Read. Think. Act.

Catherine Read

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Northern Virginia Family Service – Inside Scoop

(Dec. 3, 2018) Catherine Read interviews several members of the Northern Virginia Family Service leadership team to talk about the wide array of services that they deliver to families throughout the region. For the past 95 years, NVFS has delivered support to the most vulnerable families in Northern Virginia. The organization was recently selected by Jeff and McKenzie Bezos to be a recipient of a $2.5 million grant from their Day 1 Families Fund to help end family homelessness in our region.

NVFS Programs

In the first segment, Catherine speaks with Andrea Eck, Executive Vice President of Programs at NVFS.   Andrea points out that the programs offered to families range from workforce training to housing assistance to hunger relief to early childhood development and support. The unique thing about NVFS is that all of their programs are integrated with one another, and are designed to support the families they serve in a holistic manner, with the goal of moving the family toward self-sufficiency.

Eck notes that NVFS works collaboratively with partners throughout the region to help deliver necessary services, so that resources can be used wisely and efforts are not duplicated. She is confident that their excellent track record is what led to the grant from the Day 1 Families Fund. The grant money will be used to fight family homelessness in Northern Virginia. Specifically, they will be enhancing their housing locator service, improving their career navigation center, and enhancing the availability of mental health services in order to get people healthy so that they can support themselves and contribute to society.

Multi-Cultural Center and Youth Initiatives

Andrea Eck NVFSIn the second segment Catherine talks to Meredith McKeen, Director of the Multi-Cultural Center and Youth Initiatives. On the multi-cultural center side, her job is to oversee the array of services designed to help people recover from exposure to trauma and violence. Her department utilizes case management to navigate the issues, and services are delivered in 7 different languages to meet the needs of the community. Many families have suffered trauma throughout the immigration process, and McKeen’s department is designed to assist families with immigration legal aid, as well as assist them in finding the support services that they need within the community.

Under the youth umbrella, NVFS runs a gang prevention program to help keep kids safe and out of trouble. Additionally, for young people who have witnessed or been exposed to violence, her department is tasked with helping them find and access mental health services. Getting young people access to these critical programs is so important, because the sooner they can deal with the trauma that they have experienced, the sooner they can get back to school and be able to move their lives forward.

Another important aspect of McKeen’s department is the family reunification program. Many times, immigrant families are separated from one another for many years, with some parents being separated from their children for up to a decade. Reunification is always the goal, but with it comes its own set of challenges. First off, parents and children need to get to know one another again. Additionally, the children may have endured an arduous journey to make it to America, and they may have residual trauma from their travels. This program is aimed to get ahead of these challenges and address issues up front in order to keep everyone safe. It has been shown to help avoid child abuse, future foster care placement and potential mental health problems down the road. It is an investment in the family today that can have a lasting impact into the future. Families are resilient, but they need the right tools in order to be healthy and happy.

Workforce Development

In the third segment of the show Catherine speaks with Julie Mullen, Director of Workforce Development about how NVFS is working toward customized career training for its clients. This new approach is aimed at helping their clients identify their goals, attain the necessary skills and ultimately find a sustainable wage job. The One on One Navigator program is one of the areas that will greatly benefit from the grant give by the Day 1 Families Fund. A job with sustainable wages is the best way to keep a family out of homelessness, so this program will be critical to meeting their goals.

The One on One program will allow career counselors to help clients tap into their talents, then connect them with the partners in the community who can help them build the skills that they need to succeed. Money from the grant will be able to help pay for certifications or English classes, even assist with the costs of opening a new business like an in-home childcare center. The career navigators can assist with understanding the regulations and the paperwork needed to get a business started. Removing these barriers and hurdles are critical to helping clients move forward.

This winter NVFS is launching their “Team Up” imitative in the hospitality, manufacturing and healthcare space. They will be co-locating in space with their business partners to help deliver services and make sure that workers have the tools that they need to be successful and productive. For example, now that Medicaid has expanded in Virginia, NVFS will have people available to help workers understand that they are eligible for benefits, and assist them in learning how to apply.

