Monday, January 23, 2023

Spring Retreat 2023: Activities Announced

The VA Council of CEOs Spring Retreat always includes time for having fun!

Golf is back! This year’s Spring Retreat activities will include golf at the Roanoke Country Club. Boxed lunches and beverages will be provided. We will place one sponsor and three members in each foursome. Tell us who you would like to play with when filling out your registration form, and we will do our best! Foursomes will compete in a scramble-style tournament. Shotgun start at 10:30 am on April 26, 2023!

Cornhole and Games. Members and sponsors are invited to relax and enjoy some games and a beverage before our evening activities on Wednesday night. Starts at 2:00 pm and ends at 5:00 pm at the Hotel Roanoke!

Black Dog Salvage. Private tour of the Black Dog Salvage facility from the TV show “Salvage Dawgs.” Tickets cost $25.

Downtown Roanoke Food and Culture Tour. Private tour for our members and sponsors lead by a passionate tour guide. We’ll visit multiple food-tasting locations within the vibrant downtown historic district. All food and beverage tastings are included in the ticket price. We’ll meet at the Hotel Roanoke at 12:15 pm and the 3-hour tour starts at 12:30 pm. Tickets cost $85.

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Spring Retreat 2022: Let’s Connect

The VA Council of CEOs Spring Retreat always includes time for having fun, learning, AND making connections. Here are some ways we plan to connect this year. We look forward to seeing and connecting with you at VA Beach!

(This event is for VACEOs Members and Sponsors only.)

Spring Retreat 2022 Opportunities to Connect

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

• 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM Nature Hike at First Landing State Park
• 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM I-Fly Private Flight Session (indoor sky diving)
• 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Bourbon Tour & Tasting at Tarnished Truth
• 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM Cornhole at Marriott VA Beach Oceanfront
• 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Opening Reception on the Great Lawn at the Cavalier
• 9:00 PM – 12:00 AM Hospitality Suite

Thursday, April 28, 2022

• 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM Light Cocktail hour
• 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Dinner followed by party (Favorite Decade Night)
• 9:00 PM – 12:00 AM Hospitality Suite

Friday, April 29, 2022

• 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Lingerer’s Reception. (For those not ready to leave the beach)

Labels: Spring Retreat 2022

Monday, January 10, 2022

Spring Retreat 2022: Retreat Workshops Announced

The VA Council of CEOs Spring Retreat 2022 includes internationally-acclaimed keynote speakers and workshops tackling the challenges that are most on the minds of the CEO of today. Here are your workshop options this year.

(This event is for VACEOs Members and Sponsors only.)

Spring Retreat 2022 Workshops

This workshop, titled Turning B-Players into an A-Player Team: How to Meld Regular People into a Superior Team, will be a continuation of the keynote. Eric will dive deeper into his topic’s discussed in the morning keynote, bringing home how wot ultimately get the most out of your team.

About Eric Herrenkohl

Eric Herrenkohl is an executive coach and Managing Director of Executive Coaching and Executive Career Services for AchieveNEXT. He is the creator of the A-Player Executive and Leadership Leverage coaching systems, designed to help leaders pinpoint, assess, and overcome obstacles to human performance at every level in a business. Eric led a boutique executive search and executive coaching firm for 20 years prior to joining AchieveNEXT. 

Besides other varied and distinguished accomplishments, Eric’s book How to Hire A-Players, published by Wiley, is an Amazon bestseller named one of the top 10 recruiting books of all time by Recruiter.com. His thought leadership has been featured by Business Week, Fox News, Inc.com, the LinkedIn Talent Blog, MSNBC.com, NBC News, the Philadelphia Business Journal, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Toronto Globe and Mail. 

Learn more about Eric.

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As an extension from her earlier keynote presentation, “Why the ‘C’ in C-Suite Should Stand for ‘Change’, Not ‘Chief’ – How Senior Executives Need to be the Stewards of Tomorrow”, this workshop, presented and led by Rakia Reynolds, Founder and Executive Officer of Skai Blue Media, will dive into specific marketing strategies that could amplify the success of your organization and identify key areas to continue to watch in order to discover new non-traditional ways to lead your brand towards a brighter future.  
  

