Culpeper Chamber of Commerce

COMMUNITY

Culpeper Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors

The Culpeper Chamber of Commerce is active and visible in our community, and the 108-year-old organization couldn’t do it without the help of its many volunteers. At the forefront of that effort is the Chamber’s Board of Directors. Twenty individuals work diligently to promote the vision of the Chamber and its goal to be the voice of the business community. They work to promote, build and support the most effective climate for economic development in our community. The Chamber’s Board of Directors is a diverse group of community members representing small business, large industry, nonprofit and local government agencies. Deb Manzari is the incoming board chair. She moved to Culpeper five years ago, found the residents very welcoming, and became a member of the Chamber of Commerce. She is a Realtor with REMAX and finds it easy to recommend Culpeper to others. She meets other members through volunteering for events. Her mission is “to find ways to move Culpeper forward.” She believes in giving back to the Community and is excited about the new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council initiated by the Board. “The Board always works for the common good of the community,” she said. The Chamber’s signature events such as CulpeperFest, Women’s LIFT, Appreciation and Valor Awards, and the Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet are planned and executed by a committee of volunteers and board members. Ron Warner is a Loan Officer with Farm Credit in Culpeper. He joined the Culpeper Chamber 10 years ago and is on the Finance Committee. He was an integral part of the CulpeperFest team. He volunteers for the Young Professionals Lunches, Culpeper Fest and BIE. He feels that the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce Board members work together as a family. “All the members are here to support one another,” Warner said, with the mission of helping the Culpeper Community thrive in a positive direction. Part of that mission involves the Chamber’s annual scholarships to educational foundations in the community and the work of the Chamber’s many committees and councils to provide a platform for sharing ideas, making connections, and advocating for organizations. Stephen King, a personal insurance agent, Comparison Insurance, was introduced to the Chamber of Commerce in 2018 when he attended his first Young Professional Meeting. He was Chair of the Young Professionals for two years and has remained interested in all the events they present. Last year he was elected as the Chair of the Chamber Board. His mission is “to find ways for different businesses to come together to support each other. This will benefit Culpeper and the surrounding areas.” This year the Young Professionals raised more than $3,500 to donate to SAFE through their charity car wash and the annual Crabfeast. The Chamber is visible through ribbon cutting events throughout the year, their multiple social media posts and their outreach in the community. Volunteers and board members help make that all possible.