Bon Secours Mercy Health —which operates 11 hospitals in the Richmond and Hampton Roads regions — has furloughed 700 full-time employees across seven states and 12 markets, the health care system announced Tuesday.
The health care system said in a released statement that the furloughs come as a result of fewer people seeking primary care, outpatient and surgical services, as most health care services being performed are related to COVID-19.
“In response to this unprecedented situation … our ministry is acting quickly to redeploy or temporarily furlough associates who are unable to work due to temporary closure, cancellation and low census in primary care, outpatient and surgical services,” according to a Bon Secours released statement. “This will also affect many support services associates who are not directly working on COVID-19 activities. We are also suspending hiring for any positions not directly impacting our COVID-19 and care responses.”
The furlough is temporary and is expected to last 30 to 90 days. Employees who are affected by the furlough will be paid for working through April 3 and then will be paid for any paid-time-off hours they may have. They are also eligible for unemployment benefits.
“The efforts of our entire team, combined with the tough decisions we are making today, will enable us to continue to focus on the COVID-19 response, which we expect to escalate in the coming weeks, ” the statement says.
Bon Secours Mercy Health employs approximately 60,000 people in its 51-hospital health care system. The Bon Secours Mercy Health Foundation has provided $60 million to its Associate Emergency Fund to help employees “facing serious financial challenges.”
Gov. Ralph Northam on Monday issued a temporary stay-at-home order through June 10 in response to coronavirus, but what are Virginians still allowed to do?
Essentially, Virginians will only be able to leave their homes for essential reasons — such as picking up groceries or prescriptions, seeking medical care or going to a job if necessary. But essential businesses include more than one may think, as the order does not require that the operation of businesses be closed to the public.
The following is a list of essential retail businesses, according to the governor:
Grocery stores, pharmacies and other retailers that sell food and beverage products or pharmacy products, including dollar stores, as well as department stores with grocery or pharmacy operations
medical, laboratory and vision supply retailers
electronic retailers that sell or service cellphones, computers, tablets and other communications technology
automotive parts, accessories and tire retailers, as well as automotive repair facilities
home improvement, hardware, building material and building supply retailers
lawn and garden equipment retailers
beer, wine and liquor stores
retail functions of gas stations and convenience stores
retail within health care facilities
banks and other financial institutions with retail functions
pet stores and feed stores
printing and office supply stores
laundromats and dry cleaners
Aside from retail, other industries are operating in-person while adhering to social distancing guidelines.
Although Virginia Realtors is strongly recommending that members stop holding in-person open houses, the association says that Realtors are still be able to conduct business.
“Try to meet with clients virtually as much as you can,” according to Virginia Realtors’ COVID-19 resources page. “Unlike other states where the governor has spelled out in detail what is and is not allowed, Virginia has left this more open. This ambiguity can benefit the industry if the industry continues to be responsible and take precautions.”
Individual showings are still permitted, but Virginia Realtors recommends that agents work with clients to limit the number of properties they show.
The construction industry is still continuing work on projects and adhering to social distancing guidelines.
“We have only seen a few jobs shut down, and most of them involve nursing homes additions,” says Pat Dean, president of the Associated Builders Contractors Virginia chapter. “If we do see [shutdowns], it’s going to be because a developer says ‘hey, let’s stop for a minute, and let’s make sure everyone is on board with all of the protocols we’re going to need to be doing.
“We have not slowed down, we’re just working differently. We have to be safer than ever. You’ll see members doing temperature testing and interview questions of everybody that enters the job site.”
HVAC, plumbing and electrical companies are still operating as well.
“We are issuing protective gear to each technician so that we can continue to provide routine preventative maintenance and emergency services without interruption,” Justin Andress, president of Richmond-based HVAC contracting company Woodfin, said in a statement to customers. “We have modified our paid-time-off policies to ensure that no one here at Woodfin will be forced to decide between their financial well-being and their health.”
