VBIA COMMITTEES

Don’t Just Join – Belong
The meaning of membership in VBIA can be as simple as "I pay my dues each year."  But the best way to get the most out of your membership is to get involved.  As a part of a committee you are a representative for the membership and help make decisions for the direction of VBIA.  Joining is as easy as indicating your interest in specific committees.

The benefits of joining a committee are:

• Expanding your network by getting to know more industry professionals.
• Broadening your understanding of entrepreneurship and small business development.
• Sharing your expertise with other professionals.
• Testing and expanding your leadership skills.

Annual Conference Committee

The Annual Conference Committee is responsible for planning and supervising the creation of the annual conference program.  Specific responsibilities include:

• Determine the dates and the location of the annual conference.
• Choose and develop the conference theme and schedule.
• Create content to describe the conference sessions and/or workshops.
• Select presenters and complete the conference agenda.

The majority of the committee’s work is done by email.  Members must be willing and able to make a one year commitment, attend committee meetings either in person or via teleconference and occasionally serve as the committee representative at VBIA Board meetings either in person or via teleconference.

Interested - send us an email info@vbia.org.

Communications Committee

The Communications Committee has two primary goals:

1. To promote better and wider communications within the VBIA memberships to keep it informed and encourage members to contribute time and expertise to further VBIA’s mission.
2. To improve external communications and make VBIA’s accomplishments and activities more widely known throughout the Commonwealth which would lead to increased membership and participation at VBIA events.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Make recommendations and aide in the promotion the Annual Conference as well as the Regional Roundtable events.
• Quarterly Newsletter – make solicitations for content and work with contractor to oversee layout and content.
• Reviewing the website for presentation, clarity and ease of use and make recommendations to VBIA Board for corrections and/or changes to the content.
• Aide in soliciting and providing content to VBIA LinkedIn and Facebook pages to keep it current and relevant.

Interested - send us an email info@vbia.org.

Donna Noble Incubator Client Award Committee

The VBIA Board established the Donna Noble Incubator Client Award in 2001 in honor of one of its founding Board members, Donna Noble, who passed away on May 29, 2001, at the age of 36.  This award is presented at the VBIA Annual Conference.  Nominations for this award are accepted from VBIA member incubator managers to recognize exemplary clients who have been in the incubator for a minimum of one year.  An engraved award is presented to the winner and a $500 donation is made to the American Cancer Society in Donnas’ honor.  Specific responsibilities include:

1. Coordination with the Annual Conference and Communications committees to set the application submittal date - solicit submittals at least six (6) weeks in advance of the Annual Conference.
2. Review submittals and select a winner based on established evaluation criteria.
3. Notify winner and arrange for their attendance at the Annual Conference and notify other applicants of the Committee’s decision.
4. Notify the Board of the recipient at least three weeks prior to the Annual Conference.
5. Prepare a summary of all the applicants seeking the award for inclusion at the Annual Conference package.

Interested - send us an email info@vbia.org.

Regional Roundtable Committee

The Regional Roundtable Committee is responsible for developing content and ideas for discussion at the meetings. Much of the content can be developed by taping into previous annual conference material and working with the Annual Conference Committee to promote the theme of the upcoming conference.  Specific responsibilities include:

1. Coordination with Annual Conference Committee to mine content.
2. Development of a Power Point presentation and a “general” script for the members use who have volunteered their time to lead a Roundtable meeting.
3. With the assistance of the Board - solicit volunteers to lead Roundtable meetings and develop an annual Roundtable meeting schedule.

Interested - send us an email info@vbia.org.