It isn’t always who you know.
Bill Meyer, the owner of Meyer Fitness in Norfolk was, like many in his industry, disappointed in the initial order made March 24 by Gov. Ralph Northam to close businesses such as his, and he had some questions. He emailed what he thought was a thought-out, bullet-pointed missive. A few hours later he got a terse and generic response that repeated what he already knew — all fitness centers must close.
He was, frankly, irked. His reply was more passionate and candid, and “it might have been a tad bit rude” including an accusation: “I bet you didn’t even read my email.”
That reply started a three-day back-and-forth that even included some jokes, some humanity, a little bonding, even. By day three, the person on the other end who signed each message “Cass” had wished Meyer continued good luck trying to manage amid the pandemic.
He didn’t hear anything for a month, and then got an official-looking email from the Virginia Department of Commerce asking him to be a part of the governor’s business task force. He joked with his wife that it looked like a spam scam, but he replied, still a little skeptical, asking how they had picked him.
The reply from Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade Cassidy Rasnick acknowledged that he might not have remembered their email exchange. She was “Cass.”
He said she told him that many of the emails they received were full of anger, but his conveyed his effort to do right by his clients and family.
He and 23 other business people from various industries around the state recently sent their recommendations on how businesses should operate during a first phase as the governor begins to reopen the state in light of the pandemic.
“The voice of the small person is heard sometimes,” Meyer said.
