Herndon Chamber's Hispanic council attracting new members to business organization

Virginia Business
April 2006

After the 2000 census, Herndon residents were surprised to find that the town’s Hispanic population had jumped from 9 percent to 26 percent of its total population of more than 21,000. One estimate puts the percentage at roughly 33 percent when undocumented residents are included.

The new population mix has posed challenges for the community, and touched off a national debate on illegal immigration when Town Council decided to build a labor hall for day laborers.

To promote acceptance of the community’s new dynamics, the Herndon Dulles Chamber of Commerce created a Hispanic Business Committee two years ago. The committee now has been promoted to a chamber council, a status that elevates its importance and visibility in the business community. “We wanted to be able to integrate Hispanic businesses into the mainstream economy that we serve and to reach out to the Hispanic community at large, rather than having that invisible dividing line where it’s them or us,” says Eileen Curtis, the chamber’s president and CEO.

The Herndon Chamber didn’t take a position on the day-laborer issue, but, Curtis says, “We have an address in this town, and we want to make a difference in the quality of life for everyone if we can.”

The Hispanic Business Council is already having an impact. Since it formed, the number of Hispanic business members has jumped from 12 to 70 (nearly 10 percent of the chamber’s 850 members), according to membership director Eileen Kaminsky.