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Crowds throng the Hilly’s.
Photo: Andrew Lightman
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The Capitol Hill Association of Merchants and Professionals (CHAMPS), under the day-to-day direction of Julia Robey Christian and her network, along with the wisdom of new CHAMPS President Bill Phillips and the board of directors, is taking on a fresh perspective and an expanding reach. Case in point: the first annual red-carpeted evening honoring the most celebrated businesses and individuals, CHAMPS presents The Hillys.
CHAMPS 2.0
Julia Christian has been CHAMPS’ executive director since July 2008, and she has brought to the table a fresh new way of connecting Hill businesses to each other, to residents and to government. Several changes are afoot at CHAMPS, including a user-based website that the community can use to list events, a twice-monthly listing of top picks and dining specials in The Hill List, and educational opportunities for business members. Oh – and promoting on Twitter, with 450 followers! Facebook is fine, but, Christian said, “I really like being able to live Tweet!”
Bill Phillips succeeded Martha Huizenga as CHAMPS president in July. “Beginning July 1, CHAMPS became the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce – it was an entire revamping of the organization,” said Phillips. “This means US Chamber compliance – we are complying with their guidelines to ensure maximum effectiveness.”
A new identity brings a new logo, retiring the old one designed by Christian’s mom, Adele Robey, 26 years ago.
Membership Has its Privileges
CHAMPS aims to promote an educated group of merchants and, to that end, offers tutorials such as writing a business plan and how to navigate DC certification. Christian envisions a core curriculum – what every business owner should know – plus “elective” courses to hone their trade. Networking opportunities, such as LINKS Lunch, provides business owners a chance to mingle over a lunchtime tutorial, such as Twitter 101, the topic of last July’s lunch.
There is an advocacy arm to the new CHAMPS, speaking as the voice of Capitol Hill merchants to the city council, like when CHAMPS asked the representing council to defer property taxes of 45 business owners during the Eastern Market renovations and street closure. It means keeping an eye on legislation to come and how it may effect the community. “It is Capitol Hill cross-marketing,” said Christian. “We’re working smarter than harder, speaking with one voice.”
CHAMPS is taking a unified approach to address challenges, like the Sign Tigers committee led by Chuck Burger, working to get the city to put up proper pedestrian and traffic signage that will point visitors in the right direction for Eastern Market or the Navy Yard, as examples. Then there is the Events & Programming Committee, chaired by Rich Carlson, which happened to put on a sparkly little number called The Hillys.
The Hill + Oscars = The Hillys
The red carpet, the camera flash, the glint of sequins and the click of high heels – this, local friends, is how it all began. Nov. 20 marked the flagship event of the season, The Hillys, an awards show celebrating the businesses that we love and those that love us back. “This year our goal was to offer community-wide events where the old and young can come together in a way that is fun,” Christian explained. With the invitation offering an open bar and calling for “festive attire,” this was not meant to be a stuffy event.
Best Restaurant/Café, Retailer of the Year, Service Provider of the Year, and Best New Business were nominated by and voted on by the community, and over 1,500 votes were cast. CHAMPS members had their own four to nominate and choose, and the President’s Award was all his own.
After recognizing the contribution of the Robey family (Adele, Julia and her late father, Bruce) for all their hard work for CHAMPS over the years, “individuals who have given so much to our community,” Phillips announced his privilege to honor the person of his choosing, a person making Capitol Hill one of the best neighborhoods. His choice was Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells. “The Hill is a wonderful, unique community, and we’re all involved with community-building,” said Phillips after the event. “Tommy has represented all of Ward 6 – and this is an achievement, with Northeast, Capitol Hill, Southwest – and he’s done a wonderful job in representing all of it.”
Wells responded, “This is the greatest city in America, if not the world – a city of history and tradition,” and thanked Julia for launching The Hillys. “It’s a particular honor and especially neat,” said Wells over a Marvelous Market dessert, “because it’s the first one of a brand new tradition that will last for years to come.” |