Golf courses are allowed to remain open under the executive order, but clubhouses must close.
For questions not addressed by this list, contact the Virginia state government by calling 211 or emailing [email protected].
This is a developing story. Wondering what other businesses continue to operate in-person? Contact assistant editor Sydney Lake with questions or tips.
Ashburn-based government services company FSA Federal announced Tuesday it has won a U.S. Department of Justice contract potentially worth $1.3 billion .
Under the contract, FSA Federal will continue to work on its DOJ Asset Forfeiture Administrative Support Services contract. Started in 2004 to support DOJ law enforcement contracts, FSA Federal is a joint venture of Reston-based Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) and Germantown, Maryland-based Amentum. This is the third time that FSA Federal has been selected for this DOJ contract.
“The FSA 3.0 approach will help DOJ effectively accomplish its mission to disrupt dangerous criminal organizations that threaten communities nationwide,” George Mendiola Jr., managing director of FSA, said in a statement. “The evolution of our company focuses on customer service, accountability, and employee satisfaction for continued success into the future.”
The Asset Forfeiture Program aims to deter crime and restore property to crime victims. FSA Federal will deploy approximately 1,400 employees in more than 400 locations in the U.S. and its territories to carry out the contract — most of whom are working from home right now, Ellen Klicka, FSA Federal senior communications manager says.
“We were notified March 19 and have been ramping up extremely quickly, even during the pandemic,” Klicka says.
Five Virginia coal mines announced Monday they they shutting down operations to stop the spread of coronavirus, but continuing to fulfill weekly orders from current stockpiles.
The Buchanan Mine No.1, which employs 543 workers in Southwest Virginia, has closed as of Monday, Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy spokesperson Tarah Kesterson says. The mine is owned by Coronado Coal.
Employees who are working on the longwall section of the mine will continue work this week, but after that only salaried staff will stay to maintain the mine, Kesterson says. The mine has 750,000 tons of coal at its preparation plant and a small crew will load the coal on a weekly basis onto trains to fulfill orders, according to Buchanan #1.
INMET Mining LLC — which includes the Osaka, Pigeon Creek, North Fork and D-31 mines — also announced Monday morning it would close due to concerns surrounding COVID-19. Osaka employs 60 people, Pigeon Creek employs 13, North Fork employs 8 and D-31 employs 15. They, too will keep a few people on site to maintain the mine during the closure, Kesterson says.
The Polycor quarry, which does not produce coal, reported its closure on Monday to the DMME as well.
Frank Shushok Jr. has been named vice president for student affairs at Virginia Tech, the university announced Monday, and will officially begin on April 10.
He has been the interim vice president since October, overseeing more than 3,000 faculty, staff and student employees in 20 departments. Student affairs also oversees dining and residential life, student organizations, counseling, health and well-being, international student services, student conduct and learning partnerships.
Shushok has been with Virginia Tech since 2009, previously as senior associate vice president for student affairs. He is also an associate professor in the higher education graduate program at Tech’s College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Before Tech, he was the dean of student learning and engagement at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
He was also executive editor of About Campus, a national higher education publication, and was named a fellow of the American Council on Education in 2017. Shushok also received the Research and Publication Award from the Association of College and University Housing Officers.
Shushok received his bachelor’s degree from Baylor, his master’s degree from Ohio State and his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland.
Virginia Business virtually sat down with Virginia Bankers Association President and CEO Bruce Whitehurst and Chairman Jeff Haley, who is also president and CEO of Danville-based American National Bank & Trust Co. This is part of an ongoing series of conversations with Virginians about how their work lives and businesses have changed during the pandemic.
Virginia Business: How have banks been adapting to the crisis?
