This past summer, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the most comprehensive legislation in history addressing rights for people with disabilities. While this milestone was an opportunity to celebrate the leadership of those who made the passage of the ADA possible, it’s also important to realize how far we have yet to go. Even …
Hope Is Not a Strategy: Key Points to Plan For Your Business Future.
This year has changed the face of business for us all, and as we face additional uncertainty on the path toward our new normal, more and more of us are asking, “how will I survive and thrive in the times ahead”? The answer is that it depends on how management has approached the pandemic. Those who have used the past …
Addressing Food Insecurity in Northern Virginia
Although Northern Virginia has a reputation for being one of the wealthiest areas in the nation, more than 136,000 people in our area are food insecure. The high cost of living in Northern Virginia means many people struggle to get by even though they have a job, or two. Individuals and families are forced to make trade-offs, choosing between paying …
Message from our CEO: Virginia, I’m in awe of you.
My role as President and CEO of the region’s largest Chamber of Commerce daily sees me working with members, regional leaders, the press, and government officials. It’s through these first-hand experiences that my team and I have witnessed the remarkable resilience and perseverance our member businesses have demonstrated in an unimaginably challenging year. I’m always in awe of the Northern …
Thoughts on Leading Through the Coronavirus Crisis
The Coronavirus Pandemic has gripped the globe and is having an impact on Americans not seen in generations. This unforeseen, quick moving, and constantly changing crisis has evolved into a second pandemic – the panic, fear and perceptions cascading as a result of the virus. Now more than ever leadership is required. CEOs, executive teams and companies who deal with …
Now More Than Ever, We Need Nonprofits
If we, as a community, have learned anything from this year, it’s that we work better when we work together and support each other. There is no place where that holds more true than in the nonprofit world. Whether they are representing businesses, like the Chamber does, or meeting the needs of individuals and families during this challenging time, nonprofits …
Message From the CEO: Our Government Advocacy Impacts Your Business
2020 marks the Northern Virginia Chamber’s 95th year in business, but rather than planning big celebrations with much fanfare, we’ve instead spent our year doing what we do best: working on our members’ behalf. There is no area where this is more true than in our Government Advocacy work. Between the COVID-19 pandemic and major elections set to take place …
Statement by Kathryn Falk, Chairman of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce
I was honored to start my service as Chairman of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce on July 1. In June, in response to the brutal deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, and all those who have come before them, the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce issued a statement that the Chamber would condemn racism, discrimination, …
Five business lessons learned from the COVID-19 economic crisis
It’s fair to say that 2020 has been a business challenge. In addition to the emotional toll the COVID-19 pandemic and its related remote work requirements, lockdowns, and other challenges have taken, many businesses now find themselves facing financial hardships and potential closures. All is not lost and if there’s a silver lining to be learned from recent events, it’s …
The 2020 GovCon Awards: Are we honoring or celebrating? This Year We Broke a Record!
It was mid-March just a few months ago and the global Covid-19 pandemic was in its early days in the US. The applications process for the 18th Annual Greater Washington Government Contractor (GovCon) Awards was about to be kicked off and questions were asked, understandably, about how to shape this year’s awards program. Will the contracting community respond? Should we …