In collaboration with our Innovation Partners, the Chamber enhances and energizes the region with an innovative, profitable business community.

Organizations that invest in the Chamber’s mission position themselves at the forefront of the business community not only in Danville and Pittsylvania County, but also across the Commonwealth of Virginia.

If you would like to invest in the Chamber’s mission, visit www.dpchamber.org/innovationpartners or email madison@dpchamber.org.

If you are interested in serving on the WE Lead Committee, please reach out to madison@dpchamber.org.

This year, “Wreaths for a Cause” offers a fresh experience while still allowing visitors to enjoy The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research's beautifully decorated atrium and support local charities. It will also feature an after-hours Open House on December 14 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. that’s sure to put you in the holiday spirit while supporting United Way and area nonprofits. Attendees can take some holiday cheer into their own homes with an auction of wreaths.

Join us for a night of fun and celebration [all in the name of charity] at Open House:

By Wendy Gilraine, NP, Pulmonary Medicine

If you are a smoker or a former smoker, and between the ages of 50 and 80, you may qualify or be eligible for a lung cancer screening exam. And it’s an exam that could be a lifesaver.

According to the American Lung Association, lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer death in both men and women in the U.S., accounting for approximately one quarter of cancer deaths.

There are several factors that can contribute to the development of lung cancer, including radon, exposure to hazardous chemicals, particle pollution and genetic factors, but smoking is the overwhelming number one cause of lung cancer – about 90 percent of lung cancer cases. Even if you quit smoking years ago, your risk – while reduced – is still present.

A lung cancer screening exam is a simple screening that can tell you and a provider if your lungs are healthy or detect lung cancer early, before it spreads, and when treatment can be most effective. Lung cancer symptoms typically do not show up until the disease has advanced, so this early detection is key to catching the cancer early and more effectively treating it. A lung cancer screening exam is a painless screening that usually takes less than a minute to complete, but it’s benefits can last far longer.

Many insurance plans – including Medicare – will cover the cost of the screening if you meet eligibility requirements. If you are a smoker or a former smoker between 50 and 80, you may qualify or be eligible. Talk to your provider about your risks and if a lung cancer screening exam is right for you.

In addition, it’s important to know that there are some steps you can take to reduce your risk for lung cancer – most importantly refraining from smoking and other uses of tobacco [pipes, cigars, vaping, etc.], as well as avoiding secondhand smoke as much as possible, getting your home tested for radon, limiting your exposure to carcinogens and eating a healthy diet.

Take our lung cancer risk assessment at SovahHealth.com. If you’d like to talk with a provider about your risks and a potential lung cancer screening exam, call 844.GO.SOVAH. Learn more about lung cancer at lung.org and cdc.gov/lung.

The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History is pleased to announce a new inductee into their Hall of Fame, nominated by Laura Morgan Powell.

Henry L. [Roddy] Roediger III was born in Roanoke, Virginia and raised in Danville, Virginia. He is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor at Washington University in St. Louis. He graduated with a BA in Psychology from Washington & Lee University [1969] and received his PhD from Yale University [1973] in cognitive psychology. He previously taught at Purdue University, the University of Toronto, and Rice University.

Roediger’s research has centered on human learning and memory, and he has published over 350 articles and chapters on various aspects of remembering. He also co-authored four books and has co-edited ten more. Roediger served as President of the Association of Psychological Science and several other associations of psychologists. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences.

He was awarded a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation and an honorary doctorate from Purdue University. Roediger has also received the Howard Crosby Warren Medal from the Society of Experimental Psychologists, the John P. McGovern Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the William James Fellow Award from the Association on Psychological Science, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Science, and the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association.

The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History established the “Hall of Fame” in 1974 to recognize and honor Dan River Region citizens whose achievements have had national or international impact on culture and humanity. Induction into the Hall of Fame involves a rigorous process and is ultimately approved by the Museum’s Board of Directors. A Board committee uses the following criteria: “Those included should be persons of note, raised within the area and who by achievement in their respective field have attained such national stature as to reflect credit upon themselves and consequently upon Danville and Pittsylvania County.”

RDA is producing HOME for the Holidays again this year, but with a little extra fun! The six short features will be aired every Friday on River City TV, and the RDA Facebook Page.

They are asking that everyone in and around the Dan River Region will participate by submitting content to be included in the show. Each show will feature: 

Left: On Saturday, November 6, Phi Theta Kappa cleaned the streets around the Danville Community College campus. This is an activity the chapter does twice a year. It has received City awards for this service.

Right: Phi Theta Kappa held its fall induction on Friday, November 5, in Oliver Hall, Temple Building.

ValleyStar Credit Union opens the doors of its new administrative building in the Summit View Business Park in Rocky Mount, Virginia. The new location will support the growth that has taken place at ValleyStar that includes doubling in size, both in assets and staffing.

This new centralized location supports the strategic advancement and collaboration for continued growth and allows ValleyStar Credit Union to take an active part in all the communities we support.

The new Summit View location in Franklin County will house ValleyStar team members that include the executive team, IT, and members from the accounting, and marketing teams.