VA Council of CEOs Expands into Roanoke Market
Nonprofit establishes first CEO peer roundtable in the Roanoke Valley; anticipates a second to be formed in the region in the very near future.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 10, 2021
Richmond, Virginia: The Virginia Council of CEOs (VACEOs), a nonprofit association serving more than 240 small and mid-sized business owners, announced today that the organization has launched its first CEO peer roundtable in the Roanoke, Virginia market. The organization expects to form a second peer group in the Roanoke area shortly.
Formed in Richmond in 2000, the organization was once primarily Richmond and Charlottesville focused. This news comes just short of one year since the VA Council of CEOs announced its plan to expand statewide. It is welcome news for many CEOs who run a small and mid-sized business in the area and who seek the benefits and value of membership in a peer group.
“We are beginning to make great strides towards our mission to connect CEOs for learning and growth across Virginia”, said Scot McRoberts, Executive Director, VA Council of CEOs. Adding, “This is an important milestone and I hope a watershed moment for future expansion in Southwest Virginia.”
VACEOs Roundtables Help Business Owners Improve Leadership Skills and More
The most powerful way CEOs connect within the Council is through a confidential peer roundtable group, made up of CEOs or business owners of non-competing companies. The minimum threshold for membership is $1M in annual revenue and five or more full-time equivalent employees. There is no cap in either category.
A VACEOs roundtable follows a structured protocol where advice is not given, rather, experiences are shared in a no-judgement setting. The peer roundtables ultimately help business owners to be more confident decision makers and to better manage their business and personal issues, challenges, and opportunities. In short, the Roundtable experience results in improved CEO performance and leadership.
“The peer-to-peer roundtable experience gives you a place to share personal and professional challenges with other business owners who understand your pressures. It’s a safe haven. And, it’s a pretty powerful thing.”
Arlene Lee, CEO, Lee Construction Group and member of the Council (Charlottesville).
“We are excited to be able to bring the VA Council of CEOs peer Roundtable experience to the Roanoke and New River Valleys”, says Keith Hartman, Regional Executive for the Virginia Council of CEOs. “Participation in a peer Roundtable can positively impact the entire spectrum of a CEO’s realm of influence. The insight gained from the variety of different perspectives represented in a peer Roundtable can be game-changing”.
Hartman joined the Council in January of 2021. His main responsibility is to assist with the nonprofit’s membership growth within the southwest region of the Commonwealth. Small and mid-sized business owners interested in learning more about the benefits of a peer group or in additional information about the Council can reach him directly at keith@vaceos.org.
A Call to Serve Virginia’s Autism Community, at Home
“I’m a kid that grew up in the north side of Richmond, one of the toughest parts of Richmond when I was growing up,” says Dr. Cedric Moore. “And it was my community, which helped shape me, to help me become who I am today and who I continue to try to aspire to be.”
Moore has risen far indeed. He is now the CEO of Spectrum Transformation Group, the first organization licensed in Virginia as an intensive outpatient Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) service. Also a member of the Virginia Council of CEOs, Moore is supported by a local roundtable group as he implements his strategic plan for Spectrum and navigates various business challenges, including the pandemic.
Listen in as Moore talks about his business, social work, challenges facing minority business leaders, and his new-found home a VA Council of CEOs (Captions available)
Moore’s journey out of the city led to a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Eastern Mennonite University, an MBA, and later a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. He then returned to Richmond and launched Spectrum in 2010. Still, he admits that before joining VACEOs, he sometimes felt unheard or unacknowledged when in a room of non-minority business leaders.
“There were times where, you know, I had to speak a little louder or there were individuals who wouldn’t call on me in a meeting,” he explains. “Those are some things that we face as minorities, even with a terminal degree.”
“I’m very aware sometimes that I’m invited to the table, but I’m not actually welcomed at the table,” he says. “But I understand now that I’m happy to embrace this role and be able to help other minorities, as well to get them a seat at the table. I’m fortunate enough to find the Virginia CEOs and be able to work with Scot [McRoberts, VACEOs executive director].”
“It’s an ability to not only to survive things like the pandemic but also to come out of the situation a lot better. So everyone is there to help each other. I’m so happy, so proud to be a part Roundtable 17. It’s just been great.”
Dr. Cedric Moore, CEO, Spectrum Transformation Group
He elaborates on his VACEOs roundtable peers, “these groups, I mean, they really care about you as a person and they care about your business. It’s an ability to not only survive things like the pandemic but also to come out of the situation a lot better. So everyone is there to help each other. I’m so happy, so proud to be a part Roundtable 17.”
Carrying the Banner for In-home Autism Services
How did Spectrum come to be? “I want to help people. That’s what we do, social work,” Moore explains. “My wife had a passion with autism and that was huge for us.”
“We met with her mentor, psychology professor Donald Oswald, who is a guru on the East Coast within autism spectrum disorder services,” he says. “That drove us to provide services for a population at the time that there wasn’t much there other than educational services.”
At Spectrum, a team of 52 full-time employees—including psychologists, psychiatrists, behavior analysts and technicians, and speech and language pathologists—provides general mental health diagnoses and a variety of services, such as outpatient therapy.
