Our Chamber is recognized as the most effective business advocate within Greater Charlottesville and throughout the Commonwealth. Our Chamber encourages our diverse member enterprises to participate actively in public policy matters. Chamber advocacy is a central component of our Chamber's member service.

Chamber public policy is founded upon sound empirical facts. For example, The Chamber Jobs Report empirically describes a leading component of our region's economy - jobs. What are they, where are they located, which are growing and which are not? The Chamber Jobs Report - 1994-2009, underwritten by Adams & Garth Staffing, Wachovia, and the Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development illustrate total jobs in the Greater Charlottesville Region growing from 80,901 jobs in 1995 to 101,239 jobs in 2009, an increase of +25.1% or 20,338 jobs - a healthy job-producing rate. In the years since 1995, the Region has added a net gain of 12,456 (+21.4%) jobs in private enterprise and 7,882 (+32.7%) government jobs.

However, after four consecutive years of job growth, the region's private enterprise job-producing engines stalled over the course of 2008 and continued through 2009 losing another 3,063 net jobs in 2009. Preliminary data for 2010 suggests a marked improvement in jobs and the overall economy.

Our Annual Chamber Member Economic Survey, which takes an annual reading of the leading representatives of our Chamber enterprises, offers an insight index into our Chamber members' economic and policy concerns. In December 2010 and January 2011, when the survey responses came in, very much like the 2009 survey, finding business optimism was difficult indeed.

This year's survey suggests that the gloomy national economic news of the past few years is lifting in our Greater Charlottesville region. Forty-four percent (44%) of the 2011 Chamber survey responded that they planned to add jobs, up from last year's 33% and 29% in 2009 - moving towards the 2006-08 survey levels of more than half of respondents. Half anticipate holding level on jobs, with only 3.2% anticipating job decreases; down from 11.4% just last year. On profits, half of our Chamber members see growth over 2011 - up slightly from last year's 44% and 30% in 2009 - approaching the consistent 52% - 64% levels of several years leading up to the recession. Brighter skies on the horizon.

The slow climb back from the national and local economic recession continues to affect our recent survey responses particularly on public policy issues. "Economic Growth" has always been a top three public policy issue. In 2009 it leaped over all others as the top public policy concern of Chamber members and has stayed the number one concern in 2010 and 2011, far outdistancing other leading public policy issues cited as facing Greater Charlottesville. Other issues cited in order were: "Education," "Housing Affordability," "Health Care," "Transportation," and "Water Supply."

The Chamber's North Charlottesville Business Council continues to be a leading advocate for businesses along US Route 29 - Greater Charlottesville's "main street." Along this corridor, NCBC and the Free Enterprise Forum research demonstrated that an area that makes up less than 1% of Albemarle County's land area is home to 20,000 jobs, annually providing more than $800 million in salaries, while generating more than 40% of Albemarle County's total local tax revenues. The Chamber and its NCBC applauded the 2010 shift in focus in the Albemarle County, Virginia Department of Transportation "Places 29" Plan. The Chamber and NCBC supported the focus on five "do-able" projects contained in the final, approved "Places 29" Plan. However, we held off on full endorsement of this plan as we have some number of continuing concerns including the lack of "consideration" of options such as our preference that the plan would include "Consideration" of a US 29 highway bypass west of the existing alignment to accommodate the North/South thru-traffic: 7,000 - 9,000 motor vehicles that are seeking to bypass our area entirely each day.

Our Chamber is a leading and fierce advocate for the Commonwealth of Virginia and our area's local governments to meet their core responsabilities - most particularly in education and transportation. Our Chamber has supported additional public investment in these two Chamber priority areas and we will continue to do so.

In transportation, our Chamber was pleased with the major steps taken by our local governments on our Chamber's highest transportation priorities - construction of three highway projects. The Meadow Creek Parkway project, linking Rio Road to Melbourne Road, is essentially finished. The Meadow Creek Project opened for six weeks in the fall of 2010 and then closed by agreement with the city of Charlottesville.

Unfortunately, the McIntire Extended project, within the City from Melbourne Road to US 250, and which received a highly favorable bid ($42 million in savings) has yet to be awarded. The delay was first caused by City inaction on a federal permit and then when the City finally agreed to permit conditions, the Commonwealth's Department of Historical Resources has held up the process. Once these final technicalities are addressed and the US Army Corps of Engineers permit is issued, a bid could be awarded with the construction to follow this spring or summer. The independent -functioning- federally funded interchange at US 250 & McIntire Road in the City of Charlottesville - gained by the advocacy of US Senator John Warner - continues to progress also; albeit slowly.

Our Chamber continued to be an active advocate for addressing our community's long-term water capacity and supply needs. Our Chamber helped lead a coalition of business, civic and environmental organizations - The Nature Conservancy, League of Women Voters of Charlottesville - Albemarle, Piedmont Environmental Council and Free Enterprise Forum - in support of the approved and permitted Community 50 - Year Water Supply Plan. Unfortunately at the end of 2010, this consensus plan remained stalled as the Charlottesville City Council could not agree to go forward with the very plan Council approved both in 2006 and 2008. As 2011 unfolds, agreement to proceed may be within reach.

Our Chamber member enterprises drive, and are driven by, the underlying economic vitality of our communities. Our Chamber believes that enhancing the business climate in our Commonwealth and Greater Charlottesville enhances the economic vitality and quality of life for citizens. We remain committeed to helping raise the tide of economic vitality and the better quality of life for our community.

Our Chamber also is an active member of three key civic partnerships - the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitor's Bureau, the Free Enterprise Forum nad the Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Eoconomic Development.

Our Chamber also is an advocate for groups of member enterprises and individual member enterprises - particularly when we have supported the broader public policies involved.

Our Chamber continues to support development projects which embrace and embody neighborhood scale, mixed-use, accessible development principles.

Our Chamber continues its support for the University of Virginia in its efforts to enhance the University's leading academic excellence and world class medical center.

Active Chamber advocacy in other key public policy matters of concern to Chamber members and overall economic vitality include: Economic Growth and Opportunity; Housing Availability and Costs; Education, Workforce Development; Land Use; Career Job Retention and Creation; Business Development; Affordable and Accessible Health Care; Adequate, Safe, and Affordable Water Supply, Agribusiness; Enhanced Higher Education Access and Research; and, myriad other public policy matters of importance.

We invite all of our diverse member enterprises to participate actively in our Chamber public policy development. Our members can be assured that our Chamber, as the region's leading business advocate, must and will remain an active, agile advocate to maintain and enhance our members' economic vitality and the economic vitality and quality of life in our Greater Charlottesville communities.