Chamber Insider Blog

Thank you to Colleen Lovelace, the 2026 Chair of the Ambassador Council, for all you do for the Loudoun Chamber!

What inspired you to become a Loudoun Chamber Ambassador Council Member, and what does the role mean to you?

At the Nonprofit Initiative Committee meeting during COVID, they asked for a volunteer from a nonprofit to join the Ambassadors Committee to represent nonprofits on the Council.

Because it was during COVID, the commitment, at the time, was to be on another Zoom call and make 1 phone call welcoming and mentoring a new member. It has since grown from a Loudoun Chamber Committee to a Council and increased in visibility and respect.

How does your business or organization contribute to the Loudoun County community?

Rally9 supports and contributes to our Loudoun community by providing strategy to the nonprofit community in Loudoun County.

What is one memorable connection, moment, or experience you’ve had through the Loudoun Chamber?

I call them my serendipity moments. I got involved in the Chamber for my professional life but have found both friends who support me. Friends who allow me to support them and trust connections for the decisions that life throws your way.

What advice would you give to someone looking to intentionally grow their professional network in Loudoun County?

As we have all heard and experienced in life, the benefits of something come with the time you are willing to dedicate to it. Take time to show up, to come to events. When you show up, you meet folks. When you meet folks, connections and growth happen.

What Loudoun Chamber event or program do you never miss, and why does it stand out to you?

My favorite event is the Community Leadership Awards in January.

For me, it is inspiring, poignant and touching to see the exceptional effort, time and resources that leaders of companies put into ALSO being leaders in the community.

How has serving as an Ambassador Council Member helped you grow as a leader—both professionally and personally?

Working as both a member and Chair of the Ambassador Council reminds me that real change and growth take time and patience.

What is one tip or best practice you would share with new Loudoun Chamber members to help them get the most value from their membership?

Use your FREE and easily accessible resources

Connect with your Ambassador. Allow your Ambassador to listen and give your insight and wisdom about how best it is for you and your company to get involved in the Chamber.

Use the Loudoun Chamber Directory to find organizations you want to meet or pair with, organizations that are also in your “swim lane,” and organizations that fit a need you might have (dentist, house painter, chiropractor, etc.)

What leadership skill has been most valuable to you in your role as a Chamber Ambassador, and how do you apply it?

Focusing on the skill of listening first and talking second.

How do you balance advocating for your own business while serving the broader mission of the Chamber and the Loudoun Community?

First and foremost, as an Ambassador, my energy goes to the new members/members of the Chamber.

I have found that if I listen first, then questions about what I do come second.

What is one fun, unexpected, or little-known fact about you that most people at the Chamber may not know?

I am an Irish triplet (one of 3 children born within 3 years). I am a 5th-generation NATIVE born in Northern Virginia.