The Gloucester County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors held a strategic planning retreat on Jan. 11 at Riverside Walter Reed Hospital. The daylong event elicited a lot of comments and suggestions from the chamber board, and a full slate of activities are being planned, executive director Makalia Records said.

New chamber president Dayton Wiese said "the board left excited" with a lot of plans for 2013.

The year will kick off with the chamber’s annual dinner this Saturday night at the Abingdon Ruritan Club, Bena. The gala evening will be capped by Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling delivering the keynote address, Records said. For reservations, call the chamber office at 693-2425.

The first of seven scheduled after-hours socials will be held Feb. 21 at the Lewis B. Puller Center in Gloucester, an affiliate of The Arc of the Virginia Peninsula. Records said these functions are good networking opportunities for chamber members.

An emphasis on education is planned, Wiese said, with the chamber planning several VIP programs, launched by the Bolling talk, and several lunch-and-learn sessions throughout the year on topics such as social media and health care issues.

In addition, the fourth annual Gloucester Wine Festival will be held Oct. 26. Records said the location for this year’s festival has not been selected yet.

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