Haley: We converted to appointment-only in our lobbies last Friday. And I would tell you, No. 1, that the entire banking industry — not just American National — is fully operational. We’re just doing it a little differently. Teller transactions do appear to be down, maybe 20%, from the same period a year ago. Our ATM transactions appear to be fairly normal. Our customers have just reacted in such a positive manner. We have our customers calling and checking on us. Occasionally drive-thru lines will be a little longer, but the report I’m getting from my people is, it’s nothing unbearable. It’s a new normal for us right now.
Whitehurst: It’s incredibly helpful that we’re in an era now where, with communications technology, that you can do so much banking on your phone or computer. A lot of banks have increased remote deposit limits so that you can deposit a larger check with your phone. A lot of banks are having as many people as can work from home that are not in the retail banking environment.
Kristin Routt, financial center manager at American National’s Downtown Roanoke branch, wearing gloves. Photo courtesy American National Bank & Trust Co.
Haley: Yesterday, we had 21% of our total workforce working from home. This number is going to change, but yesterday we had about 120 people working in our 26 branches. So when we went [appointment]-only, we asked all of our retail people to continue coming to work because we didn’t know what the new norm was going to be like. We’re going to dial that back and give our employees that work in the branches kind of a break. We’re working on an A-B schedule.
In Southwest Virginia, the internet is actually an issue, so we have sent some people home to work from home, and they didn’t have the internet capacity to do what their job required. That’s an issue for not people in Richmond, but it is for the Southwest Virginia people.
VB: Have there been any cybersecurity issues in the industry thus far?
Haley: Zero have been known. The issue we were having was the capacity of what that person was trying to do at work, the flow of information. If they were out in Pittsylvania County somewhere and there wasn’t good WiFi service, they couldn’t do their work.
Whitehurst: I haven’t heard of any cybersecurity issues. We’re talking about an industry that has been hyper-focused on cybersecurity for as long as data breaches have been an issue. That has led to banks being among the top industries for having contingency plans, for having backup technology and for checking the security of their systems on an ongoing basis.
Haley: Fraud is going to be rampant with this issue. And so the industry collectively will be warning against fraud. Particularly, our industry certainly focuses on elder abuse. So I would just caution everybody about the fraud that’s going to be going on. It’s going to be off the charts. Everybody needs to be very careful on that topic.
VB: How are different generations of customers handling the transitions banks are making?
Haley: We are finding many customers, young and old alike, that were not using our online capabilities, or mobile banking, are starting to use them. We’re seeing enrollment for that go up. A customer can still come into our branch, and most are doing appointments if they have a critical need.
Jeff Haley, VBA chairman and American National Bank & Trust Co. president and CEO
VB: How are banks preparing or changing the ways that they carry out their loan processes?
Haley: American National has a program in place — and I would tell you just about every bank does — where we are deferring principal interest or converting loans to interest-only, for a period of time to give the borrower relief. Every case is different, and we work with the customer for whatever solution is best for them. All types of loans for consumer mortgages, small businesses, big commercial loans, all of them are calling and inquiring, and the industry is prepared to help. We’ve got plenty of capital. Our asset quality is very good. So we all stand ready to do this.
As the [federal CARES Act] bill passes, the [Small Business Association] will get the final details out to us — I’m told by April 7. Then, the industry is going to have to tool up on the details of how to get the data, how to process their loans, close the loans, do all that. I think it’s going to take a little longer than is maybe being reported. There’s so many things as bankers that we don’t know about the SBA program.
Whitehurst: Because of what the Fed has done with interest rates, we have the lowest 30-year mortgage rate that anyone’s ever seen in our lifetimes. And so there is actually a lot of refinance activity going on because people are home and they might have a little more time than usual to actually think about refinancing their mortgages.
Now, we all know that the hospitality industry — it’s like a door was slammed with the coronavirus. So there’s a lot of pressure to get this humongous SBA loan package through. Figuring out the mechanics of how a loan program of this scale will actually work, what communication has to happen between the SBA and every bank are all yet to be determined. There’s a lot of information flying around about how this is all going to go. A lot of it is speculative information because we don’t have the details yet.
