Defense Affairs Committee
The mission of the Chamber Defense Affairs Committee (DAC) is to foster economic vitality by further strengthening the alliance of relationships among the Chamber, the Chamber network, the Central Virginia community, the regional defense & intelligence community, and our veterans.
The Defense Industry's Economic Impact on the Charlottesville Region, a study commissioned by the DAC and authored by Dr. Terance J. Rephann in 2023, describes the region’s defense industry including its history, size, growth, features and the economic impact of the sector as of 2021. Now viewed as the second largest economic generator in the area (after the University of Virginia), the defense sector comes in at an annual impact of just over $1.2 billion dollars. This impact was a driving factor in Albemarle County's purchase and development of Rivanna Futures.
The DAC office is located at North Fork Town Center Two, 1001 Research Park Blvd., Suite 110, Charlottesville, VA.
Regular meetings are held quarterly on scheduled dates: Sign up here to receive meeting notices for this group.
DAC News - DAC FaceBook - DAC LinkedIn
Upcoming Events
DAC News
DAC Leadership Council
Chair: Rebecca Ivins - Hourigan
Vice Chair: Trevor Henry - Albemarle County
Helen Cauthen - Central Virginia Partnership for Economic Development
Chris Engel - City of Charlottesville Office of Economic Development
Adrian Felts - Mantel Technologies
Rob Jones - University of Virginia Office of the Vice President for Research
Eddie Karoliussen - Four Corners Real Estate Solutions
CSM Rosemary Leath (Ret, USA) - Booz Allen Hamilton
Alan Yost - Greene County
Emily Kilroy - Albemarle County
Dillon Porter - Hourigan
Misty Parsons - UVA Foundation
Past Chair: Deborah van Eersel, UVA Foundation
Program Manager: Andrew Sides
DAC email: dac@cvillechamber.com
Note: Chamber affinity groups are led by volunteer leadership committees. To serve in a leadership capacity, you must be a current Chamber member in good standing. Thank you!
Resources for Military/Veterans
The Chamber’s Defense Affairs Committee works to strengthen the relationship between the Central Virginia community and its local defense community/veterans. One of the best ways to strengthen this relationship is through community involvement and outreach. Below are relevant links to assist.
Transitioning to our Community: Everything You Need to Know as a Servicemember
DAC volunteers created the Charlottesville Region Welcome Guide to help incoming personnel learn about local schools, housing, healthcare, employment/networking, getting around, things to do and more.
The Regional Veteran Associated Organizations list contains information on more than 50 organizations serving military and veterans in the greater Charlottesville area: American Legion and VFW posts, Student Veterans of America, local nonprofits like Gratitude Cville and 4 Our Freedom, the Charlottesville VA clinic, and many more.
Federal/State/Local Sponsored Organizations
Military OneSource: DoD funded 24/7 network of support for the military community. The program includes financial & tax services, spousal education & employment, online training programs, relocation & deployment tools, confidential non-medical counseling, elder care, special needs children or adults, and much more. Reach out to Local Contact Kaye Larson at kaye.larson@militaryonesource.com
U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
US. Veterans Affairs McGuire Community Based Outpatient Clinic (“CBOC”) 590 Peter Jefferson Parkway, 2nd Floor, Suite 250. Charlottesville, VA 22911; 434-293-3890
Virginia Department of Veteran Services
University of Virginia Veterans and Military
- Undergraduate – Military/Veterans
- Darden Military Association
- Virginia Law Veteran
- Student Veterans of America (SVA) at UVA
- UVA Career Center
- School of Continuing and Professional Studies
Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC)
Veteran & Military Service Organizations
Gratitude Cville: A directory of local discounts for Military & Police
Virginia Values Veterans (V3 Program) Certification – To support Virginia’s Veterans, the V3 Program helps employers develop and implement long term strategies and nationally recognized best practices in recruiting, hiring, and retaining veterans. Certified V3 companies have demonstrated to the Commonwealth of Virginia that they Value Veterans and have made a public commitment to hire Veterans into their workforce. The full list of V3 certified companies can be found here: www.dvsv3.com/certified-companies
More about DAC
Click here to download the Defense Affairs Committee Action Plan
Defense Affairs Committee meetings focus on five main areas:
- Community engagement: Advocacy and support for the defense industry in our region.
- Government engagement: Advocate and support the needs of the local defense community with local, state and federal elected officials.
- Education: Identify and facilitate partnerships between the local defense community and local K-12 and higher education institutions for research and education.
- Research: In process
- Veterans: Advocacy and support for veterans and their families.