December 21, 2021
UPCOMING EVENTS
New Member Orientation
January 11th | 12-1PM
30th Annual Economic Conference
January 25th | 8:30-10:30AM
2022 Lobby Day and Viva Virginia
January 27th | 6-8PM
A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT & CEO
It has been a productive year!
Julie Coons, Chamber President and CEO
The holidays are a reflective time when we look back at our year's accomplishments, think about our loved ones and consider ways we can improve our community and world. This past business year was another for the record books! In our second roller coaster pandemic year, with its celebrations over the vaccine and a reopening of businesses followed by the lows of variant-induced fears, many of us had to dig deep and draw upon ourselves and each other to create a "business as usual" environment.

My own reflections on this past year are filled with pride and gratitude. Our membership has remained strong and our incredible Volunteer Leaders and staff have gone above and beyond to ensure a continuity in service and care that, from a membership delivery perspective, has been very much business as usual. Our programming adhered to our mission and showcased relevant speakers of the highest quality. Our awards events rewarded excellence within our business community, with each nominee and winner worthy of awe and admiration. Our advocacy work once again set us apart from other organizations in its ability to deliver and support our membership and the business community at large. Altogether I have to say that, despite the pandemic, 2021 has been a very good year.

While I sincerely wish for a swift end to the pandemic that is plaguing our world, I can't help but look forward to next year with eagerness to continue with this year's work, building new DE&I and Workforce programs and growing those already in place. 2021 was a trial, but we've emerged stronger and ready to tackle 2022! I wish you all the same!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Chamber Holiday Hours
A reminder that your Chamber will be closed from December 24th and reopening on January 3rd of next year. Happy holidays everyone!

Chamber Releases Positively NOVA! Holiday Edition
Last week, we sent out a very special Positively NOVA! Holiday Edition filled with stories of our membership giving back. If you missed it, their stories will be featured each day on our social media channels through the end of the year and can be found here.
A Chamber Bulletin Update
Last week in the Bulletin, the Chamber’s advocacy newsletter, we asked Delegate-Elect Elizabeth Bennett-Parker how businesses in her district can work with her. Here’s what she said:

I am excited to work with all types of businesses to improve the lives of those living in the 45th District, and to specifically help small, local businesses grow. Multiple studies have shown that small businesses reinvest a majority of their profits into the local community, which benefits the lives of every community member. I strive to ensure Virginia is a welcoming place to start and grow a small business, including improved opportunities for minority-owned and women-owned businesses.

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.
New Member Orientation
January 11th | 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. 
30th Annual Economic Outlook 2022
January 25th | 8:30-10:30AM | Van Metre Hall Auditorium, George Mason University 
Keynote Speakers: Stemming from their joint research, Jonathan Aberman, Dean, School of Business & Technology, Marymount University and Terry Clower, Director of the Center for Regional Analysis, George Mason University will provide an economic outlook for 2022 to give business leaders key insights into regional market and workforce trends. They will also be joined by a panel of local business leaders to further explore opportunities and challenges specific to our region.

Panelists:
  • Kendall Holbrook, CEO, Dev Technology. Kendall leads a women-owned company that provides full-stack development, biometrics, IT service management, and data management for the federal government.
  • David Ritchey, Executive Vice President at JBG Smith, a company that owns and operates about 16.7 million square feet of office, multifamily, and retail assets and has roughly 17.6 million square feet of mixed-use space in the development pipeline.
  • Ruth Williams-Brinkley, President, Mid-Atlantic, Kaiser Permanente. Ruth oversees all of Kaiser Permanente’s care delivery and health plan operations in Washington, D.C., suburban Maryland, Baltimore, and Northern Virginia.
  • Tien Wong, Chairman and CEO of Opus8, Inc., a private investment, strategic advisory, and conference management firm based in the Washington, DC area.

Join us as our keynotes and panelists explore the opportunities and challenges faced by our region as we continue to emerge as an international center of technology business growth and create pathways to enhance our entrepreneurial eco-system.  
2022 Lobby Day and Viva Virginia
January 27th | 6-8PM | Wong Gonzalez in downtown Richmond 
Join Chamber members in Richmond this year at Viva Virginia! Our annual legislative reception is back on after a COVID-induced hiatus last year. Each year, Viva Virginia is one of the premier mid-Session receptions that lawmakers and business leaders alike make sure they attend. This year we are co-hosting the event with the Arlington Chamber and Alexandria Chamber. Back in 2020, we had the Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, Chair of Senate Finance, and many other members of our Northern Virginia delegation join the reception.

MEMBER NEWS
Oatlands Historic House and Gardens announced the appointment of Dulles Greenway CEO, Renee N. Hamilton, to serve on their Board of Directors. 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