September 22, 2020
UPCOMING EVENTS
TOMORROW
VA Senatorial Debate
September 23rd | 8:30-10AM
Reaching Veterans: Make Your Company a Destination Employer for Veterans
September 30th | 10-11AM
Veterans & Military Business Council
partner event
Virtual Rocket Pitch + Power Networking
September 30th | 11AM-1PM
Greater Washington Innovation Celebration Awards Show
October 8th | 3-4:30PM
partner event
Brown and Brown Distinguished Speaker Series Featuring Molly Catalano
November 18th | 4-5PM
Engage and Retain your Veteran Employees: Best Practices for creating a Veterans Employee Resource Group (ERG)
November 19th | 10-11AM
Veterans & Military Business Council
MEMBER BENEFITS
Staying engaged and promoting yourself during a pandemic? Absolutely!
This year has seen a dramatic change in the way we interact within our business community and network with fellow Chamber members. While shaking hands may be off the table for the time being, member engagement and business / personal promotion are still in full swing here at the Chamber. The following are ways you can promote yourself and engage with other members today:

Meet with peers in our Business Councils
We've taking networking with peers a step farther with the creation of our Business Councils. Each Council meets quarterly and is geared to fit a specific industry or professional focus. Information on our Business Councils can be found here: GovCon | Women In Business | Veteran & Military Business | Nonprofit & Association Management 

Promote yourself in our Member Blog
Would you like your name and expertise put in front of 20,000 business leaders within our Northern Virginia Region? Our Doing Business e-newsletter is delivered weekly to our curated list and features one lead article per issue. Each article is also housed on our website for future visitors to find. Details and to submit your own Blog topic can be found here.

Engage through our Member Roundtables
The Chamber's interactive, member-driven Roundtable events are limited to 25 attendees to better encourage member engagement and conversation. These monthly forums are member-exclusive events that will focus on specific discussion topics. Roundtables topics to include:

  • Managing a remote workforce
  • Developing diversity in the workplace
  • Tips for resolving remote employee conflict
  • Industry response to the pandemic: lessons learned
  • Keeping a team engaged and moving forward
  • Looking to next year: business in 2021

We encourage members to pitch other topics or become hosts for future Roundtables. For details or to sign up for a Roundtable, contact Carmen Sevilla csevilla@novachamber.org. 
ADVOCACY UPDATES
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Clayton Medford, NOVA Chamber's Vice President, Government Relations
COVID-19 could reverse much of the D.C.'s region's progress on transportation funding, Bowser, Hogan and Northam warn. Read more here.

Virginia General Assembly continues to work through state budget during special session. Read more here.

Virginia's transportation funding plan was finally in place. 'Then COVID-19 hit.' Read more here.

Governor Northam announces expansion of $70 million rebuild VA Grant Fund for small businesses, nonprofits impacted by COVID-19. Read more here.
Keep an eye out in early August for the Chamber’s legislative priorities for the Special Session. In the meantime, please contact me at cmedford@novachamber.org with any questions or concerns.
COUNCIL SERIES & NETWORKING
UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTS
MEMBERS: You can still register for tomorrow's 2020 Virginia Senatorial Debate live, before it publicly airs!
September 23rd | 8:30-10AM
The Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce invites you to view the Northern Virginia Senatorial debate between Senator Mark Warner (Democrat) and Daniel Gade (Republican). This is an opportunity for Chamber members to watch the debate live, virtually, as it happens, before the rest of the world sees it later that night!
Reaching Veterans: Make your Company a Destination Employer for Veterans
September 30th | 10-11AM
Is a career with your company attractive to veterans? Have you set up your hiring program to draw in veteran job seekers? In this third part of our Veteran and Military Business Council hiring series, our speakers will focus on the steps you should take to bring in veteran talent.
partner event
Virtual Rocket Pitch + Power Networking
September 30th | 11AM-1PM
CONNECTpreneur Investor Network presents Virtual Rocket Pitch + Power Networking. Come learn, connect with others, and be inspired! This is a free virtual event.
Innovations Awards Show!
October 8th | 3-4:30PM
Join us for the Region's zaniest awards show showcasing great minds and business creativity! This not-to-be-missed event will have it all: live judging, audience picks, team costumes, and so much more. At the end of the evening, we'll crown this year's Innovator of the Year and our People's Choice winner!
partner event
Brown and Brown Distinguished Speaker Series: Featuring Molly Catalano, VP of Marketing & Communications, Five Guys Enterprises
November 18th | 4-5PM
Join GMU's School of Business, Brown & Brown Insurance, and the Chamber for the Brown & Brown Distinguished Speaker Series featuring, Molly Catalano. Molly has spent the past 15 years leading the marketing and communications efforts for Five Guys Enterprises. During her time the company has grown from 30 restaurants on the East Coast of the United States to over 1,600 locations in 19 countries.
Engage and Retain your Veteran Employees: Best Practices for creating a Veterans Employee Resource Group (ERG)
November 19th | 10-11AM
Has your company established a Veterans Employee Resource Group (ERG)? What are you waiting for? In this fourth and final part of our Veteran and Military Business Council hiring series, our speakers will share the advantages to creating your own Veterans Employee Resource Group (ERG).
MEMBER BENEFIT
MEMBER NEWS
In lieu of Shelter House's Changing Lives Benefit Breakfast, we have announced our Changing Lives Benefit Fundraiser from 9/14 - 9/28. All donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $20,000 by Helios HR! Please support our vision of a community free of homelessness and domestic violence. Together, we are Changing Lives. Learn more here.

Training Solutions, Inc. celebrates its 25th anniversary this month. President/CEO C. Michael Ferraro (board member of the Northern Virginia Chamber) and his wife/business partner, Sharon, are grateful to their many clients over the years and the support of many friends and colleagues. The Ferraro’s, along with their daughter, also celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their family foundation, Bite Me Cancer. 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