Health Access and Nutrition Services

In the final segment of the show, Catherine interviews Ondrea McIntyre-Hall, Director of Health Access and Nutrition Services at NVFS. Her department oversees the Hunger Resource Center, located in Prince William County. The center serves 600-700 families a month, and processes approximately 3.3 million pounds of food a year. There is a growing community of food insecure families in our region, and NVFS is looking at creative ways to help stem the tide of hunger by providing food support and nutrition services. Their resource center includes cooking classes and demonstrations, in order to teach families how to make the best use of the ingredients that they have access to.   Additionally, there is no limit on the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables that families can take when visiting their facility.

Thanks to generous donations from local farmers markets, grocery stores and the USDA the Hunger Resource Center receives a great deal of fresh, perishable food.   Therefore, they partner with other smaller food pantries in the area so that the food can get better distributed in a timely manner. Many families cannot access the center in Prince William, so this gives the smaller, more local pantries an opportunity to get fresh fruit and vegetables distributed to their clients.

Currently, NVFS is launching an exciting pilot program with Mason and Partners (through George Mason University) that will give clients a “prescription card” for certain fruits and vegetables that clients need to maintain their health. Clients will then be able to redeems these cards at participating vendors – food pantries, Farmer’s Markets, stores where the cards are accepted. This innovative approach to providing access to fresh fruits and vegetables recognizes that what we eat can greatly contribute to supporting a healthy lifestyle.

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Reverend Emma Chattin on Inside Scoop

(Dec. 24, 2018) Reverend Emma Chattin, of the Metropolitan Community Church of Northern Virginia, joins Catherine Read for the Christmas Eve edition of Inside Scoop. Their conversation covers Rev. Chattin’s ministry work throughout her career with LGBTQ and transgender individuals.

Equality Virginia recognized Rev. Chattin as an “Outstanding Virginian” for her many years of work in planning programming and providing support to LGBTQ and transgender Virginians.   After living and  working for 18 years in Harrisonburg, Rev. Chattin moved to Northern Virginia in 1997 with her partner Heather. Although she has never been a fan of the traffic in Northern Virginia, she quickly made her home and set down roots in the community.

As part of her ministry, Rev. Chattin has been involved with the Transgender Education Association  (TGEA) of Greater Washington. The organization has been around since 1982 in various forms, and was on the brink of closing down when Rev. Chattin became involved. She convinced the Board to keep the organization open, and after taking over the reigns she helped to transform it into a vibrant organization it is today. She focuses on providing safe harbor for transgender individuals, while also helping people in this community find their identity.

Over the years, the TGEA has worked together with individuals and families to help make the world a little less daunting for transgender individuals.   Starting with the youngest members of the community, Rev. Chattin has worked with TGEA to form a playgroup for children ages 5-11. This is a safe space with childcare professionals who are attuned to the children’s needs. While the children play, the parents can find respite with other parents of transgender kids. Again, it is a safe space to connect, find resources and share stories.

On the policy side, Rev. Chattin has worked throughout the years with the school systems to develop strong, positive policies designed to keep children safe. She has successfully worked with Fairfax County Public Schools on establishing policies around language regarding gender. This work required long hours of meetings and public hearings in order to ensure that all students are safe and represented. Chattin was pleased to see the outcome, and looks forward to continued work in moving other policies forward. She also works with employers by helping them put good policies in place, even before they may need to have them.

On a bit of a more somber note, Chattin points out that the suicide rate amongst transgender children is exceptionally high when children are not supported by the adults in their life. 54% of kids whose parents do not accept them for who they are, will attempt to take their own lives. Statistics show that only 4% of these children will try and commit suicide if their parents are open and accepting. It is so important for parents to try and understand their children, so that they can survive and thrive.

Central to Chattin’s ministry is the concept of diversity by God. She preaches that we are all made in God’s image, even people who differ from ourselves. She notes that the Bible has been used throughout history to justify a variety of terrible atrocities, including slavery. As she wisely states, the Bible is like a hammer, it can be used to build us up or to tear us down. She believes the Bible should be read as a metaphor, with stories dating back thousands years. There is wisdom to be learned but she does not believe that it should be read literally. On this Christmas Eve she wants to send a message of peace and hope, and encourages us all to go out and do good in our community today and all throughout the year.

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Fair Housing with Margaret Squires

(Dec. 19, 2018) Catherine Read interviews Margaret Squires, Fair Housing Coordinator, Fairfax County Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs. Their discussion focuses on fair housing, and how her office handles claims of fair housing discrimination in the county.

The Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs handles discrimination complaints in fives different areas: housing, employment, public accommodations, credit and private education. If a person thinks that they have been discriminated against, they can file a complaint with the county office. A case will be opened, and an investigation will ensue. Squires notes that protected classes of individuals are race, color, national origin, sex, religion, familial status, disability, marital status and age discrimination.

If someone thinks that they have been discriminated against, Squires encourages them to contact her office to learn if they have a viable complaint. People can call the office (there is a TTY phone number available for the hard of hearing), they can visit the office in person and speak with a representative, or they can reach out to the office online to share information about their experience. In all of these situations, a case manager will be assigned to the complaint, and will identify if there is enough evidence to proceed. People have 365 days from the date of the event to file their complaint.

Margaret SquiresAfter the case managers determine that there is a basis for the claim, they move forward in contacting the housing provider to try and resolve the issue. The case mangers always try and bring the parties together to come to a resolution. If an investigation has determined that a housing provider is in violation of fair housing law, and they refuse to come to an agreement, then Squire’s office will refer the case to the County Attorney’s office for further review. Many times, after the disputes are resolved, the person in violation of the law will be required to attend a Fair Housing training in order to better understand the law and how to conduct business in the future.

In the second segment, Catherine discusses some trends that Squires has been noticing in the field.   Specifically, she mentions concerns regarding an increasing reluctance to file a complaint by members of the Hispanic community, and the immigrant community at large. In today’s current political climate, many immigrants are afraid to speak up even if they are legitimately covered under the law. It is a disturbing trend, and Squires emphasizes that her case mangers do not need documentation from people when filing a complaint. She worries that many people are getting taken advantage of, because they are unwilling to speak out.

Squires also points out that it is illegal for a housing provider to retaliate against someone who files a complaint. If a housing provider evicts a tenant after they have filed a complaint, the provider could be subject to fines as they are not viewed favorably if they retaliate.

Additionally, Squire’s office is available as a resource to the community, as they provide education and outreach services. Services include training for housing providers, real estate professionals, property managers, lenders and other housing professionals. They are also available to provide information and training to the public at no cost.

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Menstrual Equity Update with Holly Siebold

(Dec. 10, 2018) Catherine Read interviews Holly Seibold (President) and Shaheen Khurana (Legislative Affairs) of BRAWS (Bringing Resources and Aid to Women’s Shelters), along with Del. Jennifer Boysko and FCPS School Board Member At-Large Karen Keys-Gamarra regarding the issue of menstrual equity.

Catherine first speaks with Holly Siebold about the term “menstrual equity” and why it is on the radar of so many people in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Holly became involved with this issue several years ago, when she founded the organization Bringing Resources and Aid to Women in Shelters (BRAWS). At the time, her goal was to get menstrual supplies to low-income women who did not have the resources to purchase them.

As Siebold has learned more and more about this issue, she has championed the idea of bringing full access of these products to all women in need.  She specifically mentions that the place where the most work needs to be done is in the public schools. In her travels throughout Northern Virginia she has found that 30% of the girls surveyed have had to miss school to manage their period. This could be for something as simple as not having a tampon or pad at school, or being forced to go home to get products or to change clothes. This puts girls at a tremendous disadvantage, especially those who come from low-income households who do not have the necessary resources to deal with these challenges.

In addition to the fact that they are forced to miss school, many young women feel shame and stigma about having to manage their menstruation. Schools are not equipped with products to help the girls, and students might not want to tell the nurse or counselor what their problems are due to shame, anger or embarrassment. Part of Holly’s work is to help change this dynamic, and to change how adults approach and talk about menstruation. BRAWS also sponsors a teen council to help de-stigmatize periods and elevate this issue, as well as advocate and raise funds for those in need.

Holly Seibold In the second segment Catherine speaks with Shaheen Khurana, the legislative affairs specialist at BRAWS working on menstrual equity bills in the Virginia General Assembly. Last year, BRAWS successfully worked with Del. Kaye Kory to pass HB 83, a bill directing all correctional facilities in Virginia to make menstrual products readily available, and free of charge, to all inmates who request the products. In the past there was a wide disparity throughout the state run correctional facilities on how these requests were handled. Many inmates were required to purchase the products as the store, but could not afford to buy them. This legislation ensures that all women have access to the sanitary supplies that they need on a monthly basis.

