Chamber to host annual business luncheon February 28th

The 2008 Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Luncheon will be held on Thursday, February 28th at the Doubletree Hotel. At the luncheon, Christopher Lee, Chief Financial Officer at R.E. Lee & Son, who serves as 2008 Chamber Board of Directors Chairman, will join Chamber officials to issue the Annual Chamber Report and share the results of the 2008 Annual Chamber Member Economic Survey. The Chamber will also present its 2008 “Hovey S. Dabney Award for Corporate Citizenship.” Established in 2005 and named in honor of the late Hovey S. Dabney, the award recognizes outstanding examples of corporate citizenship in the Greater Charlottesville community.

Luncheon tickets are $40 per person. For more information or to register for the 2008 Annual Chamber Business Luncheon, contact the Chamber of Commerce at: cvillechamber.com or 434.295.3141.

Nominations Open: Better Living’s Golden Apple Award

Better Living Building Supply & Better Living Furniture is sponsoring the 8th Annual Golden Apple Awards for outstanding teachers from area school systems. These awards are presented to faculty members from the public and private schools in Albemarle County and Charlottesville City, including CATEC. Eligible private schools are those that are members of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS).

One candidate is selected to represent their school and receives a Golden Apple, as well as gift certificates from local businesses. As a “Golden Apple” teacher, each candidate is then eligible to receive a Golden Apple Grant ($1000). Grants are awarded to eight ( candidates: 3 elementary, 2 middle, and 2 high school candidates of the public schools in Albemarle County and Charlottesville City and CATEC, and to 1 candidate from the schools that are members of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS). The grant award may be used to support the candidate’s continued professional development.

The Golden Apple Awards will be announced on May 22, 2008. Nomination forms are available form the local schools or online at www.betterlivingvirginia.com or www.k12albemarle.org. Deadline for Nominations: March 3, 2008 - return forms to the local school.

Questions? Contact Regina Kirk, Albemarle County Schools, 296-5820, or at rkirk@k12albemarle.org

NASA at the CBIC luncheon February 21

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) representatives will speak at an Innovation Luncheon hosted by the Charlottesville Business Innovation Council (CBIC) on Thursday, February 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Omni Hotel on the Downtown Mall. The deadline for registration is Feb. 15.

NASA Astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and NASA Assistant Administrator for External Relations Michael O’Brien will deliver a compelling presentation on the issues and topics currently facing the space industry and related fields in science and technology. They will discuss how lessons and techniques developed by NASA might be applied to businesses in our community.

“This is a great opportunity to learn about NASA’s work with 14 other countries on the International Space Station and their upcoming plans,” said Tom Thompson, Executive Director of CBIC. “Anyone considering international alliance partners will find this presentation particularly informative. Of course, the technology is just plain fascinating all by itself!”

Topics of discussion will include the completion of the build-out of the International Space Station (ISS), the replacement of the Shuttle with the yet-to-be-built Orion vehicle, the prospects of going back to the Moon and to Mars, and challenges of the future. There will be opportunities for questions, autographs and photographs after the presentation.

The event is sponsored by the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science. The price of admission is $35 for CBIC members and $45 for non-members and includes lunch, beverages, and parking at the Omni Hotel.  Tickets are expected to sell out quickly so CBIC suggests people sign up as soon as they can by visiting www.cvillebic.org or calling 434-817-6300.

Steve Krohn, Virginia National Bank, receives Leader’s Leader Award

Steve Krohn, Managing Director of Virginia National Bank, recently received the 2008 Leader’s Leader Award from the Leadership Charlottesville Alumni Association (LCAA), a council of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Krohn was recognized for his work in the Charlottesville community.  A news release on the award notes that Mr. Krohn holds positions in the United Way – Thomas Jefferson Area as Large Employer Campaign Director, Campaign Chair, Executive Committee Board Chair and Past Board Chair. He also is serving the Blue Ridge Chapter of the National MS Society and currently serves as Board Chair for the Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development (TJPED).

Cathy Train, Director of the United Way – Thomas Jefferson Area, commented that Mr. Krohn “shows a wise use of humor and has the ability to stay with a difficult situation, working skillfully so that everyone feels heard and part of the solution.”

The Leader’s Leader is a Leadership Charlottesville graduate (Mr. Krohn graduated in the class of 2000) who has “demonstrated initiative, vision, and responsibility, investing their time and efforts to contribute to the community, the Leadership Charlottesville program, and/or the Alumni Association.”