2023
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE LOUDOUN CHAMBER 2023 has not only been a privilege to serve as Chair of the Board of Directors, but also to do so with Tony Howard serving as President and CEO as he has done for the past 17 years. It was a busy year for our Loudoun Chamber and it has been an honor serving as Chair during this time. As I proudly accepted the gavel to Chair the Loudoun Chamber in January 2023, I emphasized stronger together as being an important focus in all our efforts throughout the year. I am proud to say we have had a fantastic year strengthening, with steady membership growth, strong financial performance, and with member engagement at an all-time high. To highlight some of our 2023 major accomplishments: • We welcomed over 246 new members with the second straight year of growth and had the highest member retention rate of 80% in over 20 years! • Our public policy team was steadfast and successful in working collaboratively on the new zoning ordinance and affordable housing efforts. • We had over 8,300 event attendees this year, with an average of 150 Business @ Breakfast monthly attendees. This is the highest in our Chamber history.
2023
• We broke the record with over 79 ribbon cuttings welcoming new members and businesses as well as celebrating milestones of our existing members. • We implemented new governance policies related to board nominations, adopted a new DEIA strategic plan, and completed a DEIA audit. Our Loudoun Chamber Foundation set record amounts raised and donated which allowed the Loudoun Chamber Foundation to award 12 grants to local nonprofits in the amount of $48,000. Since 2015 $250,000 was invested with 72 grants awarded to local nonprofits. I am proud of the performance outlined in the pages of this year’s annual report. You will see that we are committed to advocacy, member services, civic engagement, collaboration, and tireless efforts to support and positively impact our business and nonprofit community. We are grateful for the support of our corporate partners, volunteers, and members. Thank you for your continued investment in the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce. It is certainly your collaboration, partnership, and leadership that empower us to do good and serve well. None of this would be possible without our committed staff, ever-involved Board of Directors, and the support of members and the community, who supported us and helped us move forward this year. And of course, I would like to highlight the Chamber staff. The Loudoun Chamber has the best Chamber staff in the country and the results prove it, thank you Chamber staff! Our membership can be proud of what we have done and enthusiastic and hopeful about the future we are creating together. Thank you for the opportunity to serve your Loudoun Chamber as your 2023 Chair of the Board of Directors and I look forward to what we will accomplish together in 2024 and the years to come. Best regards, Carol A. Barbe, 2023 Chair of the Board of Directors Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors 2024 O F F I C E R S Chair, Angela Mitchell, ARM Consulting, LLC 1st Vice Chair, Scott Loftis, Atlantic Union Bank Second Vice Chair, Secretary, Chauvon McFadden, Crimson Wealth Strategies Immediate Past Chair, Carol Barbe, Backflow Technology, LLC Treasurer/VP of Finance, Brian Kling, YHB | CPAs & Consultants General Counsel, Bob Sevila, Sevila, Saunders, Huddleston & White, P.C. President & CEO, Tony Howard, Loudoun Chamber of Commerce
2024 E X E C U T I V E C O M M I T T E E Nicole Acosta, Community Foundation for Loudoun & Northern Fauquier Counties Roman Blazauskas, SpeedPro Northern Virginia Monti Mercer, HHMI Janelia Research Campus Shawn Mitchell, Modern Mechanical, LLC Stacey Metcalfe, Morven Park Dorri O’Brien, Inova Loudoun Hospital Jeff Powell, StrongBridge, LLC Bruce Rahmani, Falcon Heating & Air Conditioning
4 // 2023 Loudoun Chamber Annual Report
2024 D I R E C T O R S Tracy Baynard, McGuireWoods Consulting, LLC Paul Bice, BCT-The Community’s Bank Reneé Brohard, Brohard + Co. David Butcher, Road Runner Wrecker Doug Camp, Salamander Resort & Spa Samantha Clarke, SCAN of Northern Virginia Hillary Coley, Dominion Tea, Inc. Nikki Daruwala, NDPoint Strategies, Inc. Kindra Dionne, Fifty Leven Wine Justin Dobson, Comfenergy | 3 Pros Basement Systems Robert DuPree, Telos Corporation Todd Goldian, ECHO Scott Hamberger, Fortessa Tableware Solutions Dan Hampton, Bank of Clarke Brad Hoffman, DeLeon & Stang, CPAs & Advisors Tina R. Johnson, CEO Consulting Group | JP Events & Consulting Lisa Kimball, The Arc of Loudoun Julie Leidig, Northern Virginia Community College Matt Leslie, Bowman Melissa Lewis, Stryker Natasha Magrath, You’ve Got Maids of Northern Virginia Michael Matteson, The PNC Financial Services Group Susan Mitchell, Guardians of Honor, LLC | Athari BioSciences Jimmy Olevson, National Capital Bank Todd Pettibon, Toth Financial Advisory Corporation Mark Rider, Marble Business Solutions Bill Schmidt, SBIS Small Business Insurance Solutions
