Save the date for our 2025 Annual Members' Meeting on June 3rd

2024 Photo Gallery
Register for the Event Now
2024 Impact Award Honorees

Our annual awards celebrating

Our NVC Membership

Our Chamber Membership

Past Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees
Past Impact Award Honorees
Award FAQs

2020 Sponsors

Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Contact John Woodstock, Director, Member Engagement at jwoodstock@novachamber.org
ManTech
Cox
Known as the "best networking in the Region before 10AM," this members-only event is a who's who of Regional leadership, making it a key business connection opportunity not to be missed! This meeting is where our Region’s leadership connects, celebrates our collective achievements, and we pass the torch to a new Board Chairman.

Thank you to our signature event sponsor:

Thank you to our supporting event sponsors:


TIME: November 9th, 8-9:30 AM

LOCATION: Army Navy Country Club, 1700 Army Navy Drive Arlington, VA 22202

REGISTER: Register here.

2022 Distinguished Service Award Finalists & Winners

Veteran Employee of the Year

  • John Quackenbush, JHNA - winner
  • Steven Slay, PingWind, Inc.
  • Tyler Sweatt, SecondFront - winner
  • Stacey Tyson, B3 Solutions, LLC
  • Ed Weinberg, Optum Serve

Veteran Service Organization of the Year

  • Boulder Crest Foundation
  • National Veteran Small Business Coalition (NVSBC)
  • George Washington Chapter AUSA
  • Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund - winner
  • NOVA Veterans
  • Veterans Moving Forward, Inc.

Veteran-Owned Business of the Year > Emerging Business (Less than 5 Years in Business)

  • Coforma - winner
  • Phalanx
  • The Critical Mass, LLC
  • Virginia Technical Academy
  • Xenith Solutions
  • ZeroMils

Veteran-Owned Business of the Year > Maturing (5-10 Years in Business)

  • Commander's Concepts Commissioning LLC
  • Encompass Supply
  • IronArch Technology
  • PingWind, Inc. - winner
  • Qmulos

Veteran-Owned Business of the Year > Established (More than 10 Years in Business)

  • CATHEXIS
  • David T Scott & Associates, LLC (DTS)
  • Government Tactical Solutions
  • HigherEchelon, Inc.
  • Intelligent Waves
  • Prescient Edge Corporation - winner

2023 Lifetime Achievement Awards Honorees

Senator Richard L. Saslaw, Senate Majority Leader – 35th District

Senator Richard L. Saslaw is the longest serving member of the Senate of VA and currently is the Senate Majority Leader. He represents the 35th District, which includes the City of Falls Church, parts of Fairfax County and parts of the City of Alexandria. Senator Saslaw chairs the Senate Commerce and Labor committee, and is a senior-ranking member of the following committees: Senate Education and Health, Senate Judiciary, Senate Rules, and Senate Finance and Appropriations. He also serves as the chair of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Subcommittee on K-12 Education. Additionally, Leader Saslaw serves on numerous commissions, including the Governor's Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates, the Committee on District Courts, the Joint Subcommittee on Early Childhood Care and Education, the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation, the Commission on Employee Retirement Security and Pension Reform, the Health Insurance Reform Commission, the Joint Subcommittee on the Future Competitiveness of Virginia: Higher Education, the Virginia Commission on Joint Rules: Intergovernmental Cooperation, the Joint Subcommittee on Local Government Fiscal Stress, the MEI Project Approval Commission, and the Joint Subcommittee to Evaluate Tax Preferences.


Senator Janet Howell, 32nd District

Janet Howell has been Virginia's State Senator since 1992 and is one of the Commonwealth’s most influential leaders.  She is second in seniority and the longest serving female Virginia Senator. She is also the first woman to chair the powerful Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, and serves on the Courts of Justice, Education and Health, Privileges and Elections, and Rules Committees, and is a Senate budget conferee. 

Senator Howell is credited with major legal reforms. She headed the overhaul of Virginia’s family violence laws.  She led efforts to protect children from sexual predators. Virginia has genetic information privacy legislation due to her efforts.  She spearheaded the mental health law reform in the Senate following the Virginia Tech tragedy. Education, children, and families have always been the Senator's top priorities.