About Rakia Reynolds

One of the most sought-after minds in strategic communications, Rakia Reynolds is a thought leader, tastemaker, and branding expert who advises name brands on creative strategy. Her guiding principles as an intriguing storyteller focus on distilling equity in messaging, and her ability to navigate the ever-increasing complex cultural and social media landscapes are only some of the reasons Rakia has successfully created her own distinct brand of authenticity and expertise for over 15 years.

Rakia has been named by Inc. Magazine as one of the 27 Business Leaders Aiming to Change the World, was listed as one of the 25 Most Socially Influential Tastemakers on Dell’s “Inspire 100” list, and recently was also profiled by Forbes on their “Next 1000” list.  As a thought leader and proven authority in marketing, creative strategy and business development Rakia regularly contributes her expertise to the pages of Forbes, Inc.com, HuffPost, Fast Company, and more. 

Learn more about Rakia Reynolds.

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John gave a highly-rated presentation at last year’s virtual Retreat. His workshop this year will teach you how to think like a futurist, reducing anxiety and expanding opportunities for you and your business.

About John Martin

John W. Martin is a futurist, award-winning author, and the President and CEO of SIR, a market research consultancy headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Founded in 1964, SIR helps corporations, government agencies, universities, nonprofits, and even entire communities understand what tomorrow will bring and what to do about it today. The firm supported many of America’s leading companies and associations including GE, Johnson & Johnson, Lincoln Financial, Walmart, Google, and hundreds of other Fortune 1,000 companies and national associations.

John is also the CEO and Managing Partner of SIR’s Institute for Tomorrow, a research-based think tank that identifies the trends impacting organizations, studies the people making those trends happen, and helps leaders determine how best to prepare for tomorrow. Tapping into over 50 years of SIR’s research and insights expertise, the Institute for Tomorrow has helped hundreds of organizations connect the dots and navigate the changes ahead.

Learn more about John Martin.

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All too often we put up artificial barriers to success with walls of fear. I started with I never want to run a marathon – to marathon running is core to who I am as an individual + executive leaders- allowing me to achieve my desired impact. Through thousands of miles on the roads- literally around the world- this journey provides the tools for physical empowerment, leading to emotional empowerment, to knocking down artificial barriers for individual empowerment leading to human-centered success. 

About Carrie Roth

Carrie Roth is the founder of Rerouted, a strategic growth and communications consultancy, bringing over 28 years of broad experience as an entrepreneur, political and non-profit leader. Her experience included but is not limited to serving as CEO and COO of Activation Capital and the VA Bio+Tech Park; Virginia Deputy Secretary of Commerce & Trade from 2010-2013; President of Capitol Square Communications, and Press Secretary for U.S. Senator George Allen. 

During her career, she has appeared in state, national and international media, including: the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post, Washington Times, LA Times, New York Times, Investor’s Business Daily, Politics Magazine, “Perspectives” in Newsweek Magazine, and on the International Travel Channel.

In 2019, Carrie was named a Pioneering CEO by myTechMag; in 2018, she was recognized by Richmond NAWBO as Community Leader of the Year and RTD Person of the Year Honoree.

Learn more about Carrie Roth

Labels: Carrie Roth, Eric Herrenkohl, John Martin, Rakia Reynolds, Spring Retreat, Spring Retreat 2022

Monday, January 10, 2022

Spring Retreat 2022: Keynote Speakers Announced

The VA Council of CEOs 2022 Spring Retreat includes well-known, national keynote speakers, relevant workshops and learning opportunities for CEOs, and time for networking and making connections. This year’s event is in person, and we are pleased to announce these powerhouse speakers will command the stage.

(This event is for VACEOs Members and Sponsors only.)

Spring Retreat 2022 Keynote Speakers

Rakia Reynolds Presents (How the ‘C’ in C-Suite Will Evolve)

April 28, 2022
9:30 am – 10:30 am

In this keynote presentation, fully titled: “How the ‘C’ in C-Suite Will Evolve into ‘Change’, from ‘Chief’- How Senior Executives will increasingly become the Stewards of Tomorrow“, Rakia Reynolds, Founder and Executive Officer of award-winning non-traditional multi-cultural multimedia communications agency, Skai Blue Media, will discuss why it’s important for the future of your organization to set the tone of your leadership, which can start with choosing how your title/position is defined.