There is more help on the way for these businesses that have been affected for the people who have been furloughed or laid off. Last week we had the largest increase in unemployment filings that this country’s ever had. So we’re in extraordinary times. And yet, we’re also seeing all kinds of creativity and ways to help customers.
If anyone is affected by, or feels like they will be affected by the situation, they should be talking to their banker right now. Don’t wait. Talk to your banker today — make a phone call and start some dialogue about what your options are. It’s really important.
Haley: We’re only as good as the communities in which we work and live. My peers are concerned about nonprofits and the critical needs that are going on in their communities — the homeless shelters, the food banks. Our industry is critical to many of the communities — we’re a faucet for capital. Our industry is going to do what it can to make all these communities successful.
For more resources about banking during the coronavirus, visit VBA’s website.
If you are a Virginia worker or business owner who has a story to tell, contact us.
Fewer than 7% of Virginia CEOs expect sales, capital spending or employment to increase during the next six months, according to the first quarter 2020 CEO Economic Outlook Survey released Monday by the University of Richmond‘s Robins School of Business and the Virginia Council of CEOs. It’s the lowest percentage response to that question in the survey’s 10-year history.
“I’ve heard from several small and mid-sized business CEOs that it is like someone turned off the faucet,” Scot McRoberts, executive director of the Virginia Council of CEOs
(VACEOs) , said in a statement. “Suddenly last week, no one is calling, no one is buying. Some of these businesses will go under.”
The survey specifically asked questions related to COVID-19, such as whether the crisis has caused them to change products, markets or customers. CEOs were also asked what “extraordinary steps” their businesses are taking, and nearly all mentioned remote work and sanitation guidelines — but some mentioned pay cuts and furloughs.
CEOs were also asked what state and federal governments can do to help small businesses during the crisis, and many responded that they would need business tax relief and low- or no-interest loans to keep their employees. But 14% believe that significant layoffs are “probably” or “definitely” likely, according to the survey results.
More than 87% of CEO respondents expect sales to be lower, and a majority also expect the decline to be more than 10 percentage points. Some are lowering prices to encourage sales, according to the survey results.
“We have never seen such a complete reversal in CEO sentiment,” Robins School Associate Dean Randy Raggio said in a statement. “Just last quarter, CEOs seemed optimistic for a continued strong economy. Now, everything has collapsed and none has any certainty about the future.”
The Robins School and VACEOs jointly conduct the survey on a quarterly basis. Raggio administers the survey and collects the responses each quarter.
“Many will find a way through this crisis by relying on reserves, scaling back, and innovating within the current environment,” McRoberts said in a statement.“We are working hard to help our CEOs stay connected so that they can help one another.”
More than 100 CEOs responded to the survey, which is the largest number of respondents since the survey began in 2010. CEOs in construction, manufacturing, finance, insurance, retail and other industries were surveyed.
In addition to public health concerns, the coronavirus crisis also has left companies dealing with a raft of urgent policy and personnel issues, ranging from telework and child care to paid sick leave.
As the virus spread across Virginia, human resources management experts counseled companies to handle coronavirus-related HR issues with creativity and empathy.
“In times like this, managers and others like to lean on policy and law as a crutch and use those as decision-making guardrails when, in fact, the first order of business should be empathy,” says Michael Latsko, president of HR Virginia, the state human resources council.
“This sounds like a cliché, but don’t let a good crisis go to waste. Use this opportunity to really test some of your policies and procedures and how things operate in your business because maybe you need to change the way you’re doing things. This could be with us for a while.”
One immediate need is grappling with the transition to telework — and with managers’ concerns about whether employees are actually working.
“Part of me thinks we could actually see a spike in productivity,” says William Becker, an associate professor at Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business whose research focuses on engagement and emotions at work. “One thing that people really want in their work is their autonomy.”
