Business Voice | Fall 2019

THE BUSINESS VOICE

Meet Your Chair: Todd Rowley on education, workforce and Amazon Your Chamber in Action: Advocacy Roundup Fall 2019 Get Your Head in the Cloud: GMU, NOVA & AWS Partner to Create New Degree

ROLLING OUT THE RED CARPET FOR 17 YEARS The Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards™

FALL 2019 | novachamber.org 1

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| SU M M ER 2018

Kathryn Falk Vice President Kathryn FalkNorthern Virginia Operations, Cox Vice President Northern Virginia Operations, Cox

O O

n November 11th each year our country honors n November 11th each year our country honors military veterans. But at Cox our commitment military veterans. But at Cox our commitment to veterans goes beyond one day of recognition. to veterans goes beyond one day of recognition.

With nearly two-thirds of veterans facing difficulties With nearly two-thirds of veterans facing difficulties with their transition to civilian life, we owe more than with their transition to civilian life, we owe more than a thank you to those that gave everything for our a thank you to those that gave everything for our country. country.

Their work ethic, integrity, and teamwork align with Their work ethic, integrity, and teamwork align with Cox’s values and we’re proud that here in Virginia, Cox’s values and we’re proud that here in Virginia, 11% of our more than 2,000 employees self-identify as 11% of our more than 2,000 employees self-identify as military veterans. military veterans.

Since 1898, Cox has stayed true to simple, but Since 1898, Coxof has stayed true to simple, and but enduring values honesty, integrity, leadership

country in the first place.

enduring values of honesty, integrity, leadership and community. community.

How do we do that? By treating our employees as How do weimportant do that? By treatinggiving our employees as our most resource, back to our

So, whether you’re a veteran, reservist, or military So, whether you’re a veteran, spouse, we believe you’ll recognizereservist, our valuesorasmilitary some

spouse, we believe our values as some of the same values you’ll that recognize attracted you to serve our of the same values that attracted you to serve our country in the first place.

At Cox you’ll find: At Cox you’ll resource find: groups like Salute, • Employee-led

• dedicated Employee-led resource groups like Salute, to supporting our military veterans

•

our most important resource, backbusiness to our communities and seizing new, giving innovative communities seizing new,have innovative opportunities.and These qualities made usbusiness one of

•

opportunities.

These qualities haveand made us military one of the best workplaces for current past the best workplaces for current and past military members.

•

members.

•

• •

dedicated to supporting our military veterans and reservists and reservists Many career opportunities including Many careersales, opportunities including technology, mechanics, security and technology, security and recruiting, tosales, namemechanics, a few recruiting, to inclusive name a few A diverse and environment where A diverse and differences areinclusive not only environment accepted butwhere thrive Dozens of unique benefits, like flexible differences are not only accepted but paid thrive time off of and paid volunteer Dozens unique benefits, hours like flexible paid time off and paid volunteer hours

Find your next career at: jobs.cox.com Find your next at: jobs.cox.com Connect withcareer us on Twitter @CoxVA Connect with us on Twitter @CoxVA

County’s business community is so strong, it lifts entire region.

In Fairfax County, our dynamic business community creates lots of leading-edge jobs — and it does so much more. It sustains and improves our outstanding school system. It supports cultural and recreational opportunities so people here can balance their careers with a fulfilling life away from work.

And it fuels success for all of Northern Virginia. To find out what makes Fairfax County a great location for innovative companies and talented people, visit fairfaxcountyeda.org.

AGENDA 20

fall 2019

The Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards™

Inside this issue Message from the President and CEO A year in review

A Conversation with Todd Rowley

Your chance to really get to know your new Chair

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Members Making News

Who’s on the hot list, who’s making big moves, and more about your fellow Chamber members.

Helping Veterans Succeed

A Look at the Distinguished Service Awards

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Your Chamber in Action

TBV Q&A with Clayton Medford, the Chamber’s new VP of Government Relations

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Advocacy Roundup, Fall 2019

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Celebrating the Best in a Field Vital to the Area’s Economy

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The Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards™ Spotlight On Education:

GMU, NOVA, & AWS Partner to Create New Degree

Nonprofit: Tech for Troops

Bridging the Digital Divide Facing Veterans

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Signature Events

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New Chamber Members

Local News that Affects Your Business Join over 500,000 unique monthly visitors – subscribe for daily headlines delivered to your inbox

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Upcoming Chamber Events OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

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Distinguished Service Awards The Distinguished Service Awards honor individuals, companies, and non-profit organizations for their service to veterans in the Greater Washington business community. Join us in recognizing these unsung heroes who have made meaningful contributions to help veterans succeed by making the reintegration process easier and providing employment opportunities for those who served.

Time: 8:00-10:00 a.m.

Location: Army Navy Country Club, 1700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington

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Non-Profit & Association Management Council Series Kick-off Event: Association Ethics Toolkit & Happy Hour Learn about the new Ethics Toolkit recently developed by ASAE’s Ethics Committee. Billy Williams, VP, Ethics, Diversity and Inclusion from American Geophysical Union and Bob Skelton, Chief Administrative Officer from ASAE will demonstrate how to use the ASAE Ethics Toolkit to assess your organization and plan future strategy to create a more ethical workplace. The program provides 1.5 CAE Credit Hours and meets the CAE Commission’s new ethics requirement. Nonmembers are welcome. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required.

Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.

Location: Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce

Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards™ The Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards™ honors the leaders and legends of the government contracting community.

Presented by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Professional Services Council (PSC), the 2019 Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards™ winners will be announced at this highly-anticipated evening gala, dubbed the “Academy Awards of Government Contracting,” attended by more than 1,000 industry and government leaders.

Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Location: The Ritz Carlton Tysons Corner, 1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean

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Women Rising to Boards: Many Roads Lead to the Boardroom Research studies suggest that companies with diverse boards have lower volatility, better performance and invest more in research and development. Diverse boards also improve career opportunities for their companies’ employees: more diversity in the boardroom, more diversity in the C-suite, more diversity throughout the organization. Gender diversity is one element in creating a diverse board. Join us for an enlightening conversation that will review the latest research findings on women on boards and explain why it is important for women to serve in these positions.

Time: 7:30-10:30 a.m.

Location: Hilton Tysons Corner

Upcoming Feel Good Events SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19

Walk to End Alzheimer’s The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s® is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Walk with us and lead the way to Alzheimer’s first survivor.

Time: Registration: 8:30 a.m.

Ceremony: 9:30 a.m.

Walk: 10:00 a.m.

Location: Harris Pavilion in Old Town Manassas, 9201 Center Street, Manassas Contact Sonya Amartey 703.766.9025 samartey@alz.org

To register and for more events visit : novachamber.org/events

Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce 7900 Westpark Drive, Suite A550, Tysons, VA 22102-3853 Phone: 703.749.0400 Fax: 703.749.9075 www.novachamber.org • To learn more about membership, please contact Jennifer Williamson: 703.752.7529 jwilliamson@novachamber.org

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Contact Bruce Potter bpotter@insidenova.com 703.318.1386 EDITOR

Susan McCorkindale • ART DIRECTOR

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Your source for tickets to events throughout Northern Virginia

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A YEAR IN REVIEW – A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO Dear Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce Members,

T

he past 12 months have been very exciting serving as the President and CEO of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce. It has been a privilege to meet countless members and business leaders in our community.

