History
Narrated by Pat Williams
In January of 2005 I began my 1 1/2 year term as Chairman of the Board of the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce. At that time the town of Herndon was conducting a passionate dialogue regarding the immigrant population in the town. This appeared to be the perfect time to broaden our Chamber membership by inviting the Latino business owners whose numbers were increasing in Northern Virginia, to bring their talents into our Chamber of Commerce and to benefit from all that the Dulles Regional Chamber has to offer to grow all of our businesses. I met with Eileen Curtis, our Chamber President and CEO, and she approved my desire to found a new committee within the Chamber: the Hispanic Business Committee.
The response to the announcement of the first committee meeting was astounding. Business owners and managers who were Latino, as well as those who worked with the Latino community, crowded the Chamber boardroom. We were fortunate at the beginning to have the enthusiastic Chamber leadership dedicated to helping plan the agendas and organize the growing membership list. Within the first year, each monthly meeting was attended by approximately 35 people. I was the founding Chairman, and Ary Hernandez of Uniglobe Ultimax Travel and Ximena Savitch of Griffin Owens followed. The current Chairman is Jackie Krick of ECU Communications, and her successor will be Irene de Leon. The members wanted to broaden and grow their businesses, but they also wanted to be of service to make a difference in the community.
The goal of integrating the Hispanic and Hispanic-serving community into the mainstream of the Dulles Regional Chamber has been implemented in many ways. The largest event is the annual Hispanic Business Reception, hosted by the Council and welcoming hundreds of guests from the entire Washington Metropolitan area. Council member Phyllis Riley has chaired these events with the support of Patricia Cundall and other members. This event attracts not only CEOs, but also elected officials and nonprofit partners, who all enjoy the opportunity to meet each other and develop working partnerships. The 2005 reception featured celebratory remarks by US Treasurer Ana Cabral, followed by a moving naturalization ceremony for a group of immigrants, who received gifts and congratulatory letters from Mayor O'Reilly and the HBC leadership. In 2006 we were addressed by Luis Fortuño, Congressman from Puerto Rico, who pointed out that the 1.6 million Hispanic-owned businesses in America, which produce revenue of $222 billion, add immeasurable strength to our communities. Council member Danny Vargas prepared and narrated a lively visual presentation of the great impact that Latinos have had on our North American lives and culture. Of course the guests are always treated to music and a taste of cuisine from many Hispanic countries.
In 2006, the size and success of the HBC led to the promotion by the Chamber to the status of a Council. The Virginia Association of Chambers of Commerce invited Eileen and me to make a presentation at their annual meeting, outlining the development steps that we took to create our Council.
The Council has forged strategic partnerships with the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Ibero-American Chamber of Commerce, Congressman Wolf's Hispanic Advisory Committee, the Loudoun Small Business Development Center, the US Department of Commerce, Liberty's Promise, and many other organizations.
The Council has developed a Professional Support Program, to provide council members as mentors in many areas of expertise such as administration, insurance, marketing, financial services, etc, to developing Hispanic businesses. Applications and general information are available on the Hispanic Business Council pages of the Chamber website, www.DullesRegionalChamber.org. The council selects outstanding Latin American youth, citizens in the community, and nonprofit organizations for recognition. Among the many benefits to HBC members is the opportunity to represent their businesses and promote the Council at a booth at the area multicultural festivals.