As times rapidly change, cultural sensitivity and awareness are paramount to the wellness of your brand, and maintaining a forward-thinking strategy at the highest levels of your company is critical to your success both internally and externally.   In this keynote, Rakia will explain why changing the “C” in CEO to “Change” instead of “Chief” could dramatically revitalize your organization on various levels, setting you up for future success. 

About Rakia Reynolds

One of the most sought-after minds in strategic communications, Rakia Reynolds is a thought leader, tastemaker, and branding expert who advises name brands on creative strategy. Her guiding principles as an intriguing storyteller focus on distilling equity in messaging, and her ability to navigate the ever-increasing complex cultural and social media landscapes are only some of the reasons Rakia has successfully created her own distinct brand of authenticity and expertise for over 15 years.

Rakia has been named by Inc. Magazine as one of the 27 Business Leaders Aiming to Change the World, was listed as one of the 25 Most Socially Influential Tastemakers on Dell’s “Inspire 100” list, and recently was also profiled by Forbes on their “Next 1000” list.  As a thought leader and proven authority in marketing, creative strategy and business development Rakia regularly contributes her expertise to the pages of Forbes, Inc.com, HuffPost, Fast Company, and more. 

Learn more about Rakia Reynolds

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Eric Herrenkohl Presents Turning B-Players Into An A-Players Team

April 28, 2022
10:45 am – 11:50 am

About Eric Herrenkohl

Eric Herrenkohl is an executive coach and Managing Director of Executive Coaching and Executive Career Services for AchieveNEXT. He is the creator of the A-Player Executive and Leadership Leverage coaching systems, designed to help leaders pinpoint, assess, and overcome obstacles to human performance at every level in a business. Eric led a boutique executive search and executive coaching firm for 20 years prior to joining AchieveNEXT. 

Besides other varied and distinguished accomplishments, Eric’s book How to Hire A-Players, published by Wiley, is an Amazon bestseller named one of the top 10 recruiting books of all time by Recruiter.com. His thought leadership has been featured by Business Week, Fox News, Inc.com, the LinkedIn Talent Blog, MSNBC.com, NBC News, the Philadelphia Business Journal, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Toronto Globe and Mail. 

Learn more about Eric.

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Elliot Eisenberg Presents The Economy in 2022: Growing and Slowing

April 29, 2022
9:30 am – 10:30 am

Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. (aka, “The Bowtie Economist”) promises to entertain and educate as he discusses the short-term and longer-term health of the US economy. Dr. Eisenberg will discuss the most recent statistics on key topics such as the depth and breadth of the economic recovery from Covid-19, inflation, interest rates, the Fed, labor markets and wages, supply-chain issues, the impact of new Congressional legislation, and of corporate investment.  In particular, Dr. Eisenberg will examine trucking, construction, medical services, hospitality, manufacturing, R.V. sales and more! Be ready to take plenty of notes. 

About Elliot Eisenberg

Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. is an internationally acclaimed economist and public speaker specializing in making economics fun, relevant and educational. Dr. Eisenberg earned a B.A. in economics with first class honors from McGill University in Montreal, as well as a Master and Ph.D. in public administration from Syracuse University.  Eisenberg is the Chief Economist for GraphsandLaughs, LLC, a Miami-based economic consultancy that serves a variety of clients across the United States.  He writes a syndicated column and authors a daily 70-word commentary on the economy that is available at www.econ70.com.

Dr. Eisenberg has spoken hundreds of business groups and associations, serving as keynote speaker on topics including economic forecasts, economic impact of industries such as homebuilding, consequences of government regulation, and other current economic issues. His research and opinions have been featured in Bloomberg Businessweek, Bureau of National Affairs, Forbes, Fortune, and many other publications.  He is a regularly featured guest on talk, and public radio. 