Del. Jennifer Boysko joins Catherine in the following segment to discuss her work to bring the Dignity Bills to the floor of the chamber in 2019. These bills are designed to abolish the sales tax charged on menstrual products to help ease the burden of the cost of these goods.   The first bill introduced last year would have removed the tax only during the sales tax holiday, which is designed and marketed as “back to school” sales tax relief. Currently, everything from wedding dresses to candy are included as part of this tax relief program. The second bill would have removed sales tax permanently on all purchases throughout the year.

Both bills were killed in committee last year, but Boysko hopes to have a better outcome with these bills during the 2019 session. As menstrual equity is elevated in the state and national discourse, she believes that they can make progress. To date, fifteen states have already removed sales tax from these products, and NY, CA and IL have all required their school systems to provide menstrual products free of charge to students in need.

Catherine’s final guest is Karen Keys-Gamarra, School Board Member at Large for Fairfax County Public Schools. She has successfully included support for menstrual products to be supplied to students who need them in the FCPS legislative package being sent to Richmond this year. Keys-Gamarra strongly believes that as the largest school division in the state, it is important to include this as a priority and be a leader on this issue. She notes that the school accreditation standards have recently been updated to include school absence as a factor. Based on the student surveys indicating that girls are missing classes due to not having access to menstrual products, she felt compelled to raise the issue. FCPS Superintendent Scott Braband has been directed to explore the scope, cost and impact that this request would have on the school system’s budget.

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League of Women Voters with Beth Tudan

(Dec. 5, 2018) Catherine Read sits down with Beth Tudan, Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area for a discussion focusing on voter registration and voter education.

Several years ago, Beth realized that there was a wide disparity regarding how students were being taught about voter registration throughout Fairfax County. This was brought to her attention when her own son was in high school, and she learned that not all students were getting equal access to education and assistance about the voter registration process. After learning in 2016 that only 1600 out of approximately 13,000 senior students were registered to vote, she embarked on a mission to change the paradigm.

Together with the FCPS school system; the League of Women Voters sponsored a voter registration challenge. Understanding that not all students are able to register to vote, they adjusted eligible student numbers for each high school, and came up with realistic goals based on the school population.   By the end of the challenge, they had boosted registration up to approximately 5,000 students countywide. Last year, Hayfield Secondary School took the prize, under the enthusiastic direction of Doug Ziwall. The League will again sponsor the challenge for the 2018-2019 school year and are looking to improve on last year’s success.

In addition, the LWV created a non-partisan lesson plan that they use to emphasize the importance of voting, and the responsibilities of being a citizen in a democracy. Tudan and her volunteers use interactive exercises to demonstrate why students should not let others decide about public policy on their behalf. In Virginia, citizens do not register by party, so voters can decide which primary that they will participate in year by year. This training is now being shared with Leagues throughout the state, which will hopefully boost voter registration throughout the Commonwealth.

Beth Tudan LWV FairfaxThe class also informs students how they can vote absentee once they go off to college, as well as how to find information about candidates, and locate their polling place. The goal is to give students the tools that they need to be able to actively participate in the democratic process as well as develop a habit of voting. Tudan notes that the wonderful thing about the Commonwealth of Virginia is that elections are held every year, so the students will always have a reason to go to the polls the same year that they register.

Each high school is required to offer voter registration opportunities to students three times a year. Tudan has worked with volunteers at the LWV to ensure that every school that requests a visit can be covered. In Virginia, there are only three organizations that are authorized to visit schools regarding voter registration. They are the League of Women Voters, Aspire Virginia and the Board of Elections.

The LWV regularly works with students who are looking to fulfill the requirement of service hours for graduation. She has opportunities for students to research candidates (in a non-partisan fashion), help organize candidate forums, and manage social media posts with tips and information for voters. Please reach out to Beth via email  if you are student and you are interested in getting involved.

Tudan points out that this is a big year for Virginia, as every seat in the General Assembly (100 House seats and 40 Senate seats) will be up for grabs. Additionally, elections will be held at the municipal level, as well as at the county level for the Board of Supervisors and the School Board.  Visit the League’s website for more information about voting and candidates in the Fairfax County area.

