We are looking forward to seeing all of you that have already registered for the RRRC Annual Meeting on Wednesday, October 4th at Old House Vineyards in Culpeper County.  For those of you not yet registered, please note that early registration at the $20 rate will be open through this Friday, September 22nd.  

The Regional Commission is also pleased to announce the recipients of this year's Regional Leadership Awards to well-deserving Government and Citizen representatives of the region, which will be presented at the Annual Meeting. James P. 'Jim' Crozier, former RRRC Chair and recently retired from the Orange County Board of Supervisors, will be honored with the Government Leadership award and Felicia Champion, community leader most active in Fauquier and Culpeper counties, will be honored with the Citizen Leadership award. Each brings a long history of service and leadership to the region and tremendous impact on collaboration and impact across boundaries that will be celebrated October 4th!

We are also excited to welcome Ryan Price, AICP, Chief Economist with the Virginia Association of Realtors, as keynote speaker to the event. We look forward to seeing you on October 4th!
 
Registration Details

• $20 if registered by September 22, 2023 ($30 thereafter)
• Register and Pay by Credit Card online (processing fees apply)
• For offline registration and/or to pay by cash, check, or invoice, or any other questions, please contact Monica Creel at the Regional Commission at (540) 829-7450, extension 12 or mcreel@rrregion.org

Schedule of Events
5:00 p.m. Registration & Networking, Hors d'oeuvres, Cash Bar

6:00 p.m. Welcoming Remarks & Dinner

6:45 p.m. Keynote Address by Ryan Price, AICP - Chief Economist with Virginia Association of Realtors

7:30 p.m. Presentation of 2023 RRRC Regional Leadership Awards

The Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission invites all employers in Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock Counties to take a survey about the local business environment. The survey is part of a collaborative regional planning effort to develop the region's first Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) that RRRC is leading, along with a mix of partners across the region. 

The CEDS will establish a vision for the region’s economic development programs and projects over the next five years. To best inform the strategies going forward, the RRRC is engaging employers and other key stakeholders to fully understand the issues and opportunities facing businesses throughout the region. Your responses to the survey will directly inform the biggest areas in need of addressing within the current business climate and aid in developing strategies going forward.

The business climate within these counties has become a prevalent issue in discussions around the potential for economic development in the region in recent years. The study will seek to identify challenges in the business climate through data-driven analysis and strategize ways to tackle these challenges through ambitious, but practical solutions.

“We appreciate all organizations small and large contributing their views and opinions into this survey. All input will be incorporated with qualitative and quantitative data also collected during the CEDS development and we look forward to sharing results and strategies as the process continues,” said Patrick Mauney, RRRC Executive Director.

The online survey is open through October 15, 2023 and should take fewer than 10 minutes to complete. The survey is available in English and Spanish and can be accessed at https://www.rrregion.org/cedssurvey.

The RRRC is asking all private, non-profit, and public employers in the region to take the survey so it can collect the most accurate data possible, establish employer needs, and help identify the best partners to conduct this work. 

For more information about the CEDS process and to learn how to get involved, please visit https://www.rrregion.org/ceds.

Michelle Edwards, RRRC Environmental Programs Manager, was recently awarded the Robert W. Baker Award by the Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions (VAPDC). The VAPDC recognized Ms. Edwards for spearheading RRRC’s Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) Program, while also serving on the Chesapeake Bay Stakeholders Advisory Group overseen by the Secretary of Natural Resources. During her time with RRRC, Ms. Edwards has secured significant funding for local projects and grown partnerships with local governments, regional agencies and non-profit partners working within the Rappahannock-Rapidan region's footprint.

She also has served as a member of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Local Leadership Workgroup, including terms as vice-Chair (2022) and Chair (2023). Her nomination noted that she “has advanced work to increase the knowledge and capacity of local officials, with the goal of implementation of local conservation actions [and that] Michelle has been a steadfast partner to RRRC's member localities, offering them direct technical assistance to address their local water resource challenges.”

The Robert W. Baker Achievement Award recognizes persons who have been involved in planning district commission activities and who have contributed significantly to promoting regional planning and development, while impacting more than one PDC. Congratulations Michelle!