Follow the Leaders
Virginia Council of CEOs Honors Chuck McCabe’s Legacy with Establishment of Leadership Award
The Virginia Council of CEOs (VACEOs), a non-profit association serving 200 small and mid-sized business owners, announces the establishment of the Charles E. McCabe Leadership Award in honor of founding chairman and VACEOs member Chuck McCabe.
The Charles E. McCabe Leadership Award recognizes VACEOs members who make significant leadership contributions to the Council. Chuck McCabe, CEO of Peoples Tax and The Income Tax School, was appropriately named as the first recipient of the award during the recent 2017 VACEOs Retreat.
In his address to Council membership during the award ceremony, current VACEOs Chair Neal Lappe said, “Chuck McCabe was the leader who made Virginia Council of CEOs come to life.”
Under McCabe’s leadership, VACEOs – which began as a state chapter of a small national organization – did not dissolve when the national organization folded one year in. Today, nearly 20 years after it began, VACEOs has grown into a successful, thriving association that is currently expanding into the Charlottesville area. (Learn more here.)
(Image below: Four original VACEOs members celebrate during Speakeasy event at 2017 VACEOs Retreat. From left to right:, Phil Conein, TECHEAD; John Carrico, Ukrop’s Dress Express; Bernard Robinson, Networking Technologies and Support, Inc.; Chuck McCabe, Peoples Tax & Business Services and The Income Tax School; Connie Hom, Buckingham Greenery.)
“When I began interacting with fellow CEOs in the national organization, I became enamored with the experience,” McCabe said during his acceptance speech. “I am proud to have been the driving force behind bringing this invaluable CEO peer support concept to Richmond. Our founding Executive Director, Scot McRoberts, also deserves tremendous credit for the growth and success of VACEOs. I am so thrilled to see what this organization has become over the last several years, and I sincerely thank you for this award.”
About the Virginia Council of CEOs
The Virginia Council of CEOs is a non-profit association that serves CEOs of small and mid-sized businesses in Virginia. The Council was founded in 2000 to connect CEOs so that they can learn and grow together. With 200 members in Central Virginia at this time, the Council is forming new CEO Roundtables in other parts of the state in 2017. Learn more at http://www.vaceos.org.
Making Headlines: VACEOs Members in the News
Our members represent a wide range of industries and experiences, and they are frequently listed within the annual RVA 25 and Inc 5000 “fastest growing” company lists. (Take a look at this year’s nominees.)
Yep. The company we keep is mighty fine. In fact, they are often featured in the news. Read on.
VACEOs MEMBERS MAKE HEADLINES
“Ad agency leaves the burbs for Scott’s Addition”
“To me, Scott’s Addition is the epitome of a renewed energy and revitalization and new life coming to a historic area, and that’s Barber Martin.” – Robyn Zacharias, CEO, Barber Martin Agency. (Read Richmond BizSense article.)
VACEOs Member: Robyn Zacharias, CEO, Barber Martin Agency
Industry: Advertising
Member since: 2010
“Construction firm undergoes $3M HQ expansion”
“We’re trying to take work from jobsites and pull them into our shop facility to increase productivity and quality, so that when we send it back to the jobsite, it’s a bit further along than if we just built it all out on the jobsite.” – Terrence Kerner, President, Atlantic Constructors Inc. (Read Richmond Bizsense article.)
VACEOs member: Terrence Kerner, President, Atlantic Constructors Inc. (ACI)
Industry: Industrial and commercial contracting
Member since: 2010
“Henrico-based RTS Labs specializes in software application development“
“Our sweet spot is health care, financial and private equity groups.” – Jyot Singh, CEO, RTS Labs. (Read Richmond Times-Dispatch article.)
VACEOs member: Jyot Singh of RTS Labs
Industry: Software development
Member since: 2013
“Produce peddlers shack up in Scott’s Addition“
“This location is going to make a huge difference for our products….” – Duane Slyder, Founder, Seasonal Roots. (Read Richmond BizSense article.)
VACEOs member: Duane Slyder of Seasonal Roots
Industry: Online farmer’s market delivery service
Member since: 2014
“Henrico-based Acorn Sales has worldwide sales of its rubber stamps and embossing seals“
“We help others brand their business.” – Adam Raidabaugh, CEO, Acorn Sales.(Read Richmond Times-Dispatch article.)
VACEOs member: Adam Raidabaugh of Acorn Sales
Industry: Manufacturer of stamps and embossing seals
Member since: 2016
“Local builders step further into virtual reality“
“The big advantage of that is it allows us to deal with any adjustments they want to make at the planning stage, instead of while the home is under construction, which reduces cost, errors and frustration for the homebuyer.” – Kevin McNultry, CEO, LifeStyle Home Builders.
