ARLINGTON, VA - The Arlington Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the finalists for the 39th Annual Arlington Best Business Awards on Tuesday, May 6 at Army Navy Country Club. In addition to the Awards, the Chamber will induct Barbara E. Nicastro and Martin D. (Art) Walsh into the Arlington Business Hall of Fame. 

Awards are earned by businesses that meet five criteria: deliver exceptional quality of service to their customers; have experienced significant growth or stability in their business life; are industry leaders who offer a unique approach to the delivery of their goods or services; display an interest in and concern for the Arlington community; and display a commitment to diversity and inclusion as part of company culture. The Award winners are selected by an aggregate of scores on each of the five criteria, scored by past Award winners.

Large Business:

Army Navy Country Club

Northwest Federal Credit Union

Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh, P.C.

Nonprofit:

Arlington Neighborhood Village

Aspire Afterschool Learning

Arlington Community Foundation

Retail:

Cookology Cooking School

Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe

MGI Corporate Gifts

Service:

Alex Sakes Photography

Clarendon Home Services

Global Group

LGBT+ Counseling Collaborative

Technology:

Excella Inc.

Langston Technology Center

The Arlington Business Hall of Fame honors individuals with a connection to Arlington County who have demonstrated a long record of successful management expertise and business skills, along with notable achievements and exceptional civic and community involvement.

Barbara E. Nicastro, founder of The Law Offices of Barbara E. Nicastro, is a longtime champion of Arlington and served the Arlington community for four decades. A graduate of Georgetown University, she was a trial attorney with the U.S. Justice Department Tax Division, an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Charleston, West Virginia, and a trial attorney and supervisor with the Justice Department’s Criminal Fraud Section. She formed her law firm, The Law Offices of Barbara E. Nicastro, in 1991 and continues her practice in New Jersey. Barbara served as Chamber Board member for six terms, additionally serving as 2007 Chamber Chair, Co-Chair of the Opportunity Works campaign (2006-18) Young Entrepreneurs Academy Instructor (2015-18). The Law Offices of Barbara E. Nicastro was named the Chamber’s 2001 Small Business of the Year. Barbara has dedicated much of her career to nonprofit and civic involvement, demonstrating a strong commitment to community service. As a 2002 graduate of Leadership Arlington, she has held several influential leadership roles, including President of the Inter-Service Club Council and chair of the Arlington Advisory Board for John Marshall Bank’s Arlington Branch. Barbara has also been an active board member for a number of organizations such as the CrisisLink, Bowen McCauley Dance Company, and PathForward.

Martin D. (Art) Walsh, (1944-2022), founder of the Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh, P.C. law firm, played a crucial role in many developments that define Arlington’s built environment to this day. A Northern Virginia native and a 1962 graduate of Bishop O’Connell High School, Art founded the firm in 1983 following a decade in private practice. Art specialized in urban planning, zoning, and land development for projects throughout the region, but particularly in Arlington. He achieved approval for Courthouse Plaza, the Medstar Capitals Iceplex, the Boeing Corporate Headquarters, multiple sites in Pentagon City, and 3.7 million square feet of development in the Potomac Yard neighborhood. Beyond Arlington, he was a pivotal player in the replanning and easement cases for the Silver Line and I-495 HOT lanes expansions. Art was consistently recognized for his legal success, being named as one of Washington’s Top Lawyers in Washingtonian magazine in 2017, and one of the Best Lawyers in America, Real Estate Law: Land Use and Zoning, from 2005 to 2019.

The Best Business Awards will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on May 6, 2025, at Army Navy Country Club, 1700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington VA, 22202. For more information, please see the event page. Members of the media are invited to attend. To request media credentials, please contact John Musso, Government Affairs Manager, at (703) 525-2400 ext. 203 or advocacy@arlingtonchamber.org.

ABOUT THE CHAMBER

Founded in 1924, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit membership organization of more than 600 businesses committed to strengthening businesses and the economic environment for those who work, live, and do business in Arlington. The Chamber supports our members through networking, advocacy, professional development, and community engagement. For more information or to become a member, visit www.arlingtonchamber.org.