Becker recommends that companies consider job sharing or splitting duties or tasks among several workers in order to provide employees flexibility for needs such as child care or taking care of an ill family member.
“Employers need to think creatively about all of the work that can be done and where it can be done, and who can do it,” Latsko agrees. For example, workers who are contracted to do landscaping work could instead take home a project such as folding brochures in order to continue earning income.
Latsko cautions HR professionals to be aware of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act and other Occupational Safety and Health Administration laws. HR professionals should also make sure to keep up with any coronavirus-related federal legislation or directives that could impact company policies such as which workers are eligible to receive paid sick leave.
Linda Fisher Thornton, a human resources management adjunct associate professor at the University of Richmond School of Professional and Continuing Studies and CEO of Leading in Context LLC, a leadership development consulting firm, recommends following a “do not harm” policy that ensures that sick employees will be able to stay home.
Under normal circumstances, a company makes benefits decisions such as who receives paid sick leave based on factors such as cost of benefits, shift coverage and overall budgetary impact, Thornton says. “In a pandemic, though,” she adds, “cost, convenience and routine are less important than keeping people alive, safe and well.”
Businesses may be concerned about short-term negative impacts on the bottom line, but these costs could prevent higher future expenses, such as covering sick days for employees infected by coworkers who couldn’t afford to stay home, Thornton adds.
Becker reminds leaders that losing the faith of their employees can have longer-term repercussions than temporary financial hits.
“This will be an interesting time where people either get closer to their organization,” Becker says, “or they move much further away from their organization on an emotional engagement level.”
Follow the links below to read the rest of the stories in this Virginia Business special report about the impact of the coronavirus crisis:
Beakers and chemicals. Sparkles and high heels. An uncommon pairing for most is Miss America’s reality— something she’s working to normalize for young women.
When Miss America 2020 Camille Schrier jumped back into the pageant world last year, she was initially stumped as to what she could do for the talent competition. A month before the competition, however, the then-Miss Virginia thought up an unprecedented way to catch the judges’ attention.
“I didn’t have performing talent because I don’t sing or dance or play an instrument. … I had to figure out the whole talent thing, and so [I thought about] a chemistry demonstration, right? I’m a scientist, I can be like Bill Nye,” Schrier recalls thinking. Adorned in a white lab coat and safety goggles, Schrier shed the stereo-typical song-and-dance performances of her predecessors and demonstrated the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.
“Science is all around us. I’ve loved science since I was a little girl. It’s my mission to show kids that science is
fun, relevant and easy to understand,” she told the audience. She then poured potassium iodide into Erlenmeyer flasks full of hydrogen peroxide. The subsequent chemical reaction sent thick columns of blue, green and orange foam shooting into the air more than a dozen feet, leaving pageant judges awestruck. She dubbed the massive foam “elephant’s toothpaste.”
A scientist, Schrier is a 24-year-old Pennsylvania native who holds degrees in biochemistry and systems biology from Virginia Tech. Now a doctor of pharmacy student at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Pharmacy, she is taking off a year from her studies to fulfill her duties as Miss America.
Her official platform focuses on opioid abuse prevention and awareness, topics she spoke about during VCU’s Silent No More Overdose Symposium in January.
However, Schrier is also using her platform as Miss America to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and careers for girls. She was a keynote speaker at the Virginia Information Technology Agency’s Women in Innovation conference in March, encouraging women to pursue STEM careers. And decked out in her “sparkly hat” — as she calls her Miss America crown — and her sequin-decorated white lab coat, Schrier also leads science experiments with girls at places like Mad Science of Central Virginia, which holds children’s science classes and camps.
“Miss America is someone that needs to educate, be able to communicate with everyone, and that’s what I do as a woman of science,” Schrier said during the Miss America competition, which was held in December.“We need to show that Miss America can be a scientist and that a scientist can be Miss America.”
Virginia Business: What sparked your interest in science?