Mitra Setayesh, Ion International Training Center Nene Spivy, Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation Arienne Thompson Plourde, Google Monica Tressler, Sandy Spring Bank | Leesburg Nathan Vooys, StoneSprings Hospital Center John Walsh, The National Conference Center Andrea Whitehouse, M&T Bank Rod Williams, The Williams Center for Wellness & Recovery Gift Wyatt, CDR Fundraising Group
E X- O F F I C I O D I R E C T O R S Beth Erickson, Visit Loudoun Colleen Kardasz, Loudoun County Department of Economic Development Joe Kroboth, III, Loudoun County Government Allan Marteney, Dulles Area Association of REALTORS (DAAR) Lucy Cora Nazario, Leadership Loudoun Carl Rush, Office of the County Administrator Russell Seymour, Town of Leesburg Economic Development Kathleen Stakem Schwab, Loudoun YP Dr. Aaron Spence, Loudoun County Public Schools Jack Vega, Claude Moore Charitable Foundation Grant Wetmore, Purcellville Business Association
5
Engage
80%
OUR MISSION at the Loudoun Chamber is pretty simple, yet very
powerful when put into action: to help our members build their brands, grow their businesses, and become leaders in the community. For our most engaged members, all three of those outcomes are easily attainable.
member retention rate, highest in 15 years
As a member you receive our unwavering promise to partner with you and your business, nonprofit or public sector agency, to create customized experiences and opportunities that achieve your personal and professional goals.
256k+
views on the Chamber’s Online Member Directory
Every Chamber member, from home-based business to Fortune 100 firms, has the opportunity to meet with the Chamber staff to build their very own customized journey towards their unique goals and needs. Members benefit from being engaged with one of our 15 industry or event committees. Networking events, workshops or our annual signature programs are a great way to network and hear from some of Northern Virginia’s top private and public sector leaders as well as celebrate community accomplishments.
1,487
closed business deals made through LeadShare referrals
27,000+ social media followers, with a 26% increase from last year
6 // 2023 Loudoun Chamber Annual Report
“I want to thank all of the Chamber staff for the wonderful work of the Loudoun Chamber. The nonprofit community is so supported by the this organization through grants, education, networking, and much more. This type of support is unique and we are so blessed to be here in Loudoun with our great Chamber.” – Therese Cashen, Loudoun Habitat for Humanity
8,300
attendees at Chamber Events in 2023
246 79
new members
ribbon cuttings in 2023
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Advocate THE LOUDOUN CHAMBER IS COMMITTED to being the Voice of Business for our community. The Chamber’s Public Policy Committee focused on three main areas affecting our business community in 2023. Our top priority remains creating more affordable housing for our workforce here in Loudoun. We were proud to score a substantial victory on this issue when the Board of Supervisors agreed to adopt more business-friendly zoning regulations that will lower the cost of building workforce housing, while expanding housing financing programs. Additionally, the Chamber fought hard to ensure Loudoun’s new zoning ordinance would allow for the continued economic growth in our community. That meant ensuring future County Boards had the authority to easily fix the unintended consequences that will likely result, due to the ordinance’s complex nature. The Chamber also helped ensure any land use application submitted before the new ordinance was adopted could proceed under the previous ordinance, eliminating the costly need to start over again. Finally, The Chamber helped ensure Loudoun is well positioned to take advantage of the fastgrowing energy storage market, which is fueled by the global demand for renewable and noncarbon-based energy sources. After much lobbying, the Board of Supervisors agreed to make Battery Energy Storage a permitted use in the new zoning ordinance.
