Fall Conference Series Kicks Off Next Week

VPC members are known for their resiliency and determination. That’s why social distancing isn’t preventing us from hosting our fall conference. It will be different, though, with the 2020 Fall Conference Series held on Zoom, instead of one meeting held in person.

The series kicks off with a networking event next week, and features a wide slate of speakers running from August through November. Mark your calendar for the lineup! 

We’ll send an email in advance of each event so you can register. We encourage you to make a small donation—significantly less than the cost of an in-person conference—to help cover our ongoing expenses, including the email service and website fees. 

Catching Up with Our Colleagues
Thursday, Aug. 13, 6-7 p.m.

Join us for an hour on Zoom. Bring your favorite beverage and hear what your colleagues have been doing professionally and personally to cope during these unprecedented times. In advance of the networking hour, members will be asked to complete a brief, fun survey, which we can also use as a discussion topic.

Free to members. 

Registration required. Please register by sending an RSVP email to communicate@vapc.org. A link to the Zoom presentation will be emailed to you about a day in advance. 

Newsmaker of the Year Christy Coleman 
Friday, September 18, noon-1 p.m. 

We will hear from our 2020 Newsmaker of the Year, Christy Coleman, the executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and the past CEO of the American Civil War Museum. She also co-chaired Richmond’s Monument Avenue Commission, which studied the Confederate statues and monuments that have dominated headlines since late May. Attendees will submit questions during the talk, and the moderator will choose a handful to pose to our Newsmaker. 

Free to members. Suggested donation: $7. 

Registration is required, and information on how to register for this event and receive the link to the Zoom presentation will be available soon. 

Rachel Beanland, Richmond author, Florence Adler Swims Forever Tuesday, Oct. 13, 6-7 p.m.

Rachel Beanland’s first book was listed as one of Good Morning America‘s “25 Novels You’ll Want to Read This Summer” and as one of Parade‘s “26 Best Books to Read This Summer.” Simon and Schuster launched the book in the midst of the pandemic, but that didn’t stop Rachel from her promotions. She’ll talk about how working in public relations made her a better novelist. 

Free to members. Suggested donation: $7. 

Registration required. A link to the Zoom presentation will be emailed to you. 

What a Time to be a Reporter 
Saturday, November 7, 11 a.m. to noon

Reporters from a variety of communities and media will share their experience covering the news in a time of enormous social change. Attendees will submit questions, and the moderator will choose a handful to pose to the reporters. As of this writing, confirmed participants are VPC’s past president Cathy Jett, soon to retire from the (Fredericksburg) Free Lance-Star, and Roberto Roldan, Richmond City Hall reporter for VPM. 

Free to members. Suggested donation: $7. 

Registration required. A link to the Zoom presentation will be emailed to you. 

In late September or early October, we also will celebrate our Communicator of Achievement, Frances Broaddus Crutchfield. This casual, fun, socially distanced gathering will be held outdoors at Voices from the Garden: The Virginia Women’s Monument, Capitol Square, Richmond. Frances was a key supporter of this powerful monument, which includes statues of important women in the commonwealth’s history. As a member of the Virginia Indian Commemorative Commission, she also backed the nearby monument to Virginia Indians. We’ll give Frances her award and learn about her involvement with both monuments. Watch your email for the date, time, and details. 

For the events with suggested donations, we will collect those donations through the VPC PayPal account you typically use to pay conference registration fees. A link will be provided as part of the registration process. 

We look forward to seeing you throughout the Fall Conference Series!