The Chamber’s Board of Directors and members have been a steady source of leadership, guidance, and resilience over this past year.

Together, we have made many strides in formulating a twoyear strategic plan that will continue to guide our focus in delivering member value as well as focusing on regional business challenges.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY SUCCESS Earlier this year, we started 2019 off strong at the General Assembly in Richmond. We successfully supported the economic incentive and education packages for Amazon’s additional headquarters at National Landing and Micron Technologies’ expansion of their semiconductor plant in Manassas. This also included support of additional funding for the commonwealth’s business-ready sites program, which is a key priority of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership to 6

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enhance its ability to market the state as a ready and quick investment in support of Virginia’s attractiveness as a place to invest.

REFRESHED PROGRAMS During the year we had the opportunity to rejuvenate some of our programming specifically to reinforce member engagement and connectivity. We launched the Greater Washington Good Business Awards, formerly the Outstanding Corporate Citizenship Awards, which celebrates the leadership of individuals, businesses, and nonprofits that serve as powerful champions for good in our community. We also applied a new lens to the Greater Washington i-LIST Awards, formerly the Greater Washington Innovation Awards, which recognize the most innovative companies that have demonstrated measurable impact in the Greater Washington region and beyond. We received amazing feedback from members that we are headed in the right direction!

DIVERSIFIED PARTNERSHIPS We continue to partner with many Northern Virginia chambers, including Arlington, Loudoun, Reston, and Prince William, to

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ensure that our members are well served with the common cause of business organizations working together. In addition we value our collaboration with The Greater Washington Partnership, Greater Washington Board of Trade, 2030 Group and other regional business organizations on issues of importance to our region.

MEMBERSHIP GROWTH Membership revenue has continued to grow for the Chamber with approximately 700 member companies and over 500,000 employees in our network. Our membership has told us that they value our improved programming and content; the numerous events that foster networking and business development; and the welcoming environment created by our Board of Directors and volunteer leadership, including our officers.

I’m very excited for the future at the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce. I strongly encourage you to experience all the Chamber has to offer by attending an event or program, reading our newsletters, and or volunteering to obtain the most value from your membership. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out and connect with me. I look forward to learning how the Chamber can best serve you and your business.

Sincerely,

JULIE COONS President & CEO Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce

A compelling combination Perspecta has acquired Knight Point Systems—bringing together the highly-skilled talent of two successful Northern Virginia businesses.

As one team, Perspecta will strengthen and evolve its innovative offerings with even more powerful cloud, applications and cyber solutions while providing the rapid and efficient delivery of managed IT services.

Together, we remain laser-focused on the missions of our government customers.

Perspecta. See a better way.

perspecta.com

U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Henry Villarama

GET TO KNOW A conversation with new Northern Virginia Chamber Chairman Todd Rowley

BY K A R I P U G H

T

odd Rowley grew up in a small town in Michigan.

“It was really a slow-down in the road,” he says, “but it was a great place to grow up, with great people in my hometown!”

In a family of farmers and factory workers, he earned a degree from Adrian College in business administration and speech communications. At 21, he came east looking for a job, because there weren’t any in his hometown of Addison.

“I didn’t know where I was going to live; I didn’t have a job,” Rowley said. “I fell into banking. I convinced the bank manager to hire me -- they had no reason to; I had no experience.”

Today, Rowley is market executive for the Capital region at Old Dominion National Bank. He serves on the boards of Virginia Tech, Northern Virginia Community College, George Mason University, Lead Virginia, the Northern Virginia Workforce Investment Board and many others. And in July, he became chairman of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

“I’m probably the most fortunate individual in Northern Virginia, and I’ve tried very hard to pay back that debt,” he said.

Rowley took the helm of the chamber for a one-year term after serving as vice 8

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years -- a seamless, borderless environment of the business community and the region as a whole,” he said.

EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE

chair. He plans to continue his focus on bringing the regional business community together, continuing to expand education opportunities by expanding the definition of “student,” and working to give back to the community.

REGIONALISM

“We really need to get away from the idea in Northern Virginia that these borders and boundaries exist. They are really meaningless in our efforts toward getting this region the momentum it needs to move forward.”

It’s been a focus for Rowley for several years, starting

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when he first became an officer with the chamber. He plans to continue that effort as chairman.

“If there’s an issue that really impacts one municipality, leave it to them to take the lead and let them resolve that issue,” he said.

“If it involves two or more municipalities in this region, we’ll use our efforts toward a solution.”

He said it’s always bothered him when a business moves from Loudoun to Fairfax or Alexandria to Prince William and the jurisdiction considers it a “win.”

“The key thing I want to come out of the next several

About six years ago, Rowley started to see an increase in need for information technology and cybersecurity professionals around the Washington area.

He knew next to nothing about IT, so the banker went back to school.

“The only way that I felt I could understand how to address the issue – and whether the number [of unfilled jobs] is 35,000 or 40,000 in the region, the number is superfluous, assume it’s a big number – the only way I could understand was to start taking computing classes.

Was it possible for someone without an engineering or higher science background to acquire these skills?”

The answer? Yes. Rowley, immediate past chair of the board for Northern Virginia Community College, took so many courses the college gave him an IT degree.

“I humorously refer to this as my golf, because my golf game sucks,” he said. “I take IT classes as a hobby.

Everybody should take classes that aren’t their day job.”

And he’s figured out that anyone can learn the skills to fill IT jobs. 

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LEFT: Todd Rowley receives his IT diploma from Northern Virginia Community College’s acting president, Mel Schiavelli. BELOW: “The mortar board was created by hand for me by a fellow NOVA board member, Rosie O’Neil. It shows the NOVA mascot, the Nighthawk! As you can see, I am ‘all in’ as both a NOVA student as well as a member of the NOVA board,” Rowley said.

There’s a misconception, Rowley said, that only people with “the right mystical abilities” can do these jobs.

“That’s not true,” he added. “The most math you will do is add, subtract, multiply and divide. A degree in cyber is not a degree in James Bond.

You’re not working for the CIA. You’re looking at a stream of information to find something that breaks the pattern.”

He said he worried that people over 45 would go to work on a Thursday, be told their job no longer exists and think they couldn’t possibly fill an IT job.

“They want to learn but they don’t know where the onramps are,” he said. “I think everybody that comes out with a degree will get a job.”

AMAZON

Rowley said he sees Amazon’s new National Landing headquarters as a continuation of a relationship Northern Virginia has already established with the Seattlebased business giant.

“It’s not that we’re having 10

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to introduce ourselves to Amazon,” he said. “We’re just adding more capabilities.

Will this region change?

Undoubtedly yes.”

Amazon’s East Coast headquarters in Arlington will help transform what Northern Virginians do and how we’re perceived, he said.

“Quite honestly, we’re perceived as a government town,” he said. “Yes, we do have the federal government here and they do support our economy. But now we’re much, much more.”

