Smithfield & Isle of Wight Tourism Director Judy Winslow will serve on the board of the newly Coastal Chapter of the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association or VRLTA.

The Coastal Chapter is a rebranding of the VRLTA recently expanded Norfolk chapter, which now includes Isle of Wight County, the cities of Suffolk, Franklin, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach and Williamsburg, and Accomack and Northampton counties on the Eastern Shore.

“The expansion of and rebranding of the Norfolk Membership Chapter to the Coastal Chapter is so exciting for the entire association,” said Russ Cronberg, VRLTA Chair of the Board and Director of Hospitality for the UVA Foundation. “Bringing together more like-minded Hospitality-centric organizations that are eager to serve one another, learn from one another, and engage with the broader commonwealth is great news for everyone in the VRLTA. We can’t wait to see this area’s membership engagement grow!”

“I am enthusiastic about the expansion of VRLTA’s Norfolk chapter,” says Patrick Edwards, President of the VRLTA Coastal Chapter and Owner of The Stockpot. “It further strengthens VRLTA’s ability to assist the hospitality industry in the region and bolsters our collaboration and growth by bringing together some of the brightest minds in the coastal area.”

VRLTA is intended to be the unified voice of the restaurant, lodging, travel and hospitality supplier associations. VRLTA has eight chapters across the Commonwealth: Arlington-Alexandria, Blue Ridge-New River Valley, Bull Run, Charlottesville, Coastal, Fairfax-Loudon, Richmond, and Shenandoah Valley. The structure of these chapters allows members to connect with others in their area to share ideas, network, and learn. Benefits to members include quarterly chapter meetings, education opportunities, and the chance to meet local legislators.