Officials Gather At Chamber Event
On the morning of March 25, local business leaders, elected officials, and community members gathered at the Virginia Horse Center for the annual State of the Community breakfast sponsored by the chamber of commerce, blending policy discussions with celebrations of civic pride.
The event is usually held at the first of January but had to be postponed because of winter weather.
With the General Assembly session now completed – except for this month’s one-day veto session, local Assembly representatives were able to report on the session – and the upcoming 250th anniversary of the birth of the country.
Del. Terry Austin addressed attendees toward the close of the event. His remarks spanned significant regional concerns, particularly infrastructure and economic investment.
Austin highlighted the steep costs of improvements to Interstate 81, noting the cost of improvements at $30 million per mile.
He underscored the need for stronger returns on local investments and reaffirmed his commitment to securing necessary regional funding.
“Vote for me so I can keep representing you,” Austin said.
Del. Ellen Campbell followed, sharing insights from her extensive involvement on multiple state commissions.
“The reason we do what we’re doing is because you do what you’re doing,” Campbell told the audience.
Campbell described her proudest achievement this year as advancing legislation related to Virginia’s Line of Duty Act, which extends these benefits to campus police officers and officers of private police departments. She spoke emotionally about three police officers who died in the line of duty over the past three years.
“If someone in a uniform gives up their life,” Campbell said, “Virginia says that’s important.”
Her work on various commissions also allows Campbell to travel across Virginia three times annually, an opportunity she values highly.
“We get to meet people and hear their voice,” Campbell said. “It’s a team sport, and we have to work hard together.”
Delegate Austin returned to close the program, focusing personally and passionately on the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States. As chairman of Virginia’s 250th Commission, Austin discussed plans for inclusive Independence Day celebrations, openly acknowledging the complex relationship many communities, including African Americans and Indigenous groups, have with the holiday.
Austin recounted a conversation with a Black colleague who had told him, “My people don’t celebrate the 4th of July.”
“I pledged that day to be all-inclusive,” Austin said. Celebrations for the next years’ semiquincentennial include organizing events at significant Revolutionary War sites and planning historical reenactments. Austin expressed deep personal pride in these efforts.
“My wife said of anything I’ve done in the legislature, she’s most proud of this,” he said.
Throughout the breakfast, speakers emphasized partnerships among legislators, constituents, and communities all around the commonwealth.