Rowley said he’s found that Amazon executives want to be good neighbors – and he thinks the company’s presence here will increase the skill set of the area as a whole.

The news of Amazon’s plans to bring 25,000 to 30,000 jobs to Northern Virginia sounds overwhelming at first blush, but next year’s plans call for just 400.

Amazon is not coming in to take over, he said.

“If you look at the ability to absorb that number in the economy of this region,

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we take on an average of about 50,000 per year,” he added. “We’re just pivoting to different industries.”

GIVING BACK

Rowley serves on more than a handful of boards around the area, covering everything from education at NOVA and George Mason University to business associations to the FairfaxFalls Church Council to Prevent Homelessness.

“I’ve had the privilege to be asked to serve on a number of regional boards, and that’s probably the kindest compliment someone can give you — ‘We want you to be with us,’” he said.

But he’s also asked how he manages to serve on a dozen boards and have time for anything else.

“The answer I give is, if you do it incorrectly you have 12 different meetings and 12 different boards facing in different directions,” he said.

“If you do it correctly, you’re having 12 different versions of

the same meeting.”

For instance, the Chamber of Commerce is where the jobs are, while the colleges are developing the skills to prepare people for those jobs.

And the workforce board is assessing and determining skill sets for the right job placements.

“It’s really just another piece of the same puzzle,” he said, the homelessness prevention council included.

“If people have jobs, it’s hard to concentrate when they don’t know where they’re going to sleep at night. It’s hard for a student to study for a final if you don’t know where home is.”

And growing up in Michigan, everyone volunteered.

“It wasn’t a matter of who was going to put a roof on the church,” he said. “We all just showed up and did it. How lucky I’ve been in my career to do the things I’ve done. It is a blessing. All I can do in return is pick up a hammer and start building something.”

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THE HOT LIST Washington Business Journal 2019 Women Who Mean Business Honorees:

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Congratulations to these honorees, all of whom are executives of Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce members: JENNIFER AUMENT (1), president, Transurban; IRMA BECERRA,(2), president, Marymount University; STEPHANIE BERKOWITZ (3), CEO, Northern Virginia Family Service; MEL GREENE (4), vice president, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield; REVATHI GREENWOOD (5), Americas head of research, Cushman & Wakefield; KYLE SCHOPPMANN (6), executive managing director, CBRE; STEPHANIE STRAUB (7), vice president, Mars, Inc.

Criterion Systems: Once again the company has

been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America. It was also named one of The Washington Post’s 2019 Top Workplaces in the Washington, D.C. area, and CEO PROMOD SHARMAM (8) recently received the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2019 Award in the cybersecurity category in the Mid-Atlantic region. criterion-sys.com

Knight Point Systems: CEO BOB EISIMINGER and 5

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COO DOUG DUENKEL recently received the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2019 Award in the government contracting category. knightpoint.com

Matthews, Carter & Boyce: Recently named one

of Accounting Today’s 2019 Best Accounting Firms to Work For. mcb-cpa.com

Thompson Greenspon: For the sixth consecutive 7

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year, the company has been named one of The Washington Post’s 2019 Top Workplaces in the Washington, D.C. area. tgccpa.com

ON THE MOVE Cole Taylor, MD, joins OrthoVirginia

OrthoVirginia recently announced that COLE TAYLOR, MD, has joined the practice. Dr. Taylor specializes in non-operative general orthopaedics and sports medicine. A recognized leader and innovator in military sports, Dr. Taylor earned 19 United States Air Force service medals and ribbons during his more than 13 years of active duty service as a physician. orthovirginia.com

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Gray Coyner, CPA, and Timothy Wilson, CPA, MT, named Principals at Thompson Greenspon Thompson Greenspon, a full-service CPA

firm in the Washington, DC metro area, recently announced the appointment of two new Principals, GRAY COYNER (9), CPA, and TIMOTHY WILSON (10), CPA, MT. tgccpa.com

Craig Anthony Janus named Chief Growth Officer, IntelliDyne IntelliDyne, LLC, a mid-

market government consulting firm, recently announced the appointment of CRAIG ANTHONY JANUS as its Chief Growth Officer. Janus is charged with leading the firm’s growth and strategic planning, including M&A activities and industry partnership relationships. intellidyne-llc.com

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS BB&T Bank and SunTrust Bank Merge to Form Truist BB&T Bank

recently announced Truist as the name of its new combined company with SunTrust Bank. LEN LEWAN, Senior Vice President of Business Services, said, “I feel that this new name reflects the direction of where we want to go, while never changing from our core values, mission and vision – to help consumers achieve economic success and financial security – by striving to be the best bank we can.”

MCI USA Acquires Chicago-Based Sentergroup MCI

recently acquired Sentergroup, Inc., a highly respected association management company in Chicago. This acquisition continues MCI’s growth trajectory in the United States by expanding its presence in this key strategic association market, in turn increasing the scope and reach of MCI USA’s Association Solutions division. For Sentergroup and its clients, the acquisition delivers immediate access to MCI USA’s market insights and scale, reinforced by the company’s more than 2,500 professionals in 60 offices and 31 countries. mci-group.com

Ntiva Acquires HigherGround Managed Services Ntiva, Inc., a leading

provider of managed IT, cloud hosting, cyber security, unified communications, and strategic consulting services, has acquired HigherGround, a full-service IT and consulting firm based in Chicago and Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The acquisition expands Ntiva’s geographical coverage into the Midwest, adding to such existing locations as Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland, California, New York and Florida, and increases the firm’s client base to over 900 organizations located across the country. ntiva.com

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AWARDS Helping Veterans Succeed – A look at the Distinguished Service Awards

We didn’t know them all, but we owe them all,” reads the tagline for Honor Brewing Company, the 2018 Distinguished Service Award winner in the Veteran-Owned Business, Emerging Business category. It’s a sentiment echoed by all those honored at the Distinguished Service Awards each year.

Coming up on October 22, the Distinguished Service Awards recognize individuals, companies, and non-profit organizations for their service to veterans in the Greater Washington business community. The Awards are presented in recognition of community stewardship and business leadership.

Veterans struggle to reintegrate into the community when returning home from tours abroad. The unsung heroes in our business community have dedicated time and resources to making this reintegration process easier and to providing employment opportunities for those who served.

This event honors those who have made meaningful contributions to help veterans succeed with awards in three categories.

VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR This award honors successful veteran-owned businesses in the National Capital Region that have demonstrated strong business performance and is given in three categories: emerging business (less than five years in business), maturing business (five to 10 years in business), and established business (more than 10 years).

VETERAN BUSINESS MENTORSHIP AWARD This award honors a company that has made meaningful contributions to support and mentor veteran entrepreneurs, veteranowned businesses, or veteran employees in the National Capital Region.

VETERAN EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR This award honors a veteran employee who has made a meaningful impact in their company and/or the community in support and service of veterans and/or veteran families in the National Capital Region.

VETERAN SERVICE ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR This award honors a non-profit organization that has made an exemplary impact in service to veterans, their families, and/or veteranowned businesses in the National Capital Region.

