July 13, 2021
UPCOMING EVENTS View all 2021 events here
New Member Orientation
July 14th | 3-4PM
partner event
Blueprint Virginia 2030 Regional Tour - Region 7 Meeting
July 21st | 12PM
Young Professionals Forum: Navigating Networking
July 22nd | 11AM-12PM
Greater Washington Apprentice Network - August Employer Briefing
August 3rd | 2-3PM
Welcome Back Celebration
August 5th | 5-7PM
partner event
6th Annual Northern Virginia Elected Leaders Summit
August 24th | 8-10AM
Distinguished Service Awards
August 31st | 8-9:30AM
MEMBER BLOG POST
8(a) certification and the Potential for Success
By member, Teresa Moon, Parabilis
The SBA developed the 8(a) program to level the playing field in federal contracting to offer minority and disadvantaged business owners access to contract opportunities formerly only available to bigger entities. But given this knowledge, did you know that there is a stipulation within the 8(a) certification process that requires you to prove your potential for success in order for your application to be accepted? This provision is an important one if you want in on this program. You see, the SBA doesn’t want to admit businesses into a 9-year program that may not have the ability to utilize the access it provides for many reasons, the biggest being that you must be able to show that you can compete and win contracts and ultimately flourish. 

The Proof is in the Paperwork
The SBA has to justify the access to the governing bodies and policymakers that oversee it, and being able to show your ability to succeed to them is just one facet of the process. So how do you prove this? Small businesses are asked to provide letters of credit and financial records that attest to their financial capacity to fulfill contract obligations. For small government contractors, particularly those with under 5 years of business activity and less than 2+years of positive financial gain within their industry will have difficulty providing what is necessary to prove your ability to thrive...

MEMBER ADVOCACY
In Case You Missed It
The Northern Virginia Chamber has been busy advocating for greater investment in transit for many years. As we return to the office in greater numbers, we encourage everyone to take advantage of convenient bus and rail options that get you safely to work, on time. For businesses looking for ways to make employees feel safer returning to transit in a post-COVID world, WMATA has created a toolkit to help organizations get their people back on Metro. 
APPLY BY AUGUST 6TH
Distinguished Service Awards
The Distinguished Service Awards are presented to individuals, companies, and non-profit organizations in recognition of community stewardship and business leadership. The awards will be given out in the following categories:
  • Veteran-Owned Business of the Year,
  • Veteran Service Organization of the Year, and
  • Veteran Employee of the Year.

The Distinguished Service Awards will be held in person on August 31st. Details below.

IN PERSON AND VIRTUAL
Upcoming Events
Registration is free
partner event
Blueprint Virginia 2030 Regional Tour - Region 7 Meeting
July 21st | 12PM
The Virginia Chamber Foundation is pleased to formally release the dates and open registration for the Blueprint Virginia 2030 Regional Tour.

Those who register will be invited to participate in the Blueprint Virginia 2030 Regional Tour survey. As part of the Blueprint Virginia 2030 development process, the Virginia Chamber Foundation has announced it will host a series of virtual meetings throughout Virginia, in partnership with its network of local, regional, and other chambers of commerce; and GO Virginia and VEDA. These meetings will serve to foster greater regional collaboration by bringing together leaders in business, economic development, workforce, education, housing, and other community representatives from across the Commonwealth to provide input for Virginia’s next statewide strategic plan.

Below you will find the direct link to the Blueprint Virginia 2030 Region 7 survey. The Blueprint Virginia 2030 Survey is 16 questions in length and will take approximately 12 minutes to complete. Please follow this link by July 20th.
Registration is free for members
Young Professionals Forum: Navigating Networking
July 22nd | 11AM-12PM
Confirmed Guests:
  • Kathy Albarado, CEO Helios HR
  • Deb Gandy, Managing Director, Chevy Chase Trust
  • Matt McQueen, Senior Vice President, Peraton

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? A smooth talker or do you stumble over your words? Are you at ease entering a room full of strangers or a wallflower? Do you find networking a struggle? Our next Young Professionals Forum is focused on successful networking strategies and will feature esteemed members of the Chamber's Board of Directors. During this unique event, these titans of business will share their own networking tips and tricks that you can use to create your own formula for navigating networking, no matter the event type. 
Registration is free
Greater Washington Apprentice Network August Employer Briefing
August 3rd | 2-3PM
The Greater Washington Apprentice Network (GWAN) brings together employers, academic institutions, public and private sectors. Employers gain access to best practices from organizational peers, sources of prospective apprentice candidates, support services, academic institutions, and training resources. The GWAN meets on the first Tuesday of each month for an Employer Briefing.

The featured speakers for the August GWAN Employer Briefing are:
  • Featured Employer: Amazon Web Services
  • Featured Resource: ICF
Welcome Back Celebration
August 5th | 5-7PM
We heard you loud and clear, you're ready to attend events again and we are too! Mix, mingle, see your old friends and meet some new ones at this Welcome Back Celebration that you won't want to miss. Please join us on Thursday, August 5th for our first post-pandemic event, a celebration to welcome you back again!

This event will be held in the fun and festive indoor/outdoor space at The Garden located at 5380 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria VA 22304. 

Our guidelines for event attendees:
  • Fully vaccinated individuals will not be required to wear facial coverings. 
  • Unvaccinated and not yet fully vaccinated guests are asked to wear facial coverings at events.
  • Anyone is welcome to wear facial coverings at our events, if that is how they feel most safe. 
  • We will not be asking for proof of vaccinations. We trust that our members and attendees will make responsible choices.

We can’t wait to see you!
Chamber members will need to register under the Northern Virginia Elected Leaders Summit - Partner Organization Registration to receive the membership rate. Please contact hsheikh@novachamber.org for the discount code.
partner event
6th Annual Northern Virginia Elected Leaders Summit
August 24th | 8-10AM
Speakers
  • The Honorable Katie Cristol, Vice Chair, Arlington County Board
  • The Honorable Jeff McKay, Chair, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
  • The Honorable Phyllis Randall, Chair, Loudoun County Board of Supervisors (invited)
  • The Honorable Ann Wheeler, Chair At-Large, Prince William County Board of Supervisors (invited)
  • The Honorable Justin Wilson, Mayor, City of Alexandria

The Northern Virginia Elected Leaders Summit offers the region’s business leaders the opportunity to hear from our local elected leaders about the economic climate in the region, initiatives they have completed or are undertaking to foster economic growth, and thoughts on how each jurisdiction can work together to improve our regional economy.

The Arlington Chamber of Commerce is hosting this summit with premier partner, the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, and co-hosts, Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, Loudoun Chamber of Commerce, Prince William Chamber of Commerce, and Northern Virginia Regional Commission.
Distinguished Service Awards
August 31st | 8-9:30AM
The Distinguished Service Awards honor individuals, companies, and non-profit organizations for their service to veterans in the Greater Washington business community. The Awards are presented in recognition of community stewardship and business leadership.

This event will be held at the Army Navy Country Club located at 1700 Army Navy Drive Arlington, VA 22202. 
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