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Welcome Home Reentry Program with Judy Wetzel

(Nov. 28, 2018) Catherine Read sits down with Judy Wetzel to discuss the Welcome Home Reentry Program, which is organized by Catholic Charities of the Arlington Diocese. This program provides mentors to those who have faced addiction, and are coming out of jail and reentering society. These mentors are an integral part of the reentry process. They can help a client stay on track, as well as being  there to listen when times are tough. Often times, family members and friends are not willing or able to take on these roles as they have lived for many years with the ups and downs that go along with addiction. Someone who is a third party can also do a better job at being honest, and holding accountable, someone who faces the challenges that go along with addiction.

Wetzel became involved in the Welcome Home program after her son, Billy, went through a long and difficult struggle with addiction. Billy grew up in a strong, middle class Catholic family in Northern Virginia, and Judy never imagined that this was something that she would have to contend with. Billy started using drugs at a young age, starting with alcohol and marijuana when he was 13 years old. As much as the family tried to get him help and counseling, his addiction grew stronger and he continued to use more potent drugs. Eventually, after getting help and sticking to the 12-step program, Billy was able to get himself clean and was in remission.

Sadly, Billy’s dad became ill after suffering a heart attack and stroke, and eventually passed away. This was a difficult time for Judy and the whole family, and it had a catastrophic effect on Billy. He simply fell apart, and fell back into bad habits to help ease the pain. After a series of misdemeanors caught up with him, he found himself back in jail. When he was released, he was fortunate enough to land a spot in the Oxford House, which is a home run by Catholic Charities specifically designed for those with addiction, who are reentering society after incarceration. Judy was so thankful for this program. While there, Billy had a mentor and Judy felt as if he was really getting his life back on track. From her perspective, the month that he spent there was very positive. He had a safe place to live in an independent way, and it gave him time to bond with family. Sadly, although Judy really thought that Billy was on a path to a brighter future, he lost his life to an overdose just about a month after he was released from jail.

Judy WetzelAfter much grieving, Judy vowed to make a difference and help others who face her own struggle. She has become involved with the Welcome Home program as an ambassador, and has gone out into the community to encourage people to get involved and become mentors. She does not want her son’s life to have been in vain, and sees this as a way to honor his memory. As she knows from first hand experience, often times a family member cannot serve as a mentor because they are too close to the situation. The family member wants to provide unconditional love, and cannot always hold the person accountable for their actions. Family members also tend to be fatigued from years of coping with the ups and downs of addiction, that is why mentors are critical to success.

Wetzel notes that although the program is run through Catholic Charities, one does not have to be Catholic to serve as a mentor. They are in search of mentors who are able to commit to a 6 month “post”. The first 60 days you will work specifically with one person. The mentor is there to hold their client accountable, listen to their challenges, assist them with a job search, or even drive them to the thrift store or to an AA meeting. Often times, when people are exiting jail, they leave with no money (and often times have a bill from the jail), no clothes, no car, and nowhere to live. They are facing a huge uphill battle. The Oxford House, and the Welcome Home Reentry Program, aims to make this adjustment just a little bit easier. The program is designed to give these people a fighting chance at making a better life for themselves, and becoming a contributing member of society.

Judy encourages anyone who in interested to get involved. If you cannot commit to being a mentor, there are a variety of other ways that you can help. There is a backpack program that provides those who are leaving prison a backpack of personal items to help them get started.  They also need people to volunteer  in an administrative capacity and could also use drivers to help get people around to AA meetings and job interviews, if the mentor is not available. Each and every person who can dedicate their time can make a huge difference and impact a life. You can find more information about the program by contacting Sally O’Dwyer at [email protected].

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Communities of Trust Committee with Shirley Ginwright

(Nov 21, 2018) Catherine Read interviews Shirley Ginwright, Co-Chair of the Fairfax Communities of Trust Committee (COTC). The committee was established in December of 2014, following the tragic death of Michael Brown and the ensuing riots and civil unrest that emerged in Ferguson, Missouri. For the past 4 years, this committee has successfully brought together local law enforcement and emergency response agencies so that they can effectively work together and have trust between agencies, as well as build community trust with law enforcement.