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Stephanie Stuckey Presents Brand Building, Pecans, And the Great American Road Trip

April 29, 2022
10:45 am – 11:50 am

Stuckey’s has been a part of the American travel landscape for folks to stop by and “Relax, Refresh, & Refuel” since 1937. Stephanie Stuckey, granddaughter of W.S. and current CEO of the brand icon, discusses her journey with the company her family founded, sold and reacquired give an update for 2022. 

About Stephanie Stuckey

Stephanie received both her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Georgia. She has worked as a trial lawyer, elected to seven terms as a state representative, ran an environmental nonprofit law firm that settled the largest Clean Water Act case in Georgia history, served as Director of Sustainability and Resilience for the City of Atlanta, and taught as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Georgia School of Law.

Stephanie’s achievements include being named one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians by Georgia Trend Magazine and a graduate of Leadership Atlanta. She is active in her community, a longstanding member of Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church, and serves on many nonprofit boards, including the National Sierra Club Foundation, EarthShare of Georgia, and her local zoning review board.

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Labels: Elliot Eisenberg, Eric Herrenkohl, Rakia Reynolds, Spring Retreat, Spring Retreat 2022, Stephanie Stucky

Thursday, March 18, 2021

2021 Retreat Workshops Announced

The VA Council of CEOs Annual Retreat includes internationally-acclaimed keynote speakers and workshops tackling the challenges that are most on the minds of the CEO of today. With so many good presentations it may be hard to choose which to attend.

From climate change to emerging trends to trust funnels, here are your workshop options this year.

Weather and climate conditions in Virginia are changing. These changes may present new risks to a wide range of Virginia based businesses.  The presentation will examine climate changes occurring nationally and in Virginia while discussing the implications of these changes for the future, leading to a examples of specific risks a changing climate may engender, and will end with a discussion of how to evaluate and quantify a climate related risk in preparation for the development of mitigation strategies.

about Jan Dutton

Dr. Jan Dutton is the CEO of Prescient Weather Ltd and ClimBiz Ltd.  His career spans positions at Weather Ventures, Earth Networks, Storm Exchange, Schneider Electric, and DTN.  Dr. Dutton’s career objective is to enable business decision making based on weather and climate information.

Dr. Dutton was recently completed a six-year term as the member of the Penn State Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science Advisory Board.  He currently is a volunteer mentor for the American Meteorological Society Board on Private Sector Meteorology and a member of the Committee on Climate Services. 

He received a dual degree B.A. in Physics and Science and Technology Studies from Colby College in Waterville, ME in 1994.  He received a Ph.D. from the Penn State Department of Meteorology in 2000.  He also received an MBA from the Smeal College Business at Penn State in 2000.  His dissertation focused on the simulation of interannual climate variability using regional climate models.  Dr. Dutton is honored to strengthen existing and build new customer and partner relationships based on the unique leading-edge climate analysis and forecasting capabilities created by Prescient Weather Ltd.

Prescient Weather develops innovative climate and weather based solutions to enable critical decisions making. 

Primary products include:

• The World Climate Service – a seasonal and subseasonal forecast product designed primarily for the energy industry. “If you knew then, what we knew then.”
• CropProphet – a US grains market intelligence platform providing daily updated, quantitative estimates of the impact of crop season weather and forecasts on yield and production. “Quantifying the Impacts of Weather on Grain Crops”

The purpose of this presentation is to analyze the positive impacts an OKR framework has on an organization’s people and culture.

OKR (Objectives and Key Results) is a strategic goal-setting framework that empowers individuals at all levels of the organization to attain better business outcomes.

OKR is the quarterly process of setting top-level objectives and departments, teams, and individuals committing and aligning their own objectives to them.  In a series of dedicated workshops individuals are getting excited about their work, becoming aware of how they contribute to organizational strategy, and increasing cross-departmental collaboration.

