the top of business climate rankings.
Barry’s public service began in 1988 when he was elected to the Newport News City Council. In 1990 he was elected mayor of the city. He
served as mayor from 1990 through 1996, when he stepped down to become the president and CEO of a regional economic development
organization representing Southeast Virginia’s 1.6 million citizens.
From 1998 through 2002 Barry served as the Secretary of Commerce and Trade for the Commonwealth of Virginia. During his term as
Secretary, Virginia attracted a record-setting 1,500 economic development projects representing 156,850 new jobs and $13.7 billion in
private investment.
His private sector experience includes serving as president and CEO of DuVal Associates, Inc, a diversified real estate firm, from 1983-1996.
Upon the completion of his term as the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, he served as president and CEO of Kaufman & Canoles
Consulting, LLC, an economic development consulting firm specializing in public-private partnerships and strategic planning for business and
government agencies.
Mr. DuVal is a graduate of James Madison University and American University’s Washington College of Law.
The Honorable Carrie Coyner
Virginia House of Delegates
Carrie serves the people of Chesterfield, Prince George and Hopewell in the Virginia House of Delegates, where
she is developing a reputation for working across the aisle on improving our schools, protecting victims of domestic
violence, and fighting drug addiction among teenagers.
Carrie grew up in the Chester area, the same community she and her family still call home today.
Her parents taught her from a young age to love people through service – and that means actually doing something. Before being elected to
the House of Delegates, Carrie served her community on the Chesterfield County School Board, as a Board leader for the Chester YMCA,
and on the Elizabeth Scott Elementary School PTA. She is currently the children’s choir director and a Sunday school teacher at Chester
United Methodist Church.
Carrie and her husband, Matt, have three children, ages 10, 12 and 13. . Like most families, Carrie and her husband juggle school, sports,
church and birthday parties all while trying to keep up with their day jobs. Matt runs a construction company and Carrie is the owner and
founder of RudyCoyner Attorneys at law, where she practices business and real estate law for over 15 years.
The Honorable Rip Sullivan
House Democratic Caucus Chairman
Virginia House of Delegates
Richard “Rip” Sullivan, Jr. and his wife, Beth, were both raised and attended public schools in Northern
Virginia. Before being elected to the House of Delegates in 2014, Rip served our region on numerous boards
and commissions, which are listed here, providing him with extensive experience in a number of key policy
areas that have directly translated to his work for the 48th District.
Rip is Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, a leadership role in which he works with Speaker Eileen Filler-
Corn and Majority Leader Charniele Herring to promote the goals of House Democrats. Rip served two terms as the House Democratic
Caucus Campaign Chair, during which time he led the Democratic Party’s effort to gain seats and win back the majority in the House. He
became Campaign Chair in 2017 and oversaw the strategy that led House Democrats to pick up a whopping 15 seats. He reprised his role
as Campaign Chair during the 2019 cycle in which Democrats made history by taking back both the House and Senate.
As a Delegate, Rip has fought every year to encourage the growth of Virginia's clean energy and energy efficiency sectors, promote access
to the ballot box, protect and advance LGBTQ rights, and de-politicize the redistricting process. Speaker Filler-Corn appointed Rip to serve
as Chair of the powerful Labor and Commerce Committee’s Energy Subcommittee, a role in which he used his experience legislating in the
energy space to help shape the way Virginia moves forward on these crucial issues. He also serves as Chair of the Finance Committee's
Third Subcommittee which considers bills related to corporate and individual income tax. Additionally, Rip serves on the Rules Committee
and Courts of Justice Committee.
During the 2020 session Rip introduced the historic Virginia Clean Economy Act to advance the Commonwealth's clean energy sector and
promote energy efficiency and a life-saving "Red Flag" law to curb gun violence before a single shot is fired, among other significant pieces
of legislation. Rip worked diligently with stakeholders and his colleagues to ultimately ensure that these landmark bills became law.
Rip and Beth, his high school sweetheart, have four children, all of whom graduated from our public schools. They have two granddaughters,
Alex and Avery, and one grandson, Taylor.
