The Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors and Government Affairs Committee will host the 37th annual Legislative Reception to kick off the 2012 General Assembly Session on Thursday, Jan. 5 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at UNOS, 700 N. 4th St. The reception will honor Capital Region legislators and local officials from the City of Richmond and surrounding counties, including Henrico. Registration by Dec. 28 is $80 per person. Payment after Dec. 29 and at the door is $95 per person. Free parking is available in the UNOS surface lot, UNOS deck (levels 1 and 2) and the Jackson Street lot across from the UNOS building. For more information or to register, call 783-9368 or visit http://www.grcc.com .

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Ann S. Albrecht recently joined Cushman & Wakefield Thalhimer as director of human resources. Albrecht will be responsible for defining and aligning the firm’s human resource strategy with its business strategy at all levels. She has 20 years of hands-on experience in human resources, as well as tactical operations, talent acquisition and management and organizational and strategic development. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and formerly worked for Federated Department Stores, Primedia, Inc., Plow & Hearth, LLC and 1800flowers.com.

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The Virginia Council on Economic Education (VCEE) recently presented its J. Curtis Hall Award to Jane G. Watkins, president and CEO of Virginia Credit Union. The annual award recognizes a community leader who has devoted time and energy to the cause of economic literacy in Virginia schools. The award is named for J. Curtis Hall, a retired professor and former dean of the VCU School of Business, who founded the VCEE and devoted his life to enhancing the quality of economic education in Virginia. Watkins was recognized at the organization’s annual board meeting in December. Under her leadership, Virginia Credit Union has actively promoted financial literacy among elementary, middle and high school students and others. A financial supporter of the VCEE for many years, Virginia Credit Union is a sponsor of the VCEE’s high school initiative and Governor’s Challenge in Economics and Personal Finance. Watkins has served on the Board of the Virginia Council on Economic Education since 2001.

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Parham Doctors’ Hospital, home of The Orthopaedic Hospital, recently was named the Best Hospital for Orthopaedics in Virginia by HealthGrades, the industry’s leading independent quality ratings organization. Parham Doctors’ Hospital, a campus of Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, was rated among the top five percent in the nation for orthopedic care, best in Virginia for orthopaedics and best in Richmond for joint replacement for six years in a row (2007-2012). The HealthGrades report found that patients treated at five-star rated hospitals experience a 73% lower risk of mortality and a 63% lower risk of complications. HealthGrades evaluates hospitals solely on clinical outcomes - risk-adjusted mortality and in-hospital complications – and its analysis is based on approximately 40 million Medicare discharges for the years 2007, 2008 and 2009.

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Agents with Cushman & Wakefield Thalhimer recently handled the following lease negotiations: Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft Stores – leased 19,000 square feet in Merchants Walk Shopping Center at 7504-7598 W. Broad St.; LCA Vision, Inc. – renewed its lease of 3,740 square feet in One Colonial Place at 10571 Old Telegraph Rd.; Design Line Remodelers, Inc. – leased 2,542 square feet at 3615 Mayland Ct.; and Mount Rich Media – leased 1,732 square feet in Commerce Plaza I at 2809 Emerywood Pkwy.