“Being part of the Public Policy Committee and specifically working on the zoning ordinance rewrite, enabled Chamber members the opportunity to advocate and have their voices heard with regards to workforce development, affordable housing, and quality of life issues/ concerns. The Chamber’s goal is always to make complicated business regulations as business friendly as possible, making Loudoun an excellent place to do business.” - Stacey Metcalfe, Morven Park
After much lobbying, the Board of Supervisors agreed to make the fast-growing battery storage market a priority in the new zoning ordinance, setting Loudoun up for success in the future.
8 // 2023 Loudoun Chamber Annual Report
990 attended PolicyMaker Series events
“The Loudoun Chamber is a top-tier organization that provides exceptional content and collaboration for its members. The Public Policy Committee intersects interests of business and government to ensure a virtuous business cycle for Loudoun county through prudent policy application that creates fertile ground for businesses to thrive.” – Todd Pettibon, Toth Financial Advisory Corp.
Due to the complex nature of the new zoning ordinance rewrite process, the Chamber enlisted the help of experts in the business community to create a create a more efficient document for the future.
The Loudoun Board of Supervisors heeded the Chamber’s plea to adopt more businessfriendly zoning regulations that will lower the cost of building workforce housing, while expanding housing financing programs.
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Nonprofits & Community
“As a nonprofit community, we’ve really found a welcome place at the Loudoun Chamber. The entire Chamber community embraces and supports our nonprofits. From grantmaking to connection through workshops and other events, the Chamber champions our nonprofit community at all levels.”
CREATING AND SUSTAINING A STRONG AND HEALTHY
Loudoun community is one of the Loudoun Chamber’s top strategic priorities. There are many ways we are working to ensure Loudoun’s quality of life remains world class. One includes the Loudoun Chamber Foundation, a highly regarded source of philanthropic support for Loudoun-based nonprofit organizations that are supporting our community’s most vulnerable citizens. Since 2015, the Loudoun Chamber Foundation has received more than 370 applications for financial assistance; and has issued 72 grants totaling $250,000 to nonprofits servicing Loudoun County’s residents and workers, while building a permanent endowment of $142,000 that will continue to grow and benefit Loudoun County for many generations to come.
— Jennifer Montgomery, Loudoun Hunger Relief
$ 1, 650
in gift cards donated to LHR in December
Then there is our Nonprofit Initiative (NPI), which supports the success of the Chamber more than 120 nonprofit members. In a partnership with the Community Foundation of Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties, NPI presents the Loudoun Nonprofit Academy, an annual workshop series that seeks to strengthen the skill sets of local nonprofit professionals so that they can do an even better job of fulfilling their mission, which in turn helps create the world class quality of life that we, as Loudouners, appreciate.
“The Chamber does an incredible job to provide specific programming for local nonprofit organizations including the Nonprofit Academy speaker series and various networking events. It is this meshing of the nonprofit and for profit business members that truly makes this a thriving community in which to live, work and play.” – Kari Murphy, Loudoun Education Foundation
10 // 2023 Loudoun Chamber Annual Report
128
Loudoun Nonprofit Academy attendees
20k+
Searches for local nonprofits in online directory
$75,452 raised for the Loudoun Chamber Foundation
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Awards THE CHAMBER’S SIGNATURE EVENTS allow us to recognize local business owners, first responders, community leaders, and more for the great accomplishments that make Loudoun the best place to own a business, live, and raise a family. Loudoun County is only as strong as the people that live here. Through the Valor Awards, we are able to honor the first responders and everyday citizens who go above and beyond to ensure the safety of someone else. These awards have been a long-standing tradition in our community, attended by over 500 guests every year.
