Board Meeting Minutes and Recording - August 2025

The audio recording and the director's presentation of the August 2025 Board Meeting can be accessed here:

August 2025 Board Meeting Recording.mp3

August 2025 Board Meeting Presentation

Charrette CACVB Brand Strategy Smaller File.pdf

Charrette Agency Brand Strategy Presentation

Please find the draft meeting minutes below:

Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau 
Board of Directors Meeting
August 25, 2025 - 1:00 p.m.
CACVB Administrative Office

PRESENT: Olivia Branch, Russ Cronberg, Athena Eastwood, Chris Engel, Emily Kilroy, Bea LaPisto-Kirtley, Jennifer Lyon, Jaruchan Palakawongs, Danny Shea, Brad Uhl, Juandiego Wade, Darcie Weigand, (Presence of Athena Eastwood, Jaruchan Palakawongs, and Danny Shea not reflected in roll call performed on recording) 

ABSENT: Francois Abadie, Andrea Copeland, Amber Smith

ALSO ATTENDING: Courtney Cacatian, Lauren Bohdan, Michael Joy, Amanda Carter, Natalie

CALL TO ORDER 

Chair Bea LaPisto-Kirtley called the meeting to order at 1:05 PM.

a. Roll Call: Chair LaPisto-Kirtley invited Lauren Bohdan to perform the roll call.   

b. Industry Presentation: Chair Lapisto-Kirtley invited Michael Joy from the Office of the Architect of the University of Virginia to present. Mr. Joy provided updates on the University’s Emmet Ivy Corridor development. The development includes green space, accommodation for students and visitors, and retail space, and is anchored by the Karsh Institute of Democracy, the School of Data Science, and the Center for the Arts. The corridor site plan reflects structural and aesthetic elements of the University of Virginia’s historic sites, while adopting an “extroverted,” outward-facing design intended to encourage interaction with the Charlottesville community. Board members discussed the development’s wider infrastructure implications in the neighborhood and the potential to drive visitation.

c. Consent Agenda and Finance: Chair LaPisto-Kirtley asked if all members had seen the minutes and financial statement. A motion was made to approve the June meeting minutes and financial statement. The minutes and financial statement were approved, and the consent agenda was passed.

d. Rebranding Workshop: Chair LaPisto-Kirtley invited Ms. Carter of Charette Agency to present on the company’s brand research, public engagement, and strategic solutions for the CAVB. Ms. Carter presented research findings from Charrette’s work in the Charlottesville community and tied the findings to the perception of the community among past and potential visitors. While community members expressed a strong desire for Charlottesville to be a welcoming community, the evidence showed that there was a divide over how welcoming Charlottesville actually is. Charrette found more alignment from survey respondents and workshop participants on the concepts of intentionality and celebration. The findings from the research were used to develop a brand identity summarized as “Celebrate on Purpose.” Charrette unveiled proposed brand imagery based on the findings and invited feedback from Board members.

Questions from Board members covered topics that included Charrette’s methodology, metrics on community engagement, the timeline for the project and brand rollout, and other potential directions that CACVB may choose to go in. Some Board members expressed concerns that the brand identity of “Celebrate on Purpose” may be perceived unfavorably by some members of the public and outside actors. Ms. Cacatian and Ms. Carter explained that the branding had so far received no negative feedback during community and stakeholder engagement stages, and that the brand identity’s strength was in its uniqueness; no other locality possesses a similar brand identity. Mr. Uhl said that the idea of joy and celebration resonates with people and that the brand was consistent with the Charlottesville community’s intention to live up to its own hype. Board members submitted written individual feedback on the brand imagery to Charrette.

Several Board members expressed a desire for more time to let the presentation and brand concept sink in. Chair LaPisto-Kirtley proposed that a special meeting of the Board be convened in September, as the next regularly scheduled Board meeting in October would be too late to meet project completion and brand rollout deadlines. The Board agreed to a tentative date of September 15 for a special meeting. Ms. Cacatian proposed that individual Board members submit written feedback on the Charrette presentation and brand identity concept to her by August 29. Ms. Cacatian would then summarize the information for the Board Chair and Vice Chair and they could decide whether or not to call a special meeting after review.

e. Public Comment: No Public Comment 

f. Board Announcements: Chair LaPisto-Kirtley expressed gratitude to the team at Charrette for their presentation and the research work that had gone into it. She also noted that the CACVB Executive Board does not have a policy for virtual Board meetings and requested that a policy be created and presented to the Board. Lauren Bohdan agreed to do so at a future meeting.

Chair Bea LaPisto-Kirtley adjourned the meeting at 3:36 PM.