The Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce announced recently that it presented its 2017 Hovey S. Dabney Award for Corporate Citizenship to Roy Wheeler Realty Company, at a gathering of business and civic leaders attending the Annual Chamber Membership Meeting & Business Luncheon held at the Holiday Inn – Emmet Street on Wednesday, February 15th.
“Our Chamber is pleased to recognize Roy Wheeler Realty Company with our 2017 Chamber Hovey S. Dabney Award,” said Adrian Felts, Chief Operations Officer of Centridian, Immediate Past Chairman (2016) of the Chamber Board, and Chairman of the Hovey S. Dabney Award for Corporate Citizenship Selection Committee. “Roy Wheeler Realty, and their dedicated professionals, define good corporate citizenship.”
The Annual Chamber Membership Business Meeting, underwritten by Virginia National Bank and R.E. Lee Companies, is regularly attended by 150-200 business & civic leaders. The meeting and luncheon at the Holiday Inn – Emmet Street, will begin at 11:30AM. Prior to the award presentation, Joseph Raichel, Wells Fargo Senior Vice President – Regional Business Banking Executive, who serves as the 2017 Chairman of the Chamber Board of Directors, will lead a presentation of the 2017 Annual Chamber Report to the Chamber membership and area business and civic leadership.
Roy Wheeler Realty was founded in Charlottesville in 1927 when its Founder, Roy Wheeler, borrowed $300 to start the company. Ninety (90) years later, the firm proudly asserts its Founder’s philosophy that “service is our most important product.” Today Roy Wheeler Realty’s more than 120 real estate associates and staff professionals work from six (6) offices in Central Virginia. The firm’s President & CEO, Michael Guthrie, maintains the firm’s commitment to “Trust, Tradition and Market Leadership,” emphasizing adherence to a “helping hand” model in both business and within our communities.
Roy Wheeler Realty’s “helping hand” is demonstrated by the firm’s involvement in many area organizations and initiatives. These include: Albemarle Housing Improvement Program’s Senior Safe at Home; Habitat for Humanity; the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank; the Food Bank’s Shop to Stop Hunger; the Senior Center; and many others. The firm has been early and founding sponsors, and in many cases are continuing sponsors of such organizational initiatives as: the Blue Ridge 1st Tee program; AHIP House Party; Blue Ridge Home Builders Parade of Homes; Court Appointed Special Advocates; Senior Center; Special Olympics; Big Brothers /Big Sisters; Salvation Army; Toy Lift; and many others.
Roy Wheeler Realty associates serve on myriad organizational Boards such as the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors; the Virginia Realtors Association; Senior Center; Charlottesville Scholarship Program; Free Enterprise Forum; and, the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Guthrie, the 2011 Chamber Christopher Lee Small Business Person Award recipient, has served on the Chamber Board of Directors since 2014. Many of his associates are engaged in various Chamber activities including Leadership Charlottesville, Chamber Business Women’s Round Table, Quadruplicity and the Chamber Senior Round Table.
The Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce established the Hovey S. Dabney Award for Corporate Citizenship in 2005 to recognize outstanding examples of corporate citizenship in the Greater Charlottesville communities. This Chamber Award is established and named in honor of the late Hovey S. Dabney, a distinguished business leader and citizen in the Greater Charlottesville area, the Commonwealth of Virginia and our nation. The Chamber Hovey S. Dabney Award for Corporate Citizenship is underwritten through the generosity of Hunter E. Craig, W. K. Heischman and Ivo Romenesko.
The 2017 Chamber Hovey S. Dabney Award Selection Committee, in addition to Mr. Felts as Committee Chairman, includes: Paul Beyer, Liza Borches, Martin Burks, III, Alison DeTuncq, Kristina Hofmann, Timothy Hulbert, Robert Pflugfelder, Joseph Raichel, Ivo Romenesko, Pamela Sutton-Wallace, Brinson White and Erika Viccellio. The Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to representing private enterprise, promoting business and enhancing the quality of life in our greater Charlottesville communities. The Chamber’s more than 1,200 member and affiliate member enterprises employ more than 45,000 people in our community, representing an estimated total payroll of more than $1.75 billion a year.