celebrated our 5 star accreditation designation from the U.S. Chamber
— Danielle Nadler, Loudoun Education Foundation
The Community Leadership Awards were created 10 years ago to honor those members of the Loudoun business community, both organizations and individuals, that have demonstrated an exemplary level of leadership and community engagement to positively impact the quality of life in Loudoun County and to serve the needs of its citizens. 2023 SMALL BUSINESS AWARDS WINNERS •L oudoun’s Entrepreneur of the Year: Melissa Hinton, Serenity House • Loudoun Small Business of the Year: Bear Chase Brewing • Superior Service Business of the Year: Fleur de Cuisine
The Loudoun Small Business Awards celebrated the 29th Anniversary this year, proudly recognizing small businesses, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs for their great accomplishments. These businesses add to the thriving economy that Loudoun boasts.
•N onprofit Organization of the Year: Loudoun Coalition on Women and Girls • Home Based Business of the Year: ESSAY CURE • Main Street Business of the Year: Birch Tree Books • Health & Wellness Business of the Year: Function-N-Fitness •L oudoun Destination Business of the Year: B ear Chase Brewing
“It’s such a gift to be in front of an audience of community leaders like that who support not only local businesses but nonprofits as well. I think that the Community Leadership Awards spotlights our work, but is also gives people a chance to learn how they can personally give back and support their local community.”
260
118
Valor Award recipients in 2023
individual nominations for the Small Business Awards
8,300+ people attended Chamber events in 2023
12 // 2023 Loudoun Chamber Annual Report
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2024 COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARDS EXECUTIVE LEADER
ALICE FRAZIER
BCT–The Community’s Bank
CHAUVON MCFADDEN
Crimson Wealth Strategies
NATASHA MAGRATH
You’ve Got Maids of Northern Virginia
BRUCE RAHMANI
Falcon Heating & Air Conditioning
DEIA LEADER
ISAAC AGBESHIE-NOYE
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
BRUCE RAHMANI
Falcon Heating & Air Conditioning
TODD CIMINO-JOHNSON
impACT Tours & Travel, LLC
LAURIE YOUNG
Legacy Farms
LARGE BUSINESS
14 // 2023 Loudoun Chamber Annual Report
NONPROFIT EXECUTIVE LEADER
TARA FITZPATRICKNAVARRO
USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation
JUDY HANLEY
A Place to Be
JOSH GOLDBERG
Boulder Crest Foundation
TRISH MCNEAL
Loudoun Hunger Relief
YOUNG PROFESSIONAL LEADER
BLAIR ELLIS
The Fortessa Store
K.C. TREGONING
Loudoun Department of Economic Development
JAKE MAGES
Guernsey Inc.
ALLISON WOOD
Town of Leesburg Economic Development
SMALL BUSINESS
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2023 ANNUAL SPONSORS
2023 ANNUAL SPONSORS
2023 CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE SPONSORS
2023 PRESIDENT’S CABINET SPONSORS
2023 PARTNERS IN MEMBERSHIP
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
16 // 2023 Loudoun Chamber Annual Report
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56TH ANNUAL MEETING & COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARDS THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT SPONSORS SIGNATURE SPONSOR
GRANT SPONSOR
PLATINUM SPONSORS
RECEPTION SPONSOR
DESSERT SPONSOR
PHOTOGRAPHY SPONSOR
RED CARPET SPONSOR
FLORAL SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSORS
2023
Bank of Clarke County Blue Ridge Hospice Boulder Crest Foundation Fortessa Tableware Solutions M & T Bank The National Conference Center You’ve Got Maids of Northern VA 18 // 2023 Loudoun Chamber Annual Report
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To learn more about the Loudoun Chamber, visit our website www.loudounchamber.org