Business Leaders

Executive Briefing
Current Priorities

The Business Leaders Work Group strives to develop strategies and solutions to increase access to and quality of child care in the region, through advocacy, leadership and innovation throughout Virginia’s Southeastern region.

Action items: 

  • Explore local supply/demand and workforce data in Southeastern Region 
  • Explore state-level impact on business data
  • Apply for Dept of Labor planning grant, to build a strategic plan for building a robust supply of child care providers throughout our region.
  • Align future action steps with VBREEVirginia Business Roundtable for Early Education
  • Recruit additional business leaders within the Hampton Roads region 
Child care is an important ecosystem and everybody in our region plays a part in making it a success; currently, we’ve got a few pegs in the system missing that keeps us from making it a well-oiled machine. I’m ready to help dive-in to dissect the current system and explore ways to make child care a lucrative and clear career pathway.
Whitney Lester
Whitney Lester Hampton Roads Workforce Council, Senior Director of Talent Development
Working Group Members
Beverly Clymer, US Navy, Mid Atlantic Region Tammi Dice, Old Dominion University Carolene Goodwyn-Harris, Bryant & Stratton College Elise Harold Lans, Cape Henry Collegiate Whitney Lester, Hampton Roads Workforce Council Brenda Roberts, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans' District Director Amelia Scott, YMCA of South Hampton Roads
Contact Beth Parker for more information at ParkerEK@ODU.EDU