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One more round of applause for the 2018 Distinguished Service Awards winners!

Veteran-Owned Business, Emerging Business Honor Brewing Company honorbrewing.com Veteran-Owned Business, Established Business: Thundercat Technology thundercattech.com Veteran Business Mentorship Award Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture arcadiafood.org Lifetime Distinguished Service Award Honoree: Ginger Miller, U.S. Navy Veteran, President of Women Veterans Interactive

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YOUR CHAMBER IN ACTION

TBV Q&A with Clayton Medford The Chamber’s new Vice President of Government Relations THE BUSINESS VOICE: YOU’RE NEW TO THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. WELCOME! WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ISSUES YOU’LL BE FOCUSING ON? CLAYTON MEDFORD: Two issues

that are always on the top of our members’ minds are transportation and education. I also expect to spend time on housing, as that’s getting a lot of attention from the business community as well as policymakers. Those three issues – transportation, education and housing – are all key to the biggest regional issue facing the business community: workforce development.

The Chamber will be convening two workforce task forces this fall, one to address private-sector challenges and one to address educational challenges, under our Regional Leadership Committee initiative begun in 2016. Our goal is to have a thorough examination of those challenges and recommendations on how to solve them delivered to our Executive Committee by the end of the year.

TBV: PRIOR TO JOINING THE CHAMBER, YOU WERE THE CHIEF OF STAFF FOR FAIRFAX COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CHAIRMAN SHARON BULOVA. HOW DID YOUR EXPERIENCES 16

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IN THAT ROLE PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR WORK WITH THE CHAMBER? CM: Chairman Bulova is a consensus-

based leader. I was very fortunate to be able to watch her solve problems big and small by getting the right people together and keeping them focused on the goal.

With 700 members, the Northern Virginia Chamber has a unique ability to bring the right people together on any number of issues, and I look forward to doing that in this role.

TBV: THE CHAMBER MAINTAINS A FULL-TIME PRESENCE IN RICHMOND DURING THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION, ADVOCATING ON BEHALF OF ITS BUSINESS COMMUNITY. HOW CAN CHAMBER MEMBERS BEST COMMUNICATE WITH YOU REGARDING ISSUES IMPACTING THEIR BUSINESS? CM: I would say the best way to

communicate with me is whatever’s best for you! I will host a weekly call every Friday morning during session, but if anyone wants to reach me at any other time, email or call me. I would also recommend that members who have an interest in the legislative agenda attend the Policy Committee meetings this fall.

That’s the best opportunity to shape our agenda and be a voice in the room when we set our priorities.

TBV: YOU KNOW FROM YOUR ROLE IN FAIRFAX THAT TRANSPORTATION IS A CRITICAL ISSUE FOR NORTHERN VIRGINIA. WHAT TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES WILL THE CHAMBER BE FOCUSING ON IN THE 2020 SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY? CM: The Chamber will always advocate

for state support of regional projects with clear congestion-relief, time-saving and public safety benefits. Specifically, we will be looking for opportunities to restore the funding that was transferred from highway and transit projects in Northern Virginia to fully fund Virginia’s portion of the Metro budget.

We are hopeful that we can find a way to restore that funding without negatively impacting other local or regional transportation funding.

TBV: WHAT OTHER ISSUES DO YOU SEE THE CHAMBER ADVOCATING BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE THIS WINTER? CM: This is a budget year for the

Commonwealth, and I’m excited to

would change often, but I really built a strong bond with my regulars. Oftentimes, you’re the only personal contact they make that day so in addition to bringing food, you’re bringing brief but important social interaction (and a wellness check).

I’m fortunate enough to have had a job that gave me that time, and I look forward to continuing to find that time to give back no matter what I’m doing.

see what Governor [Ralph] Northam proposes. He gave a preview in Richmond, and I expect a focus on small, women- and minority-owned business, and a renewed interest in workforce development, a priority of the Chamber and Gov. Northam. I look forward to working with his administration and our delegation to keep Virginia the best state in the country in which to do business.

TBV: HOW INVOLVED WILL THE CHAMBER BE IN AMAZON’S NATIONAL LANDING PROJECT AND HOW DO YOU SEE THE CHAMBER FITTING INTO NORTHERN VIRGINIA’S SOON-TO-BE ROLE AS THE HIGHTECH HUB OF THE EAST COAST? CM: Amazon’s arrival is a huge win

for the region, but it is not without its challenges. The Chamber will be working with Amazon and our partners in the region to identify and address those challenges, particularly in the area of workforce development. We need to be sure Amazon has the workforce it needs, as well as companies already here who will be competing for top tech talent. Not to sound like a broken record, but transportation and housing will also be at the forefront as we welcome HQ2 to the region.

TBV: EARLIER ON IN YOUR CAREER, YOU WROTE FOR INSIDE U.S. TRADE MAGAZINE. HOW DID THAT EXPERIENCE HELP MOLD YOUR INTEREST IN BUSINESS ADVOCACY AND PREPARE YOU FOR WORKING FIRST WITH CHAIRMAN BULOVA AND NOW WITH THE CHAMBER?

TBV: YOUR JOB IS PRETTY HECTIC AND REQUIRES KEEPING LOTS OF BALLS IN THE AIR, SO TO SPEAK. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR DOWNTIME TO RELAX? Clayton Medford, Vice President of Government Relations, Northern Virginia Chamber, and Julie Coons, President and CEO, Northern Virginia Chamber at the Mix & Mingle event in August.

TBV: YOU’VE VOLUNTEERED WITH MEALS ON WHEELS SINCE 2014.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THAT NONPROFIT AND WHY IS GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY IMPORTANT TO YOU? CM: Fairfax County gives employees

16 hours of annual volunteer leave and I was keen on using it. Luckily, a Meals on Wheels distribution point was at the Government Center so I thought I’d give it a try. It was one of the most rewarding volunteer experiences I’ve had. My clients

CM: In addition to all the trappings that

come with suburban dad life, my family (wife and two boys – ages 6 and 8) likes to try new things. But, we also like just hanging out at the house sometimes. On any given Saturday, we might grab some board games and have lunch at a new brewery. Or we might spend a big part of the day in the kitchen, making an overly elaborate meal just to occupy the time.

We might even eat it when we’re done!

Contact Information:

Clayton Medford Vice President, Government Relations Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce Direct: 703.752.7544 Mobile: 936.676.3323 Email: CMedford@novachamber.org

CM: Trade was not on the front page

every day back then! The most important lesson I learned as a very green reporter was how important it was to understand an issue from many angles and how to develop that understanding. At Fairfax County, I’d need to identify stakeholders for a policy change – county staff in multiple departments, community groups, businesses, nonprofits – and then talk to all of them to really understand the issue and keep that dialogue going as we worked together on the change. I’ll be taking that approach to other localities and the General Assembly, working on behalf of our members to identify and remove barriers to growth and support positive change in Northern Virginia and the Commonwealth.

DESIGN YOUR FUTURE Graduate degrees in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Blacksburg | Falls Church Online | me.vt.edu/ncr

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YOUR CHAMBER IN ACTION

Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson talks about regional issues while Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chairman Phyllis Randall listens during Northern Virginia Regional Elected Leaders Summit in August. Photo by Brian Trompeter.

