The Prince William Chamber of Commerce has changed the name of one long-time event and added a fun new twist. Formerly known as State of Prince William, the newly formatted Direct Access: A Conversation with Local Leaders will be held on Thursday, September 29 from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Red Rose Event Center (9705 Liberia Avenue, Suite 101; Manassas, VA 20110). Tickets to the luncheon are $40 for members of the Prince William Chamber of Commerce and $55 for non-members. All are welcome.
“State of Prince William has always been a popular event for us, offering our members a look at how the three municipalities we serve—Prince William County and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park—work together. Direct Access represents a change in format aimed at making the event more interactive. Audience members can expect to not only gain insight but also to find answers for their concerns in real time,” says Chamber President & CEO Debbie Jones. She went on to say that the business community has a “responsibility to work side-by-side with local governments to improve the economic climate and enhance the local quality of life if they want to see their businesses thrive.”
So what is Direct Access? In simplest terms, it is a conversation between the business community and top local elected officials sitting on the “celebrity panel.” This year’s panelists are Chairman Corey Stewart of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, Mayor Hal Parrish of the City of Manassas and Mayor Frank Jones of the City of Manassas Park. The program is modeled after the old game show, “What’s My Line?” Guided by host Jim Aram– a member of the Prince William Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and co-owner of Advantage Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation — audience members will trade questions with the panel on subjects such as challenges to business growth, economic development, workforce development and quality of life issues. In turn the panelists will ask questions to find out more about the audience member’s role in the community and how local government can better serve the community. Participants will have the chance to win prizes for bringing their questions to the panel.
Chamber Director of Government Relations, Brendon Shaw, likens the program to a town hall meeting saying, “We want our members to have fun with this event. That’s why we have added the gameshow-style theme this year. We also want our members to take ownership of this program because this is their Chamber and their community. Submit questions that you want our panelists to answer. Whether you are a business owner, community volunteer, or an employee who also happens to live nearby, Direct Access provides an opportunity for you to get involved in the political process in a new and interesting way.”
Shaw is accepting questions for the celebrity panel prior to the event. Questions will be selected to represent a broad array of interests and perspectives. Potential registrants should email their questions to [email protected]. Event registration is available online at PWChamber.org or by calling 703-368-6600.
Sponsors for Direct Access: A Conversation with Local Leaders include: Novant Health UVA Health System; QMT Windchimes; Vanderpool, Frostick & Nishanian, PC; Dewberry; InsideNOVA-Prince William and Transurban (the Prince William Chamber’s Advocacy Vision Partner).