Camille Schrier: I didn’t really have an “aha” moment. … I grew up on a 10-acre property with a pond and all the nature that I could ever ask for around me — and that was really where I started to love biology. Then I loved cooking and baking with my mom, [which is] science … then it kind of took off from there.
VB: How did you end up going to Virginia Tech?
Schrier: It’s a long story, because I didn’t go to Tech originally. I went to [the University of Michigan] and I transferred to Virginia Tech. I started at Virginia Tech in 2015 as a junior in college. … I wanted to be in a place that I felt like would support me through any adversity… academically, personally, professionally — and that’s what they did. … I genuinely am the proudest
Hokie of all. I got two degrees there and stayed for [a] fifth year of undergraduate education because I was really interested in pursuing a degree in systems biology and biochemistry, so it took me a little bit longer. But I’m grateful that I did. Here I am now, a graduate student at VCU and taking time off [for Miss America duties].
VB: At what point did you decide to pursue pharmacy?
Schrier: I didn’t decide to do pharmacy until my fifth year of my undergraduate degree. … I was working in a pharmaceutical company, interning under a doctor of pharmacy. He showed me that there was so much more that you could do than just sit in a Rite Aid or work in a hospital as a pharmacist…. I love medicine, but I don’t necessarily like blood and guts, so it gave me that medicine aspect without being an M.D.
VB: At what point did you decide to pursue Miss America?
Schrier: I had competed as a teenager in organizations that were similar to Miss America and enjoyed them. I did them to gain interview skills and public speaking skills as a teen. … Then I was kind of done with them. I never thought I would come back. … I didn’t have a performing talent because I don’t sing or dance or play an instrument, and I also didn’t want to be on stage in a swimsuit … [but] they dropped the swimsuit competition in 2018, so that barrier was gone. … I ended up scrolling through Facebook one day … and saw an ad for a local competition … and so I’m like, “Maybe I’ll just try this. I’m not too old.” … I had to figure out the whole talent thing, and so … [I thought I’d try] a chemistry demonstration, right? I’m a scientist; I can be like Bill Nye. I got my beakers and my chemicals and all of that and … went to Miss Virginia and won, then went to Miss America and won.
VB: How did you decide what your platform would be as Miss America?
Schrier: Miss America has two jobs: to further the mission of the Miss America Organization but also to promote the voice of a social impact initiative. … Talking about medication safety and prescription drug abuse is something that I do inherently as a pharmacy student and what I will do in my career. I didn’t want to just pull something out of thin air that wasn’t authentic. … Now [I’m] working with the DEA, which is pretty much the highest level that you can get in terms of working with drug safety and abuse prevention.
VB: Part of your mission is about STEM education advocacy. What are your plans for this year for that mission?
In January, Schrier visited Mad Science of Central Virginia in Henrico County, demonstrating science experiments for a class of delighted young girls. Photo by Sydney Lake
Schrier: [There] was such a huge demand to have me come and do some events with young girls and young people, and be that crazy, kooky scientist girl with the crown on her head — people loved that … to just redefine what it looks like to be a woman in science. There’s this stereotype … [that] you can’t be glamorous and be a scientist. I’ve gone into that scientific realm and had people that questioned me because I was a woman that wore makeup and liked to dress up. Just as maybe in a role like Miss America, people wonder, “You’re a scientist? What?” I got to break stereotypes on both sides of that equation. I really hope to travel around and show kids that science is really fun by doing demonstrations. If we can get kids excited about science at a young age, then when … it gets really difficult, you can think back and remember how exciting it really is. It’s all tied together, and if I can be the catalyst for that — to use a scientific term — then I’ve done my job.
VB: How do you think we can get students interested in STEM and prepare them for tech jobs at companies coming to Virginia like Amazon?