“We are happy to carry a banner with being the first licensed program in the state to provide those services in the home,” says Moore.
A Future of Service, Family, and Faith
Adapting to a pandemic was especially challenging for an organization whose clients rely on face-to-face interaction. “So going to a telehealth platform made it really difficult. Some of their attention spans are a lot shorter than their peers. Some of them can’t sit for a very long period of time,” explains Moore.
In response, the company redesigned and reconfigured offices, common areas, and therapy spaces to comply with CDC safety guidelines and enable in-person services. “Our ability to be able to pivot was definitely important as we continue to try to meet the needs of those that we serve,” says Moore.
What’s next for Spectrum? The company is implementing phase three of its strategic plan and is bringing on psychiatrists and nurse practitioners. “It’s super exciting. It’s a new learning experience for me,” says Moore.
As important as Moore’s business goals, however, are his family and his faith. “I grew up with a single mom and my ability to be there for my children, it’s very important to me. My ability to be there for my wife is very important to me. And my ability to be able to serve God as best as I can is important to me. So every day I’m just trying to be better than what I was the day before.”
10 Attributes Of a Great CEO Peer Group Member
It’s no secret that CEOs of small and mid-sized businesses get a lot out of their peer advisory roundtable groups. Roundtables supply diverse perspectives in a confidential environment and are proven to deliver advantages in decision-making and leadership, especially during challenging times.
To ensure the roundtable performs at its greatest potential, I’ve found that those participants who receive the most from the process tend to share certain qualities.
They are, in no particular order:
- Intellectual curiosity. A desire to know what makes things work, the “back story”, answers to “why”, getting to the “root cause”.
- Life-long learner.
- Open to seeking the input of others, and willing to implement suggested solutions not your own.
- Committed to the process of continuous improvement. Not satisfied with the current state. Growth-oriented.
- Embrace change. An innovative spirit.
- Strategic thinker.
- Self-aware. A willingness to be vulnerable, to be transparent.
- Secure. No inherent need to be the smartest person in the room.
- Humble. More concerned about being able to give as much as you’re getting, as opposed to getting as much as you’re giving.
- Appreciate the power of diverse backgrounds, world views, perspectives, and experiences.
These attributes, in fact, define our members to a tee!
Is it necessary to have all of these attributes to maximize the benefit of peer group membership? No. Would it be helpful to have some of them? Definitely. More important is attitude, your approach to the process. We all get the same 24 hours per day. The only thing that we can control is how we utilize, leverage, and prioritize those 24 hours.
About the Author
Keith Hartman, Regional Executive for Virginia Council of CEOs (VACEOs), has over five years of experience developing and supporting peer-to-peer roundtables and forums for Vistage Worldwide, the international leader in peer advisory groups and personal leadership development for CEOs and senior leaders. He has experienced first-hand the transformational impact that the sharing of challenges, opportunities, and experiences with trusted peers in a confidential environment can have, and is looking forward to helping the Council expand this concept to all corners of the Commonwealth. Learn more about Keith.
Related article:
3 Reasons Why Marie Antoinette Lost Her Head (and how today’s CEOs can learn from it)
“Let them eat cake,” famously rumored to be said in the 17th or 18th century by princess Marie Antoinette upon being told that the French peasants had no bread. Whether she actually said it or not is unsure, but it does offer small business CEOs a few lessons in leadership.
3 Reasons Why Marie Antoinette Lost Her Head
#1. Losing touch
Knowing your audience is important. As a leader, you have to be mindful of your words to avoid a potential faux pas. Immerse yourself in the wisdom of others and find better ways to handle sticky situations.
#2. Running from crisis
Respect is earned by facing problems head on. Managing confrontation is unfortunately part of the job and must always be handled tactfully. Have a trusted friend by your side.
#3. Guillotines
The world is quick to judge and it doesn’t take much for tempers to flare. You’ve done everything in your power, but are truly struggling to fix the issue at hand. Fortunately for you, we know people who can help. It will be alright.
BUT WHAT IF SHE’D HAD BETTER FRIENDS IN HER CORNER?
Life is full of missteps and mistakes. A smart leader will observe others, absorb their wisdom, and navigate through new territory much easier.
Our CEO members find that with the backing of their peers, they evolve faster and achieve more together. Listen in to what they have to say.
Do As the Romans Do Not
3 REASONS WHY AN EMPIRE CAME CRASHING DOWN
(and how today’s CEOs can learn from it)
#1. Internal Conflict
Making an entire empire happy seems impossible. As the leader it can be draining. What if there’s a way you haven’t thought of? You’ll never know without immersing yourself in the wisdom of others with similar challenges.
#2. Wandering Values
As the empire evolves, so does its goals. The trick is to never let these goals interfere with, or take priority over a solid foundation of values. Having trusted peers as friends helps us keep sight of what matters most.
#3. Barbarian Tribes
Competition is slightly more civil these days. Regardless, it’s important to keep your spears sharp and stay aware of your surroundings. It’s easier to hear the rumblings of potential threats when you have alliances on the outside.
BUT WHAT IF THE EMPIRE HAD THE RIGHT SUPPORT?
Our CEO members find that with the backing of their peers, they evolve faster and achieve more together. Listen in to what they have to say.
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