February 22, 2022
UPCOMING EVENTS
Greater Washington Apprentice Network March Employer Briefing
March 1st | 2-3PM
New Member Orientation
March 8th | 12-1PM
partner event
Shape of the Region
March 15th | 8AM - 12PM | In-Person at Capital One Hall and Virtual
Mid-Atlantic Innovation Celebration Applications
Apply by March 25th
MEMBER BLOG POST
In Praise of Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Guest Blog Post by Stephanie Turner, Vice President, Inclusion, Diversity & Social Innovation, MITRE and member of the Chamber's DEI Board of Advisors 
When I was 17 years old, I told my high school English teacher that I was going to Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, an all-female historically Black college. 

“But you’ve got the grades for Dartmouth!” he said.
I knew he meant well, but I also knew Spelman was right for me.

It helped that my parents are both alums of Fisk University, and I’d seen the lifelong bonds they have with their school and classmates. Going to a historically Black college or university (HBCU) turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made—pivotal even.

For the first time in my life, I was part of the majority; most of my girlfriends, boyfriends, and professors were Black. The city of Atlanta had a large percentage of Black residents and was run by a Black mayor. My entire ecosystem was a complete opposite of where I grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Now, after 27 years in corporate America, much of it in human resources, I look back on my college experience as the last time I was in the majority. As we enter Black History Month, I’d like to share some thoughts for anyone thinking about recruiting from HBCUs.

There are currently over 100 HBCUs, with the...
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Chamber Supports Virginia HBCUs During General Assembly
During this year's General Assembly session, the Chamber put its support behind funding for major capital projects at two of Virginia's HBCUs. These investments in Norfolk State University and Virginia State University were included in then-Gov. Northam's introduced budget. HBCUs are a key component to building opportunities for Virginians and we support this kind of serious investment in raising the quality of facilities at Virginia universities.
Keep up with the Virginia General Assembly through our weekly summaries
Stay up-to-date on the General Assembly Session in Richmond! The Chamber's Clayton Medford, VP Government Relations, maintains a full-time presence throughout the legislative session. Read his summaries from the first 5 weeks here.
Chamber Members named to Forbes 2022 America’s Best Midsize Employers:
Join us in congratulating our Chamber members who have been named to the Forbes 2022 America’s Best Midsize Employers: American Heart Association; Avison Young; Baird; Baker Tilly; CohnReznick; Crowe; Deltek; HNTB; Hogan Lovells; and Reed Smith. See the entire list here.
IN PERSON AND VIRTUAL
UPCOMING EVENTS
Vaccination Requirement: The safety of our members and guests is always of the utmost importance. The Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce requires all staff, members and guests who attend our events to be fully vaccinated. All attendees will be asked to provide their physical COVID-19 vaccine card, a photo of vaccination card, or Health Pass by CLEAR. For additional details see our individual registration pages.
The Greater Washington Apprentice Network March Employer Briefing
March 1st | 2-3PM | Virtual 
The Greater Washington Apprentice Network (GWAN) brings together employers, academic institutions, public and private sectors. Employers gain access to best practices from organizational peers, sources of prospective apprentice candidates, support services, academic institutions, and training resources. The GWAN meets on the first Tuesday of each month for an Employer Briefing.
New Member Orientation
March 8th | 12-1PM | Virtual
This informational networking session will teach you about opportunities for engagement across a wide array of industries and subject areas.

You'll learn:
  • How you can engage a broad spectrum of employees
  • How the Chamber's advocacy efforts and communications can support your business
  • The best ways for you to connect to the Chamber's base of innovative and influential member companies
and much more. This will be a great opportunity to network with other new members. This is a Virtual Event and will be provided through Microsoft TEAMS.
partner event
Shape of the Region
March 15th | 8AM - 12PM | In-Person at Capital One Hall and Virtual
A survey from Fall 2021 indicates that an estimated 545,000 adults in Northern Virginia (28%) are experiencing symptoms of clinical anxiety or depression, a sharp increase from pre-pandemic times. But complex barriers to basic mental health services—to therapy, helpful medications, and early interventions—abound.

Join us and our panel of state and national experts for a candid discussion of the challenges of accessing basic mental health services in Northern Virginia, and what innovative ideas and opportunities may exist to address this critical issue that impacts us all.
Mid-Atlantic Innovation Celebration
Apply by March 25th
Submit your 1-2 minute application video by March 25th for the region’s most forward-thinking event showcasing great minds and business creativity. We’re looking for any and all innovations that have made a positive business impact. It’s up to you to show us what that looks like and why it should be celebrated! Apply here. 

MEMBER NEWS
Brillient Corporation announced today that they welcomed former DHS Chief Procurement Officer and Senior Procurement Executive, Ms. Soraya Correa as their new Advisory Board member. Learn more here.

Britepaths is seeking paid apprenticeships/entry-level positions for new graduates of our AWS re/Start program. They received certification and are ready to start new careers in IT. Contact Sally Meyer at slmeyer@britepaths.org or 703.273.8829 to learn more. 

McLean Day (McLean's largest annual festival) is accepting Exhibitor Applications from local organizations, businesses, and non-profits. McLean Day is a one-day, professionally produced outdoor festival that brings families, local businesses and organizations together to participate in our community in an enjoyable, entertaining and welcoming atmosphere. Learn more here.

Make sure you are staying on top of the competition and be sure to participate in Gallagher's 2022 National Benchmarking Survey! Participants will receive a complimentary copy along with insights throughout the year. To learn more please contact Jen Zanone at jen_zanone@ajg.com. 

Deltek, the leading global provider of software and solutions for project-based businesses, recently announced that Dewberry, a privately held planning, design and construction company, has chosen Deltek Vantagepoint as its ERP solution. Learn more here.
Would you like to include your member organization's news in our next Doing Business issue? Sharing news is free for all members! All you have to do it complete the form on our website found here. The deadline to submit news is Friday at 12PM prior to our Tuesday newsletter.
Doing Business is the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce's weekly e-newsletter focused on member-relevant news, Council Series updates, and upcoming events. Each month we will feature advocacy updates, a message from our President & CEO, and member-written blog posts. Subscription sign-up and past issues may be found on our website.
Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce
7900 Westpark Drive | Suite A550 | Tysons Corner | VA | 22102