BOARD OF DIRECTORS UPDATE

A message from our 2023-2024 Board of Directors Chairman, Deb Gandy

Dear Chamber Members,

I am extraordinarily humbled to serve as the 2023-2024 Chairman of the Board for the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is truly the voice of business in the Greater Washington Region. It provides a platform for businesses of all sizes and of diverse industries to be seen and heard. As I take this leadership post, my hope is to do just that – make sure every business has an opportunity to be seen, be heard, and make a difference in the success of this Region we value so much.

The truth is – there is no better time to be in business in our Region. Every business is a part of our Region’s exceptional success story. The spark of new industries and companies is a testament to the flexibility and innovative spirit of our business community – a community that fosters and encourages growth. The Chamber will continue to be at the center of this excitement.

The Chamber Board and Executive Committee are comprised of as dynamic a group of business leaders as you’ll find in any major market in this country. With their participation, I am confident in the Chamber’s ability to excel in business advocacy, peer-to-peer exchange, thought leadership, and as such, the Chamber’s Regional impact will be more significant this time next year, than it is today...

Members, how many days do you require your employees work in the office? Answer our 1 question survey

In the past few weeks, we have had significant interest in our members’ coalition calling on the federal government to bring their employees back to work. It is not too late for you to sign up to join our effort; you can do so here.

As part of our work, we are currently collecting information from our members on their current in-office policies for employees. We would be grateful if you could answer the following question, here.

How many days a week are your employees required in the office?

Chamber Issues Statement on Upcoming Metro Bailout

On June 6th, the Chamber issued the following statement on the financial crisis facing Metro.

“The Chamber believes Metro is a critical pillar of the economic prosperity of our Region. We do, however, have tremendous concerns about supporting a financial bailout next year. For the Chamber to be open to considering proposals for financial subsidies, we need WMATA to propose good faith governance reforms at their June 22nd board meeting. Furthermore, we would like to see their leadership make a dedicated effort to balancing their budget.

We do not want the system to fail and want to see it succeed in the long term. If major reforms are not enacted, we will be repeating this process every few years and Metro will indeed become insolvent. 

The Chamber will be providing further details on our position following the June 22nd WMATA board meeting.”

We have received overwhelming positive feedback from our members, other business groups and elected officials. We look forward to continuing to lead on this important policy issue.

Chamber is participating host in the Virginia Forum on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The Chamber is a participating host in the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority and the Virginia Chamber Foundation's Virginia Forum on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, June 22nd. Business leaders from across the state will discuss the importance of DE&I to the Commonwealth’s workforce and the critical role it plays in Virginia’s economic growth and prosperity. The event will feature Dr. Dietra Trent

Executive Director, White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Michele Chang, Chief Strategy Officer, Strada Education Foundation. More information can be found here.

Fairfax County Department of Economic Initiatives announces two new programs

The Fairfax County Department of Economic Initiatives has announced two new programs:

1. CORE (Connecting Opportunities and Resources for Entrepreneurs) will be the go-to online resource for small businesses to access the help they need – when they need it. Fairfax County is partnering with SourceLink, the City of Fairfax, and the Towns of Vienna and Herndon to build the platform. To join Fairfax CORE, complete the online form.
2. Fairfax THRIVE is a new Fairfax County program designed to mitigate the negative economic impacts of the pandemic by providing coaching and consulting services to small businesses in need. Through this program, approximately 600 businesses will have the opportunity to receive technical assistance grants of up to $10,000, empowering them to build their capacity and achieve their unique business goals.

Take the 2023 Greater Washington Champions for Accountability survey

Champions for Accountability is a collaborative effort between the Chamber, The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, and the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce Foundation. To learn more about the Champions for Accountability research, see a list of current Champions, and find details on earning your company's Champions badge, visit here.