(Read Richmond BizSense article.)
VACEOs member: Kevin McNulty of LifeStyle Home Builders
Industry: Building and construction
Member since: 2013
What’s On Our Minds? Shaping Virginia’s Economic Policy
The alliance formed between the Virginia Council of CEOs and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce earlier this year was an important milestone for VACEOs.
The move gives VACEOs members access to the largest business association in Virginia and the leading non-partisan business advocacy organization for long-term economic growth in the Commonwealth. The Virginia Chamber has the ear of each incoming Virginia governor, said Virginia Chamber CEO Barry DuVal at a recent Quarterly Luncheon. And Council members were ready and willing to speak up, given the opportunity.
Using a unique live text polling application, members shared their views on issues including education, workforce training, economic development, transportation, healthcare, technology and innovation, energy, manufacturing, the environment, and military and veterans affairs.
This data will be combined with the opinions of other regional leaders and industry experts from across Virginia over the next year. The Virginia Chamber will then produce its Blueprint Virginia 2025 business plan for the Commonwealth and present it to the next governor after the 2017 election.
What did YOU do during your last business luncheon? If you weren’t helping shape the next governor’s economic development policy, you were dining with the wrong crowd. VACEOs members have access to national thought leaders on a regular basis. Check out other member benefits to learn more!
This “What’s On Our Minds” moment is from the VACEOs Quarterly Luncheon presentation “Blueprint Virginia 2025,” with Barry DuVal (Thursday, March 23, 2017).
A Look Back at the Evolution and History of VACEOs
Like many budding startups, the Virginia Council of CEOs began with a vision and a dedicated core of individuals. Today, nearly 20 years after a state charter morphed into the organization as it exists today, VACEOs is a successful, thriving association with an unwavering mission and strategy to serve more Virginia CEOs.
In the Beginning…
VACEOs didn’t begin as a non-profit organization, but rather as a state chapter of the Council of Growing Companies, which was formed in 2000 by Chuck McCabe, CEO of Peoples Tax & Business Services. Under his leadership, the chapter did not dissolve when the national organization failed, but came into its own on January 1, 2002, when its first executive director, Scot McRoberts, filed for 501(c)(6) non-profit status.
Chuck McCabe, co-founder VACEOs
“I was the spark plug that brought the CEO peer-to-peer concept of the Council of Growing Companies to Richmond, which later become the Virginia Council, but I would credit Scot McRoberts as a co-founder of VACEOs,” explains McCabe. “And without Scot as the executive director, the Council would not have succeeded and would not be as successful as it is today.”
In 2000, Scot McRoberts was senior vice president of the Richmond Chamber and a board member of the Council of Growing Companies. When asked why he left the Chamber to become VACEOs executive director, McRoberts says, “The Council of CEOs was compelling to me. It met an immediate need not found in the business community. The people there were energetic and exciting. I had been at the Richmond Chamber for eight years, and it was a good time to do something different.”
Gail Johnson, original board member
In 2002, VACEOs membership totaled 34. McCabe and McRoberts recruited board members from the Richmond CEO community to help guide the organization’s mission. Original board members included Bernard Robinson of Networking Technologies + Support, Inc.,
Gail Johnson, CEO Rainbow Station, Inc., was also among the original VACEOs membership and the lone female executive in 2002. At the time, her business was 12 years old, and she was poised to franchise. “It was all good timing to be involved in a peer support group,” she recalls. “When Chuck asked me if I would be a part of the Council’s board, I quickly understood I was THE woman being asked to be an active participant at the table. This is an opportunity. How can I possibly refuse?’”
Remember When?
Doug Wilder, the newly elected mayor of Richmond, with first Home Run Bat (2005)
With the core peer-to-peer roundtable concept and Gestalt Language Protocol in place, VACEOs steadily evolved from a volunteer-driven organization with only a few opportunities to learn and network during the year into a growing and vibrant organization with an active governing body and a busy events calendar.
Scot McRoberts, co-founder VACEOs
“When we first started out, we were very volunteer driven,“ says McRoberts. “My role as executive director was part time. We had a large board and relied heavily on volunteer leadership for recruiting, program development – really everything. Over the years, that’s changed dramatically. It’s became more staff driven, with volunteers more involved in strategic leadership of the Council.”
“I would say a big part of our success can also be credited to our culture of succeeding executive chairs,” says McCabe. “Each chairperson has made their own contributions, and collectively all have helped to make the Council what it is today.”