Schrier: Showing them where science can be applied. [At a recent event,] I asked [kids] to tell me about something that they use in their life that has to do with science. The real answer is absolutely everything. Think about it: There are video games that they play. If they eat a Lunchable for lunch, if they use an iPad for homework, if they like watching TV, if they like watching cartoons, any of those types of things. There’s this perception that science is this very stuffy research, that it’s boring, and difficult and not relatable to people. … We have so many STEM jobs coming at us right now with this changing world of technology that we need kids to know that they have a place in science if it’s something that they’re interested in.
VB: What challenges are there for women in science?
Schrier: I had a man tell me, “I know why there’s less women in science. Women just aren’t as successful in science groups because their brain is just wired differently.” He made a point to come up to me at a meeting to tell me
that. I was like, “Sir, you’re wrong.” … It’s really shocking to me that in 2020 people still have that attitude. It’s really sad because sometimes I’m like, “OK. We all know that STEM is important. Am I beating a dead horse here?” But then I have those types of encounters that remind me why what I do is really important for every little girl … who needs to know that their brain works just as well as anybody else’s.
VB: Has becoming Miss America changed your career path?
Schrier: That’s a difficult one. I still plan to go back to get my Pharm.D. I still plan to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry, but I have a lot more experience behind me that might lead me in a different path. If I’ve learned anything in the last year, it’s to go where you are led. … I think I’m going to have an opportunity to build a lot of different partnerships with science companies in the next few years, that I’ll be able to advocate more at a social level for women in STEM, but also for medication safety after this year. I want to be that person that I needed as a young girl to see this woman who’s pursuing a science career and makes it really cool.
VB: What are your career interests?
Schrier: I’m a little nontraditional, unsurprisingly. …There is so much business in science now … so I was considering combining an MBA through this process, but I’m focused on just getting my Pharm.D. right now and then finding my way into a pharmaceutical company where I can use my clinical background to help guide the business. When you understand that clinical perspective, it changes the game.
VB: How did you become interested in advocating for opioid-abuse prevention?
Photo by Mark Rhodes
Schrier: I went to a Narcan training session as a pharmacy student, which is the opioid overdose reversal medication. I realized how huge of a problem it was — both with prescription opioids and illicit opioids in Virginia and beyond. … We need to make it normal to talk about [opioid abuse] so that people cannot feel bad anymore, because it doesn’t discriminate [by] age, gender or socioeconomic status — it is blatant in our country.
VB: What have you seen in Virginia in terms of what we’ve done for STEM advocacy and for opioid abuse prevention?
Schrier: Virginia has [faced] the opioid epidemic. I will say that … VCU is one of the leading research institutions on addiction research, regarding opioids specifically. I think that’s part of the reason why I was drawn to [VCU] because it’s something that’s discussed … [and] I’m lucky that I had that perspective. … We have [venues] like the [Silent No More] Overdose Symposium … where hundreds of people are coming together to try to solve this problem. I think we’re doing an exceptional job, and I hope that other states can follow suit with that. Virginia Tech is [also] an example for me because I’ve worked with them personally on STEM advocacy for kids. … They’re fostering young people’s interest in STEM careers in a way that impacted me.
VB: What do you want to do with your year as Miss America?
Schrier: Being able to be that role model for young women — [telling them] that they don’t have to fit in
[a] box, they don’t have to look a certain way, they don’t have to talk a certain way or act a certain way. Go run around and be your weird self because honestly, we need more of that. … This is the first year I’ve taken off from my education since I was in pre-K, so it better be for a doggone good reason, right? … That’s what my goal is — to learn and push myself professionally and personally this year and be able to craft my messaging. … I hope that I’m able to show people that I’m a normal person with an exceptional opportunity.
VB: What will it be like returning to VCU to resume your studies next year?
Schrier: I was really worried about that actually. I had talked to two of my professors and my dean of students before I ever went to Miss Virginia, because I wanted to make sure, No. 1, that I was allowed to take the year off and return. We kind of have this mutually beneficial relationship, where I’m helping promote the university and they’re helping promote my platform and my voice.