Her work has been widely praised and honored.  The American Academy of Pediatrics named her their National Child Advocate of the Year.  The Virginia Sheriffs have repeatedly called her Senator of the Year.  Numerous human services organizations, including the Virginia Interfaith Center, have also given her awards.


2021 VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR, FINALISTS

Maturing:

  • Aptive Resources - Winner
  • Building Momentum
  • David T Scott & Associates, LLC (DTS)
  • GCubed Enterprises, Inc.
  • Government Tactical Solutions

Established:

  • Intelligent Waves LLC - Winner
  • IT Veterans, LLC
  • ManTech International
  • Precise Systems, Inc.
  • Wendroff & Associates, CPA

2024 Impact Awards

Impact Award for Regional Leadership

The Impact Award for Regional Leadership is given to candidates who are recognized for the hard work, dedication, and positive impacts they have made to grow our Region. NVC has selected Jason Stanford, Laura Miller Brooks, and Nick Clemente for the 2024 Impact Award for Regional Leadership in recognition of their intellectual and policy engagement on the future financial and operational integrity of WMATA. We salute their contributions to our Region today and into the future.

  • Jason Stanford, Executive Director, Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance
  • Laura Miller Brooks, Director of Transportation and Infrastructure, Federal City Council
  • Nick Clemente, Vice President, Government Relations, NVC

Jason Stanford, President, Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance

Jason Stanford is the President of the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance. He oversees the day-to-day operations of the Alliance including long-term planning, transportation policy analysis, advocacy, and community outreach. Jason spent six years and seven legislative sessions as the Chief of Staff to a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley.


Laura Miller Brooks, Director of Transportation and Infrastructure, Federal City Council

Laura Miller Brooks is the Director of Transportation and Infrastructure at the Federal City Council (FC2). In her role, Laura leverages the creativity, connections, and resources of the 250 business and civic leaders who make up FC2’s membership, as well as regional partners, like the MetroNow Coalition, to help realize the most transformational transportation and infrastructure projects in the DC region. Prior to FC2, Laura led government relations in the Mid-Atlantic region for Lime, a global micromobility company.


Nick Clemente, Vice President of Government Relations, NVC

Nick Clemente’s responsibilities as the Vice President of Government Relations at NVC include informing members about legislative updates, fostering relationships with local leaders, and actively engaging with the General Assembly with his on-the-ground work in Richmond, Virginia. As a Northern Virginia native, Nick has been an active member of his community by serving on the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and the Leesburg Planning Commission. Nick has also run for election to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2021 to represent District 10 through his passion for politics and community building. Nick acquired a bachelor's degree in communications from Wittenberg University and a master's degree in social entrepreneurship from George Mason University.

Impact Award for Workforce

The Impact Award for Workforce is given to candidates who are recognized for their extraordinary achievements in creating a long-lasting impact on the future workforce of our Region. NVC has selected David Hunn, President and CEO, SkillSource Group, for the 2024 Impact Award for Workforce in recognition of his critical and impactful leadership that has advanced the Region’s workforce solutions. We salute David’s dedication to addressing one of our Region’s most critical challenges.

David Hunn, President and CEO, SkillSource Group, Inc.

David Hunn is the President and CEO of the SkillSource Group, Inc. and the Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Workforce Investment Board, a business-led organization representing the counties of Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William and the cities of Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas and Manassas Park, serving in that role since 2002. During his tenure, the Workforce Board and One Stop Center Operator have greatly expanded funding for workforce services in addition to developing and enhancing employment and training programs serving focused populations such as displaced workers, veterans, emerging entrepreneurs and small business owners, adults with disabilities and ex-offenders returning to the community.

Impact Award for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Nathan Carter, PhD, Chief Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Officer, Northern Virginia Community College

 

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Laila Salguero, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Peraton

Stephanie Turner, Vice President, Diversity and Chief Sustainability Officer, MITRE

Dawnita J. Wilson, Chief Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Officer, WETA

The Impact Award for DE&I is given to the Inaugural DE&I Board of Advisors in recognition of their critical role in driving organizational change with their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