When Ginwright first approached Fairfax County officials after the Ferguson riots, she posed the question of “what do we have in place to PREVENT a similar situation from happening right here in Fairfax County?”   After discovering that there really was nothing in place, Chairman of the Board Sharon Bulova established the Communities of Trust Committee, and appointed Ginwright the chair. Representatives from every law enforcement agency, including local police, the sheriff’s office, state police, the FBI, the Justice Department, emergency response and school resource officers were brought together under this effort.

The committee holds lengthy discussions and shares information and best practices. They discovered that many of their agencies were doing the same thing, but were unaware of what their counterparts were doing, and how they were doing it. Now that relationships are built between agencies, they are more likely to collaborate and help one another in challenging situations. The exercise of bringing these groups together fostered understanding and trust, as well as a forum of how to approach the larger issue of how to address lack of trust with law enforcement. They have worked hard over the past 4 years to come up with concrete ways to bring officers into the community and demonstrate that the police are there to keep residents safe and protect them from threats.

One of the programs that emerged from the COTC is the Police At Lunch (PAL) program, born in the Mt. Vernon district. This program brings officers into the school lunchrooms to help kids open containers of milk and have lunch with the kids. The programming is designed to make the officers accessible, and show children that officers are safe and trustworthy.

The COTC has been able to make a big impact relative to how School Resource Officers integrate into the disciplinary system in the middle and high schools throughout Fairfax County. Data indicates that students of color and students with disabilities were disproportionately affected by being brought into the juvenile justice system by SRO’s in certain schools throughout the county. The COTC worked collaboratively with FCPS and local law enforcement to focus the role of the SRO on safety, and allow school administrators to deal with discipline for students regarding non-violent offenses. This has kept many more children in school and out of detention centers. The signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been so successful that it has become a model that it is now being replicated in other school districts, as well as on the state level.

The COTC has also been instrumental in helping parents better understand their rights, if and when their child is detained by an officer or disciplined during the school day. The committee has hosted 4 forums designed for parents, so that they understand what the process should be if their child is detained. The committee has created a flowchart and videos for parents so that they can understand the various phases of the disciplinary process in an effort to help increase transparency.

The committee has also weighed in on issues such immigration and diversity in the police force.   The COTC has created videos to help parents and kids understand their rights if a parent is picked up or detained while a child is in school. It is called the “know your rights video” and can be found on their website. They have also worked collaboratively with citizen groups to advocate for diversity and better minority representation on the local police force. Representation matters, and helps to build trust with minority communities.

Ginwright is excited about the new initiatives that the committee is taking on, such as working with the police force on policies surrounding body cameras. The committee meets every Thursday at the Fairfax Government Center, and welcomes guests to join them for their meetings. She also notes that they are available to visit groups for presentations in the community. More information can be found on the website.

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Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce

(Nov. 19, 2018) Catherine Read sits down with Jen Siciliano, Chairperson of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, along with recently hired Executive Director Julie Coons. Their wide-ranging discussion covers the makeup of the organization, the mission of the Chamber, and the wide variety of programming that the Chamber sponsors.

Jen Siciliano serves in a professional capacity as the Chief External Affairs Officer at INOVA, and has been active in the chamber for many years as a representative on the Healthcare committee. The Chamber has played a key role in her personal and professional development over the years. Her goal is to keep the organization relevant by meeting members where they are, and continuing to deliver a diverse set of programs and initiatives that support area businesses. One of the keys to the success of the Chamber is the ability to work collaboratively across industries and as a regional leader, while also cultivating the next generation of business leaders.

Jen Siciliano ChairThe Chamber hosts many successful annual programs that highlight the diversity of the Northern Virginia region. They recently hosted the Annual State of Healthcare Conference, where they brought together a panel of representatives from the insurance industry, medical professionals and hospitals to talk about the recently passed legislation that expanded Medicaid to low income Virginians. There are now significant changes in how healthcare will be delivered to thousands of Virginians, and this forum was a way to bring businesses together to better understand the nuances of the new system. Healthcare cuts across industry, and touches every business owner and employee, so the chamber was proud to sponsor this forum.

The Chamber also sponsors a variety of committees geared toward women in business, minority owned businesses, government contractors, and non-profits to just name a few. Each industry has their own set of issues and challenges, and it is important for business owners to be able to come together. The chamber also works hard to elevate the collective voice as a business community. They adopt legislative initiatives and advocate for policy positions at the local, state and federal level. One example of the success of the chamber was the Metro deal that they helped to negotiate in 2018. The investment in transit will benefit both employers and workers, and Siciliano is very proud of the hard work that went into negotiating that regional deal.