Housing, transportation, education top regional leaders’ concerns

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orthern Virginia leaders still are exulting over their capture of Amazon’s second corporate headquarters, but are grappling with the region’s transportation, education, housing and economic conundrums.

“In a relatively short period of time, we’ve started our shift away from dependence on the federal government for our economy, we’ve established our dominance in cyber-security [and] we’ve become the nation’s hub for the transmission of data,” said Terry Clower, director of George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis, at the Northern Virginia Regional Elected Leaders Summit on Aug. 26. “Our success has generated some new – and 18

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exacerbated some old – challenges.”

Amazon’s decision to locate its second headquarters in Crystal City underscored Northern Virginia’s desirability and likely will serve as a model for future regional cooperation, said Arlington County Board Chairman Christian Dorsey.

Reeling in Amazon helped local leaders determine the region’s unique identity, Dorsey added. “If we don’t utilize this moving forward, it’s a wasted investment.”

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Penelope Gross concurred. “This is a wonderful example of the start of our brand,” she said. “This reinforces the work we’ve been doing for a long time.”

The successful recruitment of Amazon also shows that 21st-century employers go where the talent is, said Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson. “When all of us work together . . . no one can beat us.”

The big challenge moving ahead will be beefing up the region’s transportation infrastructure, such as Interstates 66 and 95 and the Metrorail system, said Prince William Board of County Supervisors

Chairman Corey Stewart.

Julie Carey, Northern Virginia bureau chief for WRC-TV, served as moderator for the panel discussion, held at Van Metre Hall on George Mason University’s Arlington campus.

Housing scarcity was on the mind of Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chairman Phyllis Randall. Randall favors a regional approach in addressing the affordable-housing crunch.

“If we look at this county-by-county, we’re going to be in trouble,” said Randall.

“If you don’t think it’s important, imagine what you’re college kids are going to do when they finish. They’re either going to be not in this area or in your basement. I want them in this area. I do not want them in my basement.”

Education will play a vital role in the region’s future success, added Randall, who supported having career discussions with children starting in middle school. Not all the new jobs will require college degrees, so beefed-up vocational training and apprenticeships might be valuable, she said.

- Brian Trompeter for InsideNoVa

Transportation officials pin hopes on revenue boosts, Silver Line

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iminishing fuel-tax revenue has hampered Virginia’s infrastructure funding, but higher tax rates approved by the General Assembly this year will boost those efforts, Virginia Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine told the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce at an Aug. 7 panel discussion.

Virginia’s new gas-tax rates, averaging 40.5 cents per gallon, will generate about $151 million per year along Interstate 81, $39 million along Interstate 95, $27 million along Interstate 64 and provide $20 million for the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA), she said.

State officials are studying longer-term options for different kinds of user fees and will present choices to the legislature, said Valentine, who added this was the first time in Virginia’s history that gas-tax revenues were going down while vehicle

Michael Stewart of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and Virginia Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine listen as Monica Backmon from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority makes a point during a State of Transportation discussion Aug. 7 at the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce in Tysons. Photo by Brian Trompeter.

miles traveled were increasing.

Approximately $15 billion of Virginia’s $22.9 billion six-year transportation budget is being invested in Northern Virginia, Valentine said.

NVTA has a backlog of projects and the recent diversion of $275 million of its funding to help finance Metro has meant less for regional multimodal transportation projects, said Monica Backmon, the group’s executive director.

Panelist Ed Mortimer, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s vice president of transportation and infrastructure, echoed his keynote speech at the event by saying completion of Metro’s Silver Line needs to be the region’s top transportation priority.

The annual State of Transportation discussion, held at the chamber’s Tysons headquarters, was moderated by Kathryn Falk of Cox Communications.

- Brian Trompeter for InsideNoVa

Beyond Amazon, region looks for broader tech boom

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t’s been nearly a year since Amazon announced it would create 25,000 jobs at a new $2.5 billion headquarters in Arlington. The announcement brought a lot of attention to the

State and regional economic development officials are working to build a deeper, dynamic tech talent pool not just for Amazon, but for Virginia’s entire tech sector. Courtesy photo.

planned transformation of the Crystal City neighborhood, but state and regional economic development officials are working behind the scenes to make sure the legacy of the online retailer’s record investment sets a new standard for Virginia as a technology employment hub.

As part of the Amazon partnership, the state is investing $1.1 billion toward computer science education, said Stephen Moret, president and CEO of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.

Moret was the keynote speaker at a conversation on economic growth in the region and the state on Thursday, July 25, hosted by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

Moret said a concern is a tech talent program, not just for Amazon, but the whole tech sector. The goal is to build a deeper, dynamic tech talent pool statewide.

He noted the state will be providing performance-based funding to create over 25,000 additional graduates with bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science for the next two decades.

- Katrina Wilson for InsideNoVa

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COVER STORY

17 YEARS AND GOING STRONG: The Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards™ recognize the best in a field vital to the area’s economy

BY M I K E A L L E N

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adies and gentlemen, it’s time to roll out the red carpet for the prestigious annual Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards presented by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Professional Services Council. 2019 marks the 17th year the awards have been given to the companies, executives and program partners for their achievements as the area’s most deserving contractors.

The idea of an awards ceremony honoring the area’s government contractors germinated in a discussion among Chamber members Dick Duvall, Rich LaFleur and Craig Chason in 2002. Well aware of the vital importance of government contractors to the area’s economy, the three award co-founders sought to brand the Chamber as the number-one supporter of government contractors in the region.

“We wanted to put the Chamber on the map as an organization who cares about government contractors and their role in the local economy,” said LaFleur, MidAtlantic managing partner for Grant Thornton.

With the idea in place, they had to organize the categories of awards, establish guidelines for determining nominees and winners, solicit nominations and applications, select judges to review and pare down the entries and, finally, host the event itself. It’s not always easy to get people to come to an event. Would this one fly?

It sold out. In fact, the annual gala sells out every year, with approximately 1,000 business leaders and their guests attending.

The selection of nominees and awards are based on four general areas: the

financial growth of the company, significant achievement from the previous year, how the firm works with those inside and outside of it, and how it gives back to the local community.

Sandy Corbett, CEO of InCadence Strategic Solutions, named 2018 Contractor of the Year in the up to $25 million category, said, “While there are plenty of other fantastic government contractors who share similar industry capabilities, our technology, our employees, our commitment to customers, and our passion for making our country safer sets us apart.”

Last year’s Program of the Year in the small business category went to Evans Inc. As with InCadence, Evans Inc. believes what sets it apart is its “human touch” and what garnered the firm the award is its ability to apply modern technology to real-life situations. Though Evans’ primary mission is to help the FAA safely integrate drones into the U.S. airspace, the company used its capabilities to train the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office to fly drones as part of its Project Lifesaver program, which tracks people with medical conditions like autism and Alzheimer’s. At the time of the award, the drone program had helped rescue three people, including a 92-year-old man who had wandered into the Shenandoah woods.