Rip graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College, and received his law degree from the University of Virginia. He is a partner in the law
firm Bean Kinney & Korman, P.C., in Arlington.
The Honorable Jay Leftwich
House Minority Whip
Virginia House of Delegates
James A. “Jay” Leftwich, Jr. has been rooted in Chesapeake for a lifetime. After graduating from Chesapeake
Public Schools, Jay furthered his education at James Madison University then obtained his J.D. from the T.C.
Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond. Jay returned to Chesapeake to launch his career and is a
Partner at Basnight, Kinser, Leftwich & Nuckolls, P.C., where he has been for 29 years. Jay successfully won
election to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2013 to represent the 78th District, which is located in
Chesapeake. He currently serves on the following committees: Courts of Justice, General Laws, and Counties,
Cities and Towns in the House.
Virginia General Assembly – Past and Present Committees
Civil Subcommittee
Ethics Subcommittee
Judicial Panel Subcommittee
General Laws Subcommittee #4
Education Innovation Subcommittee
Mental Health Subcommittee
Broadband Advisory Council
Child Support Guidelines Review Panel
Geographic Information Network Advisory Board
Commission on Intergovernmental Cooperation
Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Champion of Freedom Award
Virginia Clerk’s Association Legislator of the Year
(The Honorable Jay Leftwich Continued…)
Community Service
Jay is a firm believer in community service. His record of community involvement reflects his deep commitment to Chesapeake and its
citizens.
Chesapeake Public Schools, Chairman, 2012 – 2013
Chesapeake Public Schools, Vice Chairman, 2010 – 2012
Chesapeake Public Schools, Board Member, 2002 – 2013
Chesapeake Public Schools, School Board Appointments
Legal Services Committee
Chesapeake Public Schools Educational Foundation
Access College Foundation
Governor’s School for the Arts
Southeastern Cooperative Association
Southeastern Cooperative Educational Programs, “SECEP”
Member and Former Elder, Great Bridge Presbyterian Church
Member, Small Group Bible Study, Founding Member of Current Small Group
Active Participant in Support of:
NEST
Young Life
Youth Ministry
Stop Hunger Now
Pro Bono Legal Services
Chesapeake Rotary Club
Former Director, Tidewater Pastoral Counseling Services, Inc.
Parent Teacher Association
Recipient, Multiple Sclerosis Leadership Award
Coach, High School Model Judiciary Program
Coach, Chesapeake Recreational Department
Great Bridge Jaycees (1988 until aged out) President 1991
Founded Walkathon for Chesapeake Care, Inc., Free Medical Clinic
Chesapeake First Citizen’s Award Committee Chairman, Multiple Years
Chesapeake Christmas Parade Committee Member, 10+ Years
Oyster Roast Committee Chairman, Multiple Years
Ruritans – President 2000, Vice President 1999, Secretary 1998, Treasurer 1997
Chesapeake Care Free Clinic, Former Director
Long Range Planning Committee
Building Committee
Constitution and Bylaws Committee
Building- Fundraising Committee
Pro Bono Legal Services
American Cancer Society, Virginia Division, Portsmouth/Chesapeake, Former Director
Chesapeake Public Schools, Optimizing Technology Action Team, Former Member
Chesapeake Regional Medical Center Bra-ha-ha Fundraising, Volunteer
The Honorable Eileen Filler-Corn
Speaker
Virginia House of Delegates
Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, the first woman in the 400-year history of Virginia’s Legislature to hold the position, rose
to this role after representing the 41st House District for a decade, making her the fastest person to ascend to the
post. The 41st District includes parts of Fairfax, Fairfax Station, and West Springfield.
Speaker Filler-Corn’s passion for service shines through her tireless work to make the Commonwealth of Virginia a
better place to live, work and raise a family. Her commitment to improving the lives of her neighbors is what drove her to run for the House of
Delegates. She has spent her time in the legislature as a listener and problem solver, delivering results that move her community forward
and advocating for everyone equally regardless of background, circumstance, or ideology. She has introduced, championed, and passed
legislation that has made Virginia a safer, stronger, and more equal Commonwealth.
