DUMFRIES, Va. – The Prince William Chamber of Commerce’s new board chair, Jinnae Monroe, was recognized this month by the Dumfries Town Council for her historic appointment. Monroe is the first Black woman to lead the chamber’s board of directors, a role she will hold for the next year.
The council presented a proclamation commending her “professional achievements, entrepreneurial vision, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.” While the proclamation referred to her as president, Monroe clarified that she serves as board chair, working alongside Bob Sweeney, the chamber’s president and CEO.
Monroe told council members she was “the accidental chair,” describing her path as one of gradually taking on more responsibilities since joining the chamber five years ago. “It was so many people and businesses, and one of the chamber board members invited me to the table,” she said in an interview. “If you do things well in one area, people ask you to do something else. It was five years of being asked to the table that led here.”
Her theme for the year is “the year of the people.” She said the chamber understands business and government, but she wants to focus on strengthening relationships behind the businesses. That means bringing in new members, especially long-time businesses that have not yet joined, and encouraging larger companies to collaborate with small firms.
In Dumfries, she invited local officials and business leaders to participate in chamber councils and committees, which she said can provide access to grants, funding, and leadership opportunities. “With over 230 businesses in Dumfries and more than 9,000 across Prince William County, we have so much more work to do,” she told the council.
Monroe’s career began in the Air Force, where she served 15 years and learned resourcefulness and leadership. She later worked more than three decades in the corporate sector before launching her own coaching business to help organizations with team development, retention, and business planning.
She said her goal as chair is not just to grow membership, but to generate real success stories: “At the end of the year, what we want to hear is people saying, ‘I rejoined my membership because Micron asked me to do a subcontract with them.’ We want to hear more testimonies of business growth and collaboration.”
Councilman comments during the meeting highlighted Monroe’s past work on the chamber’s veterans council and education committee, where she helped award scholarships, including one to a Dumfries high school graduate.
Monroe also stressed that the chamber is not only for large businesses. “I think there’s a stigma that you have to be a successful business, a larger business, to be a part of the chamber,” she said. “Our goal is to make sure, from the county to the cities, that no matter what size the business, they’re invited and they have a voice.”