VB: How have you stayed up to date on STEM and pharmacy topics while being out of school?
Schrier: [I’m] starting to develop an advisory committee of my professors and the people in the industry who are actually licensed pharmacists. I’m doing that, but I’m also a huge podcast girl, so I get a lot of my educational material through podcasts as I’m traveling.
Within the first week of coronavirus spreading into Virginia, Lansdowne Resort and Spa in Leesburg saw about 50% of its conferences and events for March and April immediately postponed or canceled.
“For now, it’s a short-term event,” says Rich Keurajian, Lansdowne director of sales and marketing.
But that may have been wishful thinking, as the American Hotel and Lodging Association said that it anticipated 45% of the nation’s hotel jobs would be lost by the beginning of April. Predictions of a 30% drop in hotel patronage this year would translate into 4 million lost jobs, the association said.
The story was much the same in Virginia, where event reservations and hotel occupancy rates were already nosediving before the state and federal government issued directives to avoid social gatherings of more than 10 people.
“Everyone has been so caught off-guard that they’re just canceling,” says Ted Rubis, president of Henrico County-based Ampa Events, an events management company that puts on big corporate conferences and events. “The [events] industry is just being shut down. The business that we all had, my colleagues, myself … it’s all disappeared. There are no bookings.”
In Richmond, events that draw thousands of visitors to the state capital have been canceled, including the Jefferson Cup soccer tournament, which was expected to attract 12,000 attendees, says Richmond Region Tourism President and CEO Jack Berry.
As of mid-March, the organization planned to launch a May media “blitz” to promote tourism to the Richmond region. “It’s to spur the traffic in later summer and fall,” Berry says. “We’re strategizing for when we come out of this.”
The Norfolk region also saw an early cluster of conference cancelations and postponements amid coronavirus fears, and also has seen inquiries about scheduling upcoming events and conferences in the near future drying up.
“Leads that would be coming in for the next few weeks aren’t coming in that would have an impact,” Visit-Norfolk President and CEO Kurt J. Krause says. “All we’re going to do now is lose business.”
Hotels and conference centers across Virginia, from The Omni Homestead Resort to the Hampton Roads Convention Center and The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, all saw cancelations and postponements within the first week of the virus’ outbreak in Virginia.
“Planners are shifting dates because everything is so unpredictable right now,” says John Hess, director of sales and marketing for The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs. “They just need to buy some time.” Associations that had planned to visit The Homestead this spring are generally changing to a fall timeframe, he says.
Hospitality and tourism-related businesses also began quickly receiving financial hits in the form of cancelations and lost bookings during the early days of the crisis, says Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association President Eric Terry.
“While event cancelations will… potentially [impact] our economy in the short term, the suspension of these large gatherings is absolutely the right thing to do in order to protect our citizens in Virginia,” says Virginia Tourism Corp. Director of Communications Caroline Logan.
Companies that are teleworking are also suspending conferences — as well as learning how to move these events online.
Tech companies such as Arlington-based OpenWater Software Inc. are helping companies migrate conferences online.
Although virtual conferences can’t replace the professional networking opportunities associated with in-person events, online streaming and conferencing provides options for businesses that have already invested tens of thousands of dollars in planning a conference or special event.
“Imagine this: You pay your last $10,000 to $15,000 to do a product launch. And now the product launch is canceled,” OpenWater CEO Kunal Johar says. “You don’t have another chance.”
More than 2,000 people have downloaded a guide OpenWater has posted about moving conferences online, Johar says.
Although alternatives to in-person conferences may pop up, Krause points out that Virginia and the nation may still be months away from seeing the pandemic completely subside. Faced with the possibility of empty conference and meeting venues continuing into the summer, it’s impossible yet to predict how bad the economic impact could get.
“Golly, we’re in a pickle,” he says.
Follow the links below to read the rest of the stories in this Virginia Business special report about the impact of the coronavirus crisis:
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