Rob’s note to 1st District constituents:
Friend–
Over the past week, I received two awards for my support of small businesses across the Commonwealth. It is an incredible honor to receive the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s “Spirit of Enterprise” award for my support of pro-business issues from January 2019 through January 2020, and the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) annual Sentinel Award, which recognizes invaluable stewardship and contribution on behalf of associations.
I am extremely grateful to receive these awards in recognition of my work for businesses and non-profits both small and large across our Commonwealth. I will continue to be a vocal advocate for the backbone of our economy: business owners and hardworking Virginians. During these difficult times, I have been working diligently to improve our region’s economy by supporting measures such as the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans, and have advocated for area small businesses at all levels of government. As the economy begins to open back up, we need to continue to support our small businesses and our workforce to succeed. We must incentivize rehiring and work to better prepare our workforce – both current and future – with the necessary skills and knowledge to compete in a global economy.
This is the 32nd year that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has formally honored the accomplishments of a select group of Congressional leaders and the first time in over 40 years that they have made updates to how they score lawmakers. While casting pro-growth votes remains essential, the Chamber now gives lawmakers credit for showing leadership on important legislation and reaching across the aisle to get things done. Recipients of the 2020 Spirit of Enterprise award have shown commitment to not only supporting pro-business legislation, but also commitment to the bipartisan leadership and constructive governing necessary to move our country forward.
The 2020 ASAE Sentinel Award recognizes stewardship of important issues in the nonprofit community and invaluable leadership for associations. ASAE is celebrating 100 years and the Centennial anniversary represents ASAE’s role as a leader and supporter of progress and innovation in the association industry. ASAE is a membership organization of more than 48,000 association executives and industry partners representing 7,400 organizations. This award acknowledges important work to support these goals.
I also want to thank ASAE for endorsing The Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act. This legislation would prioritize the workforce development of middle-skill jobs, which may require a postsecondary certification or credentialing solution. I will continue to prioritize workforce development and promote Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs. It is our responsibility to prepare students for the demands of our current society and to provide unemployed Americans with an outlet to reintegrate into the workforce.
I want to extend my thanks to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the ASAE for these awards, and I will continue to work to enhance our nation’s economy and our communities.
Sincerely,
Rob