Thomas Repczynski SFCC Chairman

Inauguration craziness now behind us, who's got the "over/under" on when Campaign 2020 gets officially underway?  In the meantime, your SFCC Board and I have been hard at work making south Fairfax a great place to do business and SFCC the forum of choice for local business decisionmakers.  As you know by now, we are not your average Chamber - and have no intention of ever being so!  From our unique fee structure to our atypical meetings, we're getting noticed and business connections are happening!  New members are joining us and longtime members are re-engaging as our offerings expand and our approach becomes more well-known. 

We've added a monthly event expected to move from one member watering hole to the next.  Our inaugural "Thirsty Third Thursday!" was held fittingly (and not coincidentally, I might add!) this past week at longtime member Glory Days Grill in Lorton, and attracted a formidable Inauguration Eve contingent.  These "TH3" events--as I hope they will come to be known!-give us an opportunity to thank some of our members directly by steering a little business their way and doing so with no pretext or agenda.  Just come out for a quick drink or linger for dinner.  We hope you'll come to think of them as coordinated happy hour events with like-minded and similarly-spirited (pun intended!) current and future business partners. 

We plan to continue our Member Mixer events with quarterly gatherings, bringing recognition to Chamber members willing to sponsor a Mixer in exchange for a spotlighted and promoted opportunity to make members aware of the products and services they offer.  Plans are coming together to have KM Builders, Inc. sponsor our first 2017 Member Mixer on March 9th at the Embassy Suites.  In addition, we'll be holding our Annual Meeting on April 6th at the jewel of Fairfax's county-owned golf courses, Laurel Hill Golf Club. We hope you'll consider participating in the SFCC-sponsored Teen Job Fair being held April 29 at South County High School.  Employer registration for the Job Fair is now open and free of charge. I hope you'll save the dates, plan to join us and not wait to register to participate!  Looking ahead to the Fall, we are planning a Chamber golf event, and invite you to let me know of potential interest in participating.
 

We are pleased to welcome Marvin D. Miller, Attorney at Marvin D. Miller and Associates,  Tracey P. Wood, President of Inkwell Duck, Inc., and Ryan Carmen, General Manager of Laurel Hill Golf Club to the South Fairfax Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.  There are a few slots remaining to be filled on the Board.  If you are interested in serving, please contact Tom Repczynski.

Ryan Carmen joined the SCFC Board of Directors in December.  Ryan and his wife made the move to Northern Virginia from Pittsburgh July 2016 for a fresh start and a new beginning at Laurel Hill Golf Club as the General Manager.  Laurel Hill, a top ranked municipal course in the country, has a growing potential and one that Ryan is excited to continually expand upon.  He is excited to build on his network and interact with local professionals with hopes of increasing awareness of both Laurel Hill GC and all surrounding businesses within the local area and county.  Ryan looks forward to meeting as many chamber members as possible while also aiding in business development throughout the Lorton area.

Tracey P. Wood has been a SFCC member since 2009, and joined the Board of Directors this past fall.  She is Founder and President of Inkwell Duck, Inc., and is currently serving as Fairfax County Small Business Commissioner, At Large. She has her Master of Science in Communications Management from Syracuse University, SI Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse, NY, and her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Howard University in Washington, DC.  Inkwell Duck, Inc. is a business/government relations and communications firm, serving the greater Washington Metropolitan area since 1989. Inkwell provides strategic support to win government contracts and grants.

Marvin D. Miller began serving on the SFCC Board of Directors in late 2016, after being a Chamber member since 2008. He is the founding partner of Marvin D. Miller and Associates, with more than 30 years of experience in criminal defense. Marvin is one of the founding members of the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and continues to serve on their Board of Directors. He is active in the organization's efforts to ensure that prosecutors follow the Rules of Professional Responsibility and play by the rules. Additionally, he uses his appellate skills to help VACDL when they file Friend of the Court arguments to aid defendants in very important appellate cases. Marvin is a past director and member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He was the recipient of the NORML Legal Committee's Al Horn Memorial Award in 2000.