When you leave this presentation, you will walk away with new tools to:

• Plan with more rigor around focusing on less
• Have a process to rationalize priorities and make collaborative decisions with teams on what is best for the company
• Reinforce critical tactics that contribute to your employees engagement
• Best practices to have more high impact team meetings that drive results
• Best practices to get more effective 1 on 1 meetings that drive results  

about Alex Bartholomaus

Alex Bartholomaus started People Stretch Solutions, a DC-based management consulting firm, in 2009 to help CEOs scale their organizations. Alex is a published author and professional speaker on the topics of OKR, Sales Effectiveness, Elite Business Performance and Emotional Intelligence.

Alex began his career at Billington Imports, a family business which he grew from $1MM to $37MM in revenue over a 15 year period before a successful exit in 2009. Billington was a category leader in South American wines and during his tenure Alex started the Big Tattoo Wines project, donating over $1million to hospice and breast cancer research charities.

This topic introduces participants to the concept of TRUST FUNNELS. They will understand how to create an environment where sale happens as a natural process of building a successful trust-based relationship. The audience will walk away with clear action items they can implement in their business right away.

Key Takeaways:

1. How to create an environment where a sale happens as a natural process of building a successful trust-based relationship
2. How to invite a potential lead to a conversation, rather than just marketing to an audience
3. How to create a well implemented TRUST building strategy in order to convert a lead into a client

about Dolores Hirschmann

Dolores Hirschmann, ACC, CPCC, is an internationally recognized strategist, coach, speaker, and founder of Masters in Clarity, a coaching practice that helps clients clarify their idea worth sharing and implement business growth systems.

She has over 20 years’ experience in helping clients realize their potential through clarifying their vision, message, and market. Dolores leads mastermind groups, workshops, and speaks internationally about effective communication and audience engagement. As a speaker coach and TEDx organizer, she brings the TED speaker model to all levels of communication in business. She has written two books, New Beginnings and 18 Minutes of Impact: Moving Your Audience to Action the TED Way, and her articles have been featured in publication such as Creativ Magazine and LinkedIn. She has been a guest on podcasts like The Unmistakable Creative and Women Worldwide. She is accredited through the Coaches Training Institute and the International Coach Federation and has a business degree from the Universidad de San Andres, Argentina.

Originally from Buenos Aires, Dolores speaks fluent Spanish, English, and French and lives in Dartmouth, MA with her husband and four children.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been more than just a global health crisis. It has also been a true catalyst for change: accelerating trends in business and technology but also re-awakening a long-simmering movement towards social justice. The effects are felt in our streets, online, and in corporate board rooms. This cultural phenomenon isn’t just being expressed here in America; it’s global.

John Martin will take you on a tour of the seven game-changing trends being accelerated by COVID-19 and The Social Justice Movement; including the future of strategic planning, remote work, talent acquisition and retention, government policy making, and more. Most importantly, John’s talk will point to actions that enlightened leaders are taking today to prepare for tomorrow. Audiences leave with a tangible process they can immediately activate within their own organization.

about John Martin

John W. Martin is a futurist, award-winning author, and the President and CEO of SIR, a market research consultancy headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Founded in 1964, SIR helps corporations, government agencies, universities, nonprofits, and even entire communities understand what tomorrow will bring and what to do about it today.

SIR has orchestrated over 16,000 research studies and strategic initiatives designed to help clients identify and advance their unique brand positions, create new products and services, manage business challenges and opportunities, assess the overall effectiveness of marketing programs and initiatives, and formulate long-range strategic plans.

SIR has supported many of America’s leading companies and associations including GE, Johnson & Johnson, Lincoln Financial, Walmart, Google, AARP, the American Chemical Society, the Public Relations Society of America, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and hundreds of other Fortune 1,000 companies and national associations.

John is also the CEO and Managing Partner of SIR’s Institute for Tomorrow, a research-based think tank that identifies the trends impacting organizations, studies the people making those trends happen, and helps leaders determine how best to prepare for tomorrow. Tapping into over 50 years of SIR’s research and insights expertise, the Institute for Tomorrow has helped hundreds of organizations connect the dots and navigate the changes ahead.

At conferences all over the world, Institute for Tomorrow speakers have delivered eye-opening keynote presentations to organizations like Walmart, Google, Circle K, AARP, Lowes Home Improvement, Wells Fargo, and even the rocket scientists at NASA.

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