The first-ever VACEOs CEO retreat did not take place until 2005. It was held at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, and approximately 50 CEOs attended. Roger Schnorbus, from the University of Richmond’s Robins School of Business, spoke … for free. That first year Doug Wilder, the newly elected mayor of Richmond, was awarded our first Home Run Bat in appreciation of his presentation. (Later that day, he took his bat to a press conference at City Hall as a prop!)
The VACEOs Annual Retreat has since become the highlight of the year for many, as New York Times best-selling authors, respected national keynote speakers, and well-known CEOs and business leaders now come to present their ideas and experiences to the membership.
View important milestones >
VACEOs Today
So far, in 2017, VACEOs has accomplished three very important milestones:
1) Membership has grown to 200;
2) A record number of sponsors have come on board; and
3) The Council has announced an alliance with the Virginia Chamber of Commerce.
“The Council is beginning to grow into its name as the Virginia Council of CEOs,” says McRoberts. “I’m really excited about the opportunity to serve CEOs across Virginia, beginning with Charlottesville this winter and by forming roundtables in other communities across the commonwealth. The future is bright.”
Going forward, the Council’s ultimate mission will remain the same: to connect CEOs for learning and growth, with the peer-to-peer roundtable experience remaining at the heart of the organization.
Bernard Robinson, original VACEOs board member
“The Virginia Council of CEOs remains as relevant an organization today as it was yesterday,” says Bernard Robinson, president & CEO of Networking Technologies + Support, Inc., and original VACEOs board member. “One of the nicest things about the Council is that it’s made up of a bunch of dynamic people from dynamic organizations – and they’re there for you to learn from every day. It’s not a place for people to grow stagnant. There are new ideas and concepts and something for you to pick up every time you meet.”
Leadership
There’s strength behind leadership. View VACEOs current Board and Past Chairs.
Charlottesville CEO Finds Success in an Unlikely Industry
Jacob D’Aniello is a Kenmore, New York, native and UVA grad who is also a trailblazer. D’Aniello realized from a young age that a successful business venture must be built on a naturally recurring revenue model, so he created a thriving business in an unlikely and untapped industry: pet waste removal.
It’s a business in which a sense of humor is required and encouraged throughout the organization. “We like to say, ‘Your dog’s business is our bread and butter,’” says the DoodyCalls CEO. “We also joke that, ‘We’re number one in the number two business.’”
What’s not funny is how seriously successful his company has become since 2000. Only four years into the venture, he and his wife franchised the business. Today, DoodyCalls is making waves nationally across 16 states and counting.
Meet Charlottesville CEO Jacob D’Aniello.
Q: How did you get into this unique line of business?
A: The paper route I started when I was 10 was the impetus for DoodyCalls. The idea of providing a consistent service each week really appealed to me. I also looked at my grandfather, who sold furniture and appliances, and my father-in-law, who sold shoes. In each case, they showed up each day with no revenue. That seemed really stressful to me. I also knew I didn’t want to spend time winning my clients away from my competitors – not that there’s anything wrong with that – but I wanted to focus more on winning people over to a market that they weren’t introduced to yet.
Q: How’s business?
A: We’re very focused on replicating and growing, which is a lot of work within itself. We’re launching some new internal technology systems that are really exciting, and we’ve recently launched a new e-commerce store. We’re now designing and manufacturing our own pet waste stations and litter bags, and as far as I know, we’re the only pooper scooper company that has its own product line, so that gives us the ability to be a little more aggressive in the market.
Q:You franchised your business in 2004, when you were in your 20s. Why did you decide to franchise?
A: We wanted to franchise because we felt like we stumbled onto a tremendous opportunity, and we really felt like it would be a great opportunity for other people – especially those who may not have access to a tremendous amount of capital. We also thought it would be a lot of fun working with other hard-working entrepreneurs. It’s hard to create an industry by yourself. It takes a lot of resources to blaze a path. The more brains, the better.
Q: What advice do you have for CEOs who are considering franchising their businesses?
A: Don’t franchise until your organization is financially sound. You don’t want to have to count on the revenue from the franchise business for several years. You want to be able to take your time and find the right people to work with. And it sounds like a cliché, but when you decide to franchise, you’re really getting into a different business than the business you’re in. You’re now focused on relationships, franchise recruitment, support, and compliance. Make sure you understand and love those kinds of activities that will make you a great franchisor.
Q: What aspect of your business excites you the most?
A: I get excited knowing that I can help individuals achieve their goals through business ownership. I also get a lot of excitement out of creating a great place to work, and it’s very satisfying to know that I make a positive difference in the lives of the people I work with. It’s so much fun to work with people. But probably what I’m most excited about is that I really love creating something no one else has done before. We are creating a national brand. We’re trying to do something no one has done.
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