Hearing from her constituents that traffic and congestion in Northern Virginia were increasingly becoming a burden on their daily lives,
Speaker Filler-Corn made fixing our transportation system a priority when she took office. As a member of the House Transportation
Committee from 2011-2018 and a member of the Joint Commission on Transportation Accountability, the Speaker actively fought for years to
improve transit in the Commonwealth. This year, the Speaker carried the Omnibus Transportation Modernization Bill. Among many other
important provisions, this legislation ensures the Commonwealth’s transportation fund remains solvent and supports vital infrastructure to
secure much-needed traffic relief for her constituents. The Speaker has consistently advocated for funding for the two Virginia Railway
Express (VRE) stations in House District 41 (Rolling Road and Burke Centre), giving her constituents an additional option when traveling to
and from Washington, D.C. After learning of the strain transportation costs were having on Virginia’s disabled veterans, the Speaker led the
2020 effort to pass a constitutional amendment exempting 100% service disabled veterans’ main motor vehicle from personal property taxes.
In the 2020 November election, this amendment was overwhelmingly passed by voters.
The Speaker was an active PTA board member while her children were students in the Fairfax County Public Schools. She understands the
increasing need for additional K-12 funding in Virginia and is committed to improving schools and raising teacher pay in the Commonwealth.
She has previously passed legislation making required higher education course materials, such as textbooks, more affordable, giving more
Virginians the chance to succeed in post-secondary institutions. The Speaker also led the successful effort requiring the meaning of consent
to be included in family life curriculum taught in Virginia’s high schools.
At the core of the Speaker’s commitment to her community is her commitment to keeping them safe. And there is no greater public threat
than the gun violence epidemic crippling our country. That is why in 2018, following the horrific mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida,
Speaker Filler-Corn co-chaired the Safe Virginia Initiative Task Force. This first-of-its-kind commission spent nearly a year listening to
Virginians across the of the Commonwealth about how to combat gun violence. The policy recommendations issued by the Safe Virginia
Initiative Task Force in January 2019 played an important role this year as Virginia took long-needed action to combat this public safety
crisis. During the 2020 General Assembly session, Speaker Filler-Corn helped shepherd seven of the Governor’s eight gun violence
prevention bills to make the Commonwealth a safer place for all Virginians.
Speaker Filler-Corn has made passing legislation that protects the rights of women in her district and around the Commonwealth a major
focus of her time in the House. The Speaker sponsored the 2017 Birth Control Access Act, which mandates that pharmacists provide women
a full year supply of birth control pills if prescribed and permitted by a doctor. This crucial legislation better empowers women to better plan
their lives, careers and families. She has also been a fearless leader in addressing sexual assault on college campuses by passing a
requirement that any member of college law enforcement. investigating a sexual assault undergo trauma-informed sensitivity training. The
Speaker has been an outspoken advocate in stopping invasive, anti-choice measures such as the transvaginal ultrasound requirement. And,
in 2020 Speaker Filler-Corn presided over the House of Delegates when Virginia became the 38th state necessary to ratify the Equal Rights
Amendment.
Speaker Filler-Corn recognizes a pillar of a strong community is a strong economy. To keep up with the ever-changing needs of Virginia’s
economy, Speaker Filler-Corn has a record of introducing and passing laws that cut down on red tape for small business in the
Commonwealth. She has also been a leader on workforce development, currently serving as Chair of Jobs for Virginia’s Graduates. This
program assists at-risk and disadvantaged youth graduate from high school and find well-paying jobs.
The Speaker also knows our economy works best when it works for everyone. That is why Speaker Filler-Corn worked with her constituents
to introduce and champion the passage of the Virginia Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act. This law made it possible for
individuals with disabilities and their families to open tax-free savings accounts, similar to 529 college savings accounts, so they can save for
important future living expenses such as education, housing and transportation. This groundbreaking legislation established Virginia as a
national leader and the first state to implement the ABLE Act after federal authorizing language was passed.
Accessibility to quality health care, especially for low-income Virginians, is a major concern in the Speaker ’s district and throughout the
Commonwealth. For years, the Speaker worked tirelessly to close the Medicaid coverage gap for less fortunate Virginians. And while she
and her Democratic colleagues were not successful at first, in 2018, she was proud to help deliver health care coverage for 400,000
Virginians when Governor Northam signed Medicaid Expansion into law.