Jen also believes in the importance of cultivating the next generation of business leaders.   The Next-Gen Council is designed to bring new people into the organization, and get them excited about having an impact on the business community.  It also helps them better understand the benefits of professional networking that comes with chamber membership. Anyone can attend any of the chamber programs free of charge to see if it is a good “fit” for them.   Jen notes that the chamber was instrumental in her professional success, and has a goal of bringing this value to the next generation of leaders.

In the second segment, Catherine speaks with newly hired Chamber CEO Julie Coons. Coons comes to the Chamber as former CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, and is excited to be a part of the regional leadership as she heads the NoVa Chamber. She recognizes that there are many moving parts to such a large organization, and looks forward to working with her staff of 10 people to plan, execute and deliver relevant programming to her members.

Many small business owners think that a large, regional chamber such as NoVA Chamber is only for the large Fortune 500 companies. Coons points out that 60% of the member organizations have fewer than 50 employees, and 25% of members have fewer than 4 employees. Membership in the chamber gives a local business access to unique networking events that can help grow a business, as well as elevate their voice when it comes to legislative initiatives. The collective voice of businesses can make a big impact.

Julie Coons CEOAt the beginning of her tenure, Coons ventured out on a listening tour around the region, in order to ensure that she heard from different constituencies. She believes it is important for her understand the needs of her members, and the obstacles that they face in their respective industries. She also wants to understand priorities and make sure that the programming that the chamber offers is relevant and meeting the needs of her members. Coons understands the importance of looking for emerging business opportunities, so she strongly supports business incubators to help grow new business and cultivate new industries. For many years, the region relied heavily on government work. When that started to dry up, it became more important than ever to think about new ways to grow the economy.

Coons is excited about the new Amazon Headquarters slated to open in Crystal City. The jobs will be welcomed, and the investment in resources such as schools and transportation will be a huge benefit. Another ancillary benefit will be the innovation campus slated to open adjacent to the Amazon headquarters. This will not only be a pipeline for workers at Amazon, but a boost to the local economy by encouraging new businesses to sprout from the research and development that will be sparked by this campus.

The NoVa Chamber has a great relationship with both Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University. The chamber is looking to further develop some apprenticeship programs that will help students who might not look at attending a 4-year university. This will help in a variety of industries where there are actually shortages of workers in good paying jobs.

One of the Chamber’s hallmark events is the upcoming 27th annual Economic Forum that will be held on January 31st. The theme is Focus on the Future and will look at the evolution of the regional economy. There will be a variety of panels and speakers, with the goal that each person who attends the conference will be able to take away highly credible information, along with actionable items. Coons hope that all who are interested can join for this very popular annual program.

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Virginia Women’s Monument

(Nov. 14, 2018) Catherine Read sits down with the Hon. Mary Margaret Whipple, Vice-Chair of the Virginia Women’s Monument Commission. The commission was established back in 2010 to explore the idea of honoring historic women who have many significant contributions to the commonwealth. Over the past 8 years, the commission has come up with a design plan, secured land on the Capitol Grounds, and raised money to finance the monument. “Voices from the Garden” will be the name of the new monument, and it will seek to educate Virginians about women who might not be household names, but have made significant contributions in their lifetimes.

One of the ideas that resonated with the commission was to make the monument something that people could relate to and even interact with. The 12 women who will be honored will be cast in bronze statues that will be standing or sitting on benches in the space. It is meant to imply that these women were regular people who walked amongst us, making their mark in everyday life. They did not want these women to be set up on pedestals. There will be walls surrounding the garden that will tell the amazing stories of each women who is honored, and they will also be adding names to the walls in future years. The one caveat is that people who are honored will need to be deceased for 10 years, in order to ensure that their accomplishments stand the test of time.

Once the design selection was made, the commission focused its attention on choosing the women who would be honored. They worked together with a committee of scholars of Women’s Studies programs throughout the state. It was critical for them to have geographic and ethnic diversity in representation. The women who are being honored are not necessarily household names, but have made significant contributions in our state and throughout society. A complete list of the women can be found on the website.