“The award was for our lifesaving work using drones where an actual life was saved,” said company representative Vanessa Chapin.

Before the coveted glass trophy is handed to each winner, the nomination committee solicits and compiles nominees and applicants from March through June. The application

“WE WANTED TO PUT THE CHAMBER ON THE MAP AS AN ORGANIZATION WHO CARES ABOUT GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS AND THEIR ROLE IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY”

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AND THE FINALISTS FOR THE 2019 GREATER WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT CONTRACTOR AWARDS™ ARE… CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR:

EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR:

Up to $25 Million

Up to $75 Million

• ARENA TECHNOLOGIES • DATASTRONG • DT GLOBAL (DEVELOPMENT TRANSFORMATIONS, LLC) • HIGHERECHELON • MOBIUS

• DAVE CERNE, ACCLAIM TECHNICAL SERVICES, INC. (ATS) • TONY CRESCENZO, INTELLIDYNE, INC. • MATT JONES, TMA: AN SAP NS2 COMPANY • ROBIN PORTMAN, ATLAS RESEARCH • CHAD SEHLKE, SEHLKE CONSULTING, LLC

$25 – 75 Million • ACCLAIM TECHNICAL SERVICES. INC. • ADVANCED CONCEPTS AND TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, LLC (ACT I) • AMYX, INC. • APPRIO, INC. • RIDGELINE INTERNATIONAL

$75 – 300 Million • ABLEVETS • DCS CORP. • KEARNEY & COMPANY • KNIGHT POINT SYSTEMS • NET ESOLUTIONS (NETE) • OCTO CONSULTING

Over $300 Million • AMERICAN SYSTEMS • EMERGENT BIOSOLUTIONS • PARSONS • SAIC • SOSI

$75 – 300 Million • CYNTHIA BARREDA, NETCENTRICS • BOB EISIMINGER, KNIGHT POINT SYSTEMS • ANDREW MANER, E3/ SENTINEL • MEHUL SANGHANI, OCTO CONSULTING • WILLIAM VANTINE, SYSTEMS PLANNING & ANALYSIS INC.

Over $300 Million • MAC CURTIS, PERSPECTA • SCOTT MCINTYRE, GUIDEHOUSE • TOM ROMEO, MAXIMUS FEDERAL • JULIAN SETIAN, SOSI • CAREY SMITH, PARSONS

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE: ED BERSOFF, CHAIRMAN, PARABILIS, LLC.

PUBLIC SECTOR PARTNER OF THE YEAR: GENERAL PAUL J. SELVA, 10TH VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

CHARITABLE PARTNER OF THE YEAR: OPERATION RENEWED HOPE FOUNDATION

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is completed online, but the committee is available to help facilitate the process and ensure that applicants put their best foot forward. From there, the applicants are pared down to approximately eight to 10 per category based on the financial size of the company and then passed on to the independent judging committee.

The judging committee is largely comprised of retired or former executives and department heads from government, including former IRS head Charles Rossotti, as well as other distinguished business and community leaders. The judges determine how innovative and agile each company is and how it adapts to rapidly changing technologies while also working with an entity not always known for its flexibility — the U.S. government.

Ultimately, finalists in every category are selected, and the winners are announced at the annual gala.

John Goodman, CEO of Accenture Federal Services and the recipient of the 2018 Executive of the Year award in the $300 million-plus category, said, “In the digital era, continuous change is normal, and that is challenging for government agencies. They need to keep abreast of changes and have an agile process in place to continually modernize.” These are the areas that government contractors can greatly aid government efforts, and those that do so most efficiently will succeed.

John Wood, CEO and chairman of Telos and the recipient of the 2018 Executive of the Year award in the under $300 million category, expanded on Goodman’s summation. “All government agencies need to make greater use of faster, more innovative acquisition methods to get the technologies they need when they need them.”

The field of government contracting is as competitive as it is vital to the area’s economy.

By hosting these awards and recognizing the companies and executives who “do it well,” LaFleur believes they benefit the overall business community. “Modeling success is never a bad idea.”

Once awards night finally arrives, the Ritz Carlton in Tysons becomes a packed house of the area’s business glitterati. All the hopefuls gather, as well as those interested in the outcomes. Co-Chairs LaFleur and

Chason share emcee duties and don’t mind doing little parodies of that other awards night on the West Coast, but without the politics and protests. They keep the humor light and specific to the audience.

Marybeth Wootton, CEO of Berico Technologies and the recipient of the 2018 Executive of the Year award in the $75 million category, said, “Winning the executive of the year award was the highlight of my 28 years in the industry.”

And for this year’s hopefuls, Wootton offers an excellent piece of advice. “Whether you think you have a chance to win or not, at least prepare a few statements in case you are called up … I’m sure it was obvious to those in attendance last year that I was as surprised as anyone to hear my name announced.”

In addition to the Contractor of the Year and the Executive of the Year awards, the Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards recognizes one public-sector partner, and one individual is inducted into its Hall of Fame.

LaFleur noted one of the great things about these awards: “They recognize the double bottom line. Good business operations with a great mission.” What could be better than being successful in business, while providing a great and vital service to the American public.

And the winning companies are rightfully proud, he added. “All the evidence you need to see how important this award is to the nominated and winning recipients is to check out how prominently it’s displayed on the company websites.”

TOP TO BOTTOM: Craig Chason, Partner, Pillsbury; Rich LaFleur, Partner in Charge – Markets, Industries and Clients – Atlantic Coast Region; Grant Thornton LLP, 2018 Contractor of the Year Winner Representative; Julie Coons, President & CEO, Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce; Emily W. Murphy, Administrator, U.S. General Services Administration; Marybeth Wootton, CEO, Berico Technologies; John Wood, CEO and Chairman of the Board, Telos Corporation; John Goodman, Chief Executive, Accenture, 2018 Executive of the Year winners, and other winners. • 2018 winner for Contractor of the Year in the $75-$300 million category, the Attain team makes comfort kits for dialysis patients -- just one of the many ways the firm gives back to the community. • Several hundred guests attended the 2018 GovCon Awards at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner.

THE GREATER WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT CONTRACTOR AWARDS™ Date: Wednesday, November 6, 2019 Time: 6:00 - 8:00 PM Location: The Ritz Carlton, Tysons Corner 1700 Tysons Blvd, McLean More Information: novachamber.org/events

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SPOTLIGHT on education

Get Your Head in the Cloud: GMU, NOVA, & AWS Partner to Create New Degree

BY J O H N H O L L I S

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ack in the day, when college students had their heads in the clouds it was a bad thing. These days, having one’s head in the clouds – or more precisely, the cloud – is good. In fact, it’s so vital to our region’s economic success that George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College have created a bachelor’s degree program in cloud computing in partnership with Amazon Web Services.

The Bachelor of Applied Science pathway in Cloud Computing degree will launch this fall as part of the Advance Program. This NOVA/GMU partnership is designed to streamline the path from a two-year associate degree to a four-year bachelor’s degree by eliminating traditional transfer obstacles,

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highlighting pathways to high-demand careers, and providing students with additional coaching and financial incentives. The ability to transfer credits is expected to save NOVA students an average of $15,000 to $20,000 in college costs.

