MC 2026 Lunch & Learn: Innovation & Future Readiness

We look forward to everyone attending this Lunch & Learn on November 10th, 2026. The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to present "Lunch and Learn" - an event series designed to provide a unique opportunity for local business professionals to network, learn and grow. This event will take place during lunchtime.

Our presentation for this session will be AI and Continuous Improvement at Virginia 811, or: How we can Learn to Stop Worrying and Love AI!
Technological breakthroughs often spark panic.  Emerging technologies force us to confront, at times, change that is not only uncomfortable, but frightening!  This “Tech Panic Cycle” can lead businesses into a cocoon of temporary security, as emerging technology is avoided, only to place the business in a disadvantageous position in the market as its desire for comfort leads to simply delaying the inevitable.  Virginia 811 embraces change as change is the natural byproduct of continuous improvement.  Being tied to damage prevention and truly playing a role in ensuring Virginians maintain the level of civilization they expect, through the protection of life, property, and essential services, continuous improvement is essential - and during an unprecedented era of breakthroughs in digital technologies, Virginia 811 strives to be on the “bleeding edge” to leverage technology to help the company meet its overall mission: the protection of Virginia’s underground utility infrastructure.  Join Virginia 811’s president & CEO, B. Scott Crawford, as he shares how Virginia 811 has leveraged emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence and Extended Reality, in order to drive continuous improvement.  Crawford will share a process Virginia 811 uses to help its team break the Tech Panic Cycle in order to find a practical manner to embrace, rather than fear, emerging technologies and find the continuous improvement needed to help business move closer to their visions!  

B. Scott Crawford serves as President & CEO for Virginia 811.  He has been with the Notification Center since December 2016, serving as Director of Operations and then Vice President prior to moving into his current position in July 2020.  Scott holds a master’s degree in history from Old Dominion University and has an extensive background in education, having taught at the high school and college levels, as well as serving as the social studies coordinator, K-12, for a Virginia school division and as the Director of Education for the Musuem of Western Virginia and then Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Virginia.  Scott has also received national recognition for the development of an interdisciplinary professional development model implemented at a Roanoke credit union and taught a decision making seminar for a business leadership program offered through Virginia Tech at the Roanoke Higher Education Center.  Scott has a strong passion for education and leveraging new and emerging technologies to enhance damage prevention efforts.  Serving on the Virginia State Corporation Commission's Advisory Committee and various damage prevention task-forces has allowed Scott to forge strong relationships with a host of similarly passionate stakeholders.  He feels incredibly fortunate to be a part of a team at Virginia 811 with so many talented individuals committed to damage prevention and protecting Virginia's underground utility infrastructure.