ANDREA COPELAND | President and CEO, Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce

In May, Andrea Copeland became the first Black president and CEO in the 112-year history of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The day Copeland learned she would be the chamber’s leader, she sat in her office “wearing the weight” of the news.

“That mantle is major, and I don’t take it lightly,” she says. “The calls I received from Black senior citizens in their 70s, 80s and, yes, even their 90s who were overjoyed learning about this announcement reminded me of the trails those before blazed for me.”

Copeland had put her name in the hat for the role in 2023, but she didn’t get the job.

“Disappointed? Yes, she was,” says nominator and sister Shannon Copeland. “But she didn’t let that stop her. She kept learning and growing and serving.”

Copeland started at the chamber in 2007 as a volunteer. In 2012, she became director of Leadership Charlottesville, where she remained for eight years.

In 2020, the chamber named Copeland committee engagement director. Three years later, she was promoted to chief operating officer.

Copeland earned a degree in human services counseling from Old Dominion University. She completed the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organization Management program in 2023 and finished the Certificate in Chamber Management program offered by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives in 2024.

2025 Virginia Women in Leadership Awards honorees