Mayor Derrick R. Wood

A Night of Access, Advocacy, and Representation

Some rooms matter more than others, not because of who speaks the loudest, but because of who is present and what that makes possible.

Last night in Richmond, the Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce convened business leaders, policymakers, and public servants for its 2026 Legislative Reception. The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, the Chair of Appropriations, and members of the General Assembly were all in attendance. That matters because these are the spaces where relationships are formed and where ideas that impact communities across the Commonwealth begin to take shape.

The Virginia Black Chamber continues to play a critical role in creating access for the business community particularly Black-owned businesses by intentionally holding space where business, policy, and leadership intersect. This reception was not symbolic. It was strategic. It was about ensuring business voices are heard early, directly, and in the right rooms.

As Mayor, it is important for me to show up in these spaces in support of our local business community and to represent our town at the state level. Advocacy doesn’t happen by accident. Relationships don’t build themselves. Presence is part of the responsibility of leadership especially when decisions made at the state level have direct implications for local opportunity, investment, and growth.

One of the evening’s meaningful moments came when Her Excellency Governor Abigail Spanberger stopped, acknowledged me, and told the room:

“Don’t drive through Dumfries, drive to Dumfries.”

She spoke about her joy in representing our community in the 7th Congressional District, and that recognition mattered. When leaders know your community, speak its name, and understand its potential, it reinforces why being present in these rooms is necessary.

I was also deeply humbled to be presented with the Blackprint Award in front of this gathering of business leaders. Presented as part of the Chamber’s Black Brilliance Awards, the Blackprint Award recognizes leadership that helps define culture, elevate community, and mobilize impact with intention. I receive that recognition with gratitude and with a clear understanding that it represents responsibility, not arrival.

During my remarks, I shared a quote attributed to Harriet Tubman that she freed hundreds of enslaved people, but could have freed many more if they had only known they were enslaved. That quote has always resonated with me because it speaks to awareness, agency, and responsibility.

I shared that I entered local government because I needed a solution and eventually realized I had to become part of the solution. In my own way, my work has been about helping people recognize that they, too, are the solution to a problem in this world. That their presence matters. That leadership is not reserved for a few, but required of many.

That belief shapes how I lead. It’s why I show up. And it’s why gatherings like this matter because when people are given access, information, and voice, communities change.

The Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce created the space. Business leaders showed up. Policymakers listened. And communities across the Commonwealth are better for it.

Built in service.

Seen in community.

The work continues.