The Speaker’s career has been devoted to public service. She was an original organizer of the Million Mom March, acting as the Vice(The Honorable Eileen Filler-Corn Continued…)
President and Chairman of the Northern Virginia chapter in 2001. Prior to her election to the House, she also served in the administrations of
Governors Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.
The Speaker and her husband Bob live in Springfield and remain active members of the same community in which they raised their two
children, Jeremy and Alana.
The Honorable Mark Obenshain
Senate Republican Caucus Co-Chairman
Senate of Virginia
For Senator Mark Obenshain, fighting for our rights isn’t just a job—it’s a calling.
Growing up in a home in which the discussion of politics was standard fare around the dinner table each night,
the son of the man often dubbed the architect of the modern Republican Party of Virginia, Mark developed a
passion for politics and a zeal for public service early in life, and he has emerged as one of the Commonwealth’s
leading champions of limited government, individual liberty, and personal responsibility.
Mark has been politically active practically his entire life. He has served as the chairman of two Republican committees, has been a delegate
to every Republican state convention since 1980, and was a member of Virginia’s delegation to the 1980 Republican National Convention,
which nominated Ronald Reagan. Mark has worked on the campaigns of virtually every Republican nominee for state and local office since
he began practicing law in Harrisonburg in 1987, and he serves as the President of the Richard D. Obenshain Foundation, named after his
father, which provides the Republican Party of Virginia with the building that is its permanent home.
Mark was elected to the Senate of Virginia in 2003. He is a member on the Senate Judiciary; Commerce & Labor; Agriculture, Conservation,
and Natural Resources; and Transportation Committees. Mark is also the past Chairman of the Virginia State Crime Commission.
He has quickly established himself as a conservative leader, taking the lead on property rights, school choice, family values, and government
reform, and emerging as one of the Senate’s leading voices on public safety and other key issues.
In his professional life, Mark is the founder of the Obenshain Law Group. Mark has practiced law in Harrisonburg and in Central Virginia for
over thirty years, representing individuals and businesses in a wide range of legal matters.
In addition to his law practice and service in the Senate, Mark is active in a variety of civic, community, professional, and political
organizations. In 1994, Governor George Allen appointed him to serve on the Governor’s Commission on Citizen Empowerment, which
established the framework for Allen’s comprehensive welfare reform program and served as a blueprint for federal welfare reform two years
later. He subsequently served as a member of the Commission on Welfare Reform and the Commission on Government Reform and
Restructuring, where he was one of the charter members, working to identify inefficiencies, eliminate waste and fraud, consolidate duplicative
functions and agencies, and make government more citizen-friendly.
In his own community, Mark served as a member of James Madison University’s Board of Visitors, and also served on the boards of the
Harrisonburg Education Foundation, Mercy House, and the Shenandoah Valley Technology Council, as well as on the Advisory Board for the
Harrisonburg Rescue Squad.
Mark and his wife Suzanne have two children, Anne Tucker and Sam. They worship at Mt. Tabor United Methodist Church.
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!
Recordings from Chamber Day will be made available to registered participants following the event .MEET THE
Virginia Chamber's
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND PUBLIC POLICY TEAM
Our VISION is to be the voice of the Virginia business community and the most
influential business advocacy organization in the Commonwealth.
Our
MISSION is to be the
Keith Martin
Vice President of Public Policy &
Government Relations
leading non-partisan business
k.martin@vachamber.com
(804) 237-1456
advocacy organization that
works in the legislative,
Erik Rison
Director of Public Policy
regulatory, civic and judicial
e.rison@vachamber.com
(804) 237 - 1455
arenas at the state and federal
level to be a force for long-term
Nicole Bunce
Director of Communications &
economic growth in the
External Affairs
n.bunce@vachamber.com
Commonwealth.
(804) 237-1454
Kristin Burhop
Assistant Director of Legislative
Affairs & Virginia Chamber PAC
k.burhop@vachamber.comYou can also read