The commission has raised $3 million of the $3.8 million needed to complete the monument. A small fraction of the money was given by the state, but the balance has been raised through individual donors, foundations, corporations and banks. In order to begin work on the project, they needed to have enough money in the bank to ensure that the project could move forward. The groundbreaking took place on December 4, 2017 and then Gov. Terry McAuliffe attended and gave the keynote address. Production is in place for 4 of the bronze statues, and as money is raised the remaining statues will be put into production. Whipple has a fundraising plan in place to raise the balance of funds by February 2019, so that the dedication can take place as scheduled in October of 2019. She welcomes any donations, large or small, which can be made on the website.

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Enrolling Virginians in Medicaid with Deepak Madala

(Nov. 12, 2018) Catherine Read sits down with Deepak Madala, Director of Enroll Virginia, to discuss the process of enrolling Virginians in Medicaid. Enroll Virginia was created by the Virginia Poverty Law Center, and is a non-partisan community based effort to educate all Virginians about the new health insurance marketplace and provide free, unbiased assistance with the application and enrollment process.

When the Virginia General Assembly passed Medicaid expansion this year, Virginia became the 33rd state to expand Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Approximately 400,000 Virginians became eligible for benefits. Deepak explains how Enroll Virginia is working hard to reach eligible participants, and get them signed up for health insurance. Madala notes that Virginia has the benefit of learning best practices, and pitfalls, from the states that have already gone through this process.

Medicaid is sometimes confused with Medicare. Both Medicaid and Medicare are public health insurance programs but Medicare is administered solely by the federal government and provides coverage for seniors aged 65+, people with disabilities, and those with end stage renal disease. Medicaid (the subject of this show) is a partnership between the federal government and the state governments, designed to provide health insurance coverage for those in poverty. When the ACA passed in 2010, it afforded the states the option of expanding Medicaid with federal dollars for adults aged 19-64 who are considered the “working poor”. Applicants can make up to 400% of the poverty level and still qualify for this program. The state administers and sets guidelines for this program, however it is funded through federal tax dollars.

Deepak Madala VPLCEnroll Virginia is working hard to reach everyone who is eligible for this coverage. They are leveraging partners in the social services arena to spread the word and educate the public.   “Train the Trainer” workshops are being scheduled throughout the commonwealth. This is helping to educate social workers and case managers, so they can better understand and communicate eligibility and benefits. Organizations can contact the Virginia Health Care Foundation to register for a SignUpNow workshop. There are no restrictions of who can receive this training; it can be a non-profit, a religious organization or even a business.   The rules have changed for the better here in Virginia, and their mission to ensure that the word gets out.

For those who are interested in finding out if they are eligible, they can simply call the 1-800 number to speak with a trained representative, go online to do the application or they can mail in a paper copy. The applicants will need to provide information about income, and after that is verified they will know what benefits they are eligible for. If the applicant calls in, and their income can be verified on the spot, then they may not even have a waiting period to know how to proceed.

Enrollment for Medicaid is rolling, so there is no deadline to get signed up (as there is in traditional insurance plans). However, the deadline for securing insurance with the ACA State Marketplace is December 15th. So, if an applicant is not sure of whether or not they are eligible for Medicaid Expansion they should contact the office as soon as possible, because if they do not qualify for Medicaid then they have adequate time to secure private insurance by the December 15th deadline.

There are six different plan options available to all Virginians, which are different health insurance networks. Coverage is not limited, and there are no premiums, co-pays or deductibles. There is also a specific emphasis on preventative care, things like immunizations and well visits. When choosing a plan, applicants will want to review the various networks to find their current doctors, in order to ensure that they are finding a plan that best meets their needs. Many of the free clinics, where these patients currently seek care, will have counselors on hand to help patients navigate getting signed up for Medicaid and best understand all of the different options.

For people who are already receiving certain benefits from the state, such as FAMIS, Virginia’s health insurance program for children, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, the state has technology in place to assess eligibility for other family members. Recipients should expect to receive a YELLOW envelope in the mail, where they will need to complete a few more pieces of information in order to finalize the application. The goal of the program is to enroll as many eligible participants as possible. If people do not receive this envelope, they should visit the CoverVA website, call 1-855-242-8282, email [email protected], or fill out a paper application at their local social services office to determine eligibility.