Greetings! Despite the chilly and rainy weather, I hope everyone had a nice Memorial Day celebration. As a nation, we are so thankful for the brave men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we may live in freedom.

Now that this important holiday has come and gone and we transition from spring to summer, I’m very optimistic about the future ahead. With vaccination rates continuing to climb and Covid cases going down, life is starting to feel like normal again. It’s so nice to be able to go without a mask and give handshakes and hugs for the first time in almost 15 months.

Speaking of getting back to normal, on Wednesday, June 16, we will be holding our first in-person event since the pandemic began, with an outdoor happy hour from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Open Road (8100 Lee Highway). At this gathering, we will be honoring longtime GMBA member and past president Billy Thompson.

As we all know, Billy has given so much to our organization over the years and we owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude. Appetizers will be provided and drinks will be on your own, so please come and help us toast Billy and share a cold beverage together. Open Road and Trio are both members of the GMBA, so let’s get out support these member businesses and share good food, fun and fellowship. -RSVP to attend here

The GMBA recently had two virtual meetings with the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce, and both were very informative and well attended. Back in April our guest speaker was Jeanette Chapman, Director of the Stephen F. Fuller Institute at George Mason University. Ms. Chapman shared her insightful analysis of what the year(s) ahead may look like in Northern Virginia as we come out of the pandemic.

In our May joint meeting, we heard from Delegate Marcus Simon, who represents the 53rd district in the Virginia General Assembly. Delegate Simon gave us an update on many of the new legislative initiatives that will take effect starting July 1, 2021.

The GMBA also participated in a virtual Business Roundtable that was put together by Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik’s office. This was a very interesting and informative discussion with business leaders, county staff and other stakeholders on how we can work together to promote our member businesses to the community and share our mission to the public. We thank Supervisor Palchik for her support and willingness to work with our organization.

The key word for the past year and half has been virtual. And as we come out of the pandemic, I can’t wait to move from virtual to in person and have the opportunity to network together and get back to our meetings and events. Have a great summer and I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Delegate Marcus Simon will be attending and will be acknowledging the GMBA businesses who have achieved monumental anniversaries and community support excellence!

Those being recognized are:

Billy Thompson, Sampson Properties, Immediate Past President of GMBA.

Billy Thompson has served as President of GMBA for the past 7 years and has been a key member since 1995.

First Baptist Church of Merrifield celebrated 150 years in Merrifield in October 2020. 

Merrifield Garden Center celebrated 50 years in April 2021. 

The Hammond Agency celebrated 40 years in June 2020.

McCabe’s Printing Group celebrated 40 in August 2020. 

The Original Pancake House opened in 1991. 

Communications Electronics turned 40 in 2020 

Please RSVP HERE

Merrifield at Dunn Loring is a long time GMBA member and it is time to spotlight them for their valuable role in the community in providing spacious, value-driven housing to Northern Virginia residents.

Some of the features at the beautifully renovated apartment complex are:

• One-, two-, and three-bedroom units complete with private balcony or patio

• Custom kitchen cabinets, wood-style plank tile flooring, and stainless-steel

appliances

•  Walkable to Dunn Loring Metro Station and Halstead where shuttles are

available to the Mosaic District and Merrifield Town Center

• Fitness Center

•    Two recently repaved tennis courts

•     Basketball and sand volleyball courts

•     Picnic Area and Playgrounds

•    Sparkling Swimming Pool

•    Thirty-five (35) acres of landscaped grounds

•    Pets are welcome

GMBA salutes this long-time member and we look forward to getting to know Carlos better.

 https://www.merrifieldapartments.com/

Small, family-owned Commercial Property Management Company seeks an educated individual with prior experience in Property Management and Leasing involving properties mostly located in Fairfax and Prince William counties. More info

If you love making great money to meet new people, we have an opportunity for you! We are hiring full and part time bartenders and servers. Experience helpful, but not necessary.  More info.

Do you have a skill/talent that can be used to support adults with mental health, substance use, or homelessness issues in your community? RPSV is recruiting individuals interested in sharing their expertise during virtual support group sessions on the topics of anxiety, loneliness (depression), art, wellness, healthy living, positivity, and recovery. Speaking sessions are 15-30 minutes as the speaker prefers More info!

Ellen Reid SOUNDWALK is a GPS-enabled work of free public art that uses music to illuminate the natural environment.

Created by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ellen Reid, SOUNDWALK is tailor-made for Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, created to encourage calm reflection and introspection, and can be experienced while following social distancing guidelines. More info!

Wolf Trap Streaming Sessions

Keeping Music Alive

For a full list of live streaming and rescheduled concerts, click here!