The formal announcement of the new degree and partnership was made in June at the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Public Sector Summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. “George Mason is proud to be part of a collaboration that is working to expand Virginia’s tech talent pipeline,” said then-President Ángel Cabrera. “This degree pathway marks the beginning of a ground-breaking initiative that

OPPOSITE PAGE: Students from George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College at the AWS Public Sector Summit in Washington, D.C. Photo by John David Hollis.

LEFT, TOP: NOVA student Colin Arnett served as a panelist on The Future of Education: Skills, Curriculum and Student Inspiration Panel.

Photo courtesy Northern Virginia Community College. LEFT, BOTTOM: Teresa Carlson, founder and leader of AWS Worldwide Public Sector, addressed cloud transformation in the public sector in her keynote address at this year’s AWS Public Sector Summit. Courtesy photo.

will deliver innovative educational opportunities to students across the commonwealth. The collaboration with AWS helps give our students— and our region—a competitive edge.”

Northern Virginia is home to one of the largest concentrations of IT jobs in the nation, as well as one of the greatest demands for employees with cloud computing skills. The arrival of Amazon’s new headquarters is expected to increase that need, with the HQ2 campus promising to deliver 25,000 jobs to Northern Virginia by 2030.

“We have a lot to do,” said Steven B. Partridge, NOVA’s vice president of strategic partnerships and workforce innovation. “We needed to triple the number of graduates in the next five to 10 years — and that was before Amazon arrived.”

Toward that end, last fall NOVA launched its Cloud Computing Specialization of the Information Systems Technology Associate of

Applied Science degree.

“We just call it the cloud degree,” said Chad Knights, provost of information and engineering technologies at Northern Virginia Community College. The initial class had 30 students. At present, there are 112 in the program, and by next spring it’s expected there will be at least 300 cloud-degree enrollees.

NOVA and GMU worked closely with AWS Educate curriculum designers to develop the Bachelor of Applied Science in Cloud Computing pathway, and the result is a program of study that will help students pursue careers in cloud architecture, cybersecurity, software development and DevOps, a system of software development and delivery.

“AWS identified the skills and competencies successful employees must have, and our faculty designed the courses,” said Michelle Marks, GMU’s vice president for academic innovation and new ventures. “This new pathway demonstrates our commitment to creating both educational and employment access. These students will be prepared to compete for our region’s most in-demand jobs.”

“Developing a cloud-ready workforce is an urgent challenge and an incredible opportunity,” said Teresa Carlson, vice president for AWS’s Worldwide Public Sector. “Both George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College are global pioneers in developing cloud curricula for students. We are delighted to be working with these innovative institutions to turn the growing demand for cloud skills into pathways in technology for students from all backgrounds.”

Students at NOVA and GMU will be working in Amazon virtual classrooms using “the exact tools that a pro would use,” Knights said, and those tools will not be exclusively applicable to Amazon.

Said Marks, “What’s good for Amazon is also good for the companies, organizations and governments of Northern Virginia.”

So, keep your heads in the cloud, kids. We’re counting on you.

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SPOTLIGHT

on non-profit

Tech for Troops — Bridging the Digital Divide Facing Veterans

BY M I K E A L L E N

| P H OTO S CO U R T E S Y T E C H F O R T R O O P S

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t is hard to imagine a group from whom more is asked with so little given in return than our veterans. Though armed with many skills applicable to the civilian world, the transition back to civilian life isn’t always easy.

Luckily several nonprofit groups are working to rectify this issue, including Tech for Troops. The organization, with the aid of Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce members, is turning donations of used laptops and computers into training, education and technology for 26

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BELOW: A former Marine, Mark Casper took the helm at Tech for Troops in 2016. OPPOSITE PAGE: Volunteers refurbish donated computers at the Tech for Troops headquarters in Richmond.

veterans and their families.

Launched in 2013, Tech for Troops was originally conceived by Richmond resident Chris Phillips and his mother, Laurie. Chris was a business student at VCU and saw first hand the plight of many returning combat veterans trying to transition to the civilian job market.

Returning vets faced many hurdles, including an economy just coming out of a recession, a sense of being out of touch with their contemporaries, a lack of education and

training and, sadly, post-traumatic stress disorder. These issues frequently lead to the morass of unemployment, homelessness, and addiction in which many vets find themselves.

Chris and Laurie wanted to help. Chris always had an affinity for the military and a passion for giving back to those who served, and Laurie had IT experience. Together they coordinated efforts to collect and refurbish computers and other technologies, which they donated to veterans’ centers, helping to provide vets the ability to look and apply for jobs, as well as to take advantage of other kinds of services available to them.

Soon, though, the young nonprofit surpassed its founders’ ability to manage it and their own jobs.

In 2016, former Marine and Tech for Troops board member Mark Casper took the helm. Now president of the organization and running it full time, Casper plans to expand the operation throughout Virginia and eventually across the nation.

In keeping with the adage “there is no such thing as an ex-Marine,” Casper knows first-hand the plight faced by many returning veterans and is committed to doing his part to help as many of his fellow servicemen as possible.

“In Tech for Troops, I saw the opportunity to make a difference,” Casper said. “To help the impoverished and too often homeless veterans who had given so much, risked everything, but were now struggling to make it in civilian life.”

In this modern world where computers and digital literacy are paramount to finding and maintaining employment, he felt providing such was his way to help. Now he just needed partners, organizations and donations to grow Tech for Troops and serve as many veterans as possible.

Finding partners led him to join the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce. There he met several members interested in getting involved, including Veteran and Military Business Council co-chair Ben Rodgers. A veteran and West Point grad, Rodgers was eager to find a way to help. He, Casper, and several members of the Chamber

launched a drive to collect usable or recyclable technology that could either be wiped clean and refurbished, or recycled and turned into funds to finance operations and training. The tech drive’s goal? 5,000 donations.

Initially, 17 Chamber members joined the drive, but because of the networking opportunities the Chamber provides, the cause of a little-known organization was brought to the attention of many who themselves had a strong desire to help.

One such individual was Chamber Vice Chair Kathryn Falk. Working for a company also committed to veteran’s affairs, Cox Communications, Falk got permission to use several of the company’s retail sites as drops for technology donations. Through the distribution of flyers and social media, news of the drive spread and caught fire.

Falk called it a “great opportunity for customer and employee engagement.” The drive became so popular within the company that employees wanted to participate, and soon offices around the state were depositories for donated technology.

Though the efforts of Falk and Cox Communications alone were enough to far exceed the original goal, it took the combined efforts of all 17 Chamber partners to make the campaign successful.

Ablevets, a veteran run company focused on healthcare, was instrumental in organizing the effort. Summer intern Katherine Lewis coordinated communication and logistics between the partners and donors, as well as the plan of action for “collection day” and the transportation of donations to the Tech for Troops warehouse in Richmond.

“Our company is committed to hiring, training, and supporting veterans which is why supporting Tech for Troops was such a great fit,” Falk said.

The hard work paid off. The 5K Tech Drive, as it came to be known, collected almost $133,000 of in-kind donations. Casper is greatly appreciative of the efforts of the Chamber and its partners and hopes to continue this relationship. He also hopes to use the success of the first drive to motivate the organization’s Richmond community to top Northern Virginia’s performance.

Working for a group dependent on donations leaves little time for relaxation. The task now is to turn the items donated into equipment that veterans’ organizations can use. Casper’s track record shows he’s up for it: Since he took over in 2016, Tech for Troops has dispensed 1,500 laptops and trained over 350 veterans in basic computer literacy, resume writing, and other job seeking skills.

Tech For Troops | 4840 Waller Rd., Richmond, VA 23230 / 804.521-7979 | TechforTroops.org Donations: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.; Wednesday, 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

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EVENTS chamber signature gatherings

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Mix & Mingle On Thursday, August 29, the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce celebrated the end of summer with a pre-Labor Day weekend Mix & Mingle. Sponsored by Visit Fairfax, the event offered members the opportunity to network with the Chamber’s Executive Committee, fellow members, and colleagues during a happy hour that was definitely one for the books.

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1 | Cathy Lange, Partner & Practice Director, Human Capital Advisors, LLC; Marc Caposino, CEO/Marketing Director, FuseLab Creative; Kipp Monroe, Executive Creative Director & Partner, White 64. 2 | Julie Coons, President and CEO, Northern Virginia Chamber, and Barry Biggar, President and CEO, Visit Fairfax. 3 | Michael Forehand, Vice President, Government and Community

Affairs, Inova; Edythe Kelleher, Executive Director, Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation; former Del. Randy Minchew.

4 | Kathryn Falk, Vice President, Market Leader Northern Virginia Operations, Cox Communications; Harry Klaff, Managing Director, Tenant Representation, JLL; Shawn Purvis, Corporate Vice President, Northrop Grumman; Kathy Albarado, President and CEO, Helios HR; KayAnn Schoeneman, Marketplace Leader, Washington, D.C. and Director, Public Affairs, Ketchum; Eileen Ellsworth, President and CEO, Community Foundation for Northern Virginia; Mary-Claire Burick, President, Rosslyn Business Improvement District.

5 | Irma Becerra, President, Marymount University; James W. Dyke Jr., Sr. Advisor, State Government Relations, McGuireWoods Consulting LLC; Sarah Fyffe, Audit Senior, Cherry Bekaert LLP; Susan Moser, Partner, Advisory Services, Cherry Bekaert LLP. 6 | Sen. Jennifer Boysko; Todd Rowley, Market Executive for the Capital Region, Old Dominion National Bank; Del. Kathleen Murphy.

44th Annual Northern Virginia Regional Elected Leaders Summit On Monday, August 26, the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, presented the 44th Annual Northern Virginia Regional Elected Leaders Summit at George Mason University. Co-hosts included the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, Loudoun Chamber of Commerce, Prince William Chamber of Commerce and the Northern Virginia 1 Regional Commission. Moderated by Julie Carey, Northern Virginia Bureau Chief, NBC4, the summit offered business leaders the opportunity to hear from the region’s top elected officials, including Justin Wilson, Mayor of the City of Alexandria; Christian Dorsey, Chair, Arlington County Board of Supervisors; Penelope Gross, Vice Chair, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors; Phyllis Randall, Chair, Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, and Corey Stewart, At-Large Chair, Prince William County Board of Supervisors. Topics covered included the economic climate in each of their jurisdictions, current initiatives to foster economic growth, recent successes, and thoughts on how the jurisdictions can partner for the betterment of our regional economy.

1 | Arlington County Board Chairman Christian Dorsey makes a point while Prince William Board of County Supervisors

Chairman At-Large Corey Stewart listens during the Northern Virginia Regional Elected Leaders Summit at George Mason University’s Van Metre Hall in Arlington. Photo by Brian Trompeter.

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Annual State of Healthcare

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What do the upcoming elections mean for healthcare reform? What will healthcare look like after 2020? How can we make more progress on stemming the opioid crisis? These questions and others were discussed at length on Thursday, September 26, at the Annual State of Healthcare hosted by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce. The event, which kicked off with a keynote by federal health policy expert Stephanie Kennan of McGuireWoods, featured Virginia Health and Human Resources Secretary Daniel Carey and a panel of healthcare experts including Stacia Cohen, Executive Vice President, CareFirst; Jennifer Siciliano, Chief External Affairs and Communications Officer, INOVA; and Toni Ardabell, Associate Chief, Clinical Enterprise, INOVA. Keynote: Stephanie Kennan, McGuireWoods Consulting, Senior Vice President, Federal Public Affairs Panelists: Dr. Daniel Carey, Secretary of Health and Human Resources; Stacia Cohen, CareFirst, Executive Vice President, Medical Affairs; Jennifer Siciliano, INOVA, Chief External Affairs and Communications Officer; Toni Ardabell. INOVA, Associate Chief, Clinical Enterprise

Veterans and Military Business Council Networking Reception On Wednesday, September 11, the Northern Virginia Chamber’s Veteran and Military Business Council hosted a networking reception at BNY Mellon. The event included a brief keynote

by Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient Tom Deierlein, CEO of ThunderCat Technology, who spoke on “Leveraging Military Service for Business and Life Success.” The event offered veterans, their family members, and veteran supporters an opportunity to network.

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1 | Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient Tom Deierlein, CEO, ThunderCat Technology gave the evening’s keynote address.

2 | Veterans, their family members, and veteran supporters networked and enjoyed the view from the BNY Mellon building.

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1 | Jennifer Siciliano,

Chief External Affairs and Communications Officer, INOVA 2 | Toni Ardabell, Associate Chief, Clinical Enterprise, INOVA 3 | Dr. Daniel Carey, Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources 4 | Stephanie Kennan, Senior Vice President, Federal Public Affairs, McGuireWoods Consulting 5 | Stacia Cohen, Executive Vice President, Medical Affairs, CareFirst THE BUSINESS VOICE

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NEW MEMBERS Let’s give ’em a warm welcome

BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES/CATERING »» Hungry, tryhungry.com »» Surefire Catering, surefirecatering.com BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES/TRAVEL »» IGC, Inc, igcinc.us COMMUNICATIONS/MARKETING/ADVERTISING/PUBLIC RELATIONS »» O2 Lab, 02lab.com »» Parker Corporate Group, parker.com CONSTRUCTION »» Pella Mid Atlantic, pellaofbeltsville.com GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING/CONSULTING »» Accenture, accenture.com »» HigherEchelon, higherechelon.com »» MorganFranklin Consulting, morganfranklin.com HEALTH AND FITNESS »» The St. James, thesaintjames.com HEALTHCARE SERVICES »» Alpha Home Care Services LLC, alphahomecareservices.com MANUFACTURING »» 3Disc Imaging, 3disc.com NONPROFIT/ASSOCIATION/CHAMBER »» Veterans Next Mission, veteransnextmission.org »» Virginia Advanced Study Strategies, vaadvstudies.org REAL ESTATE/COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL »» Clemente Development Co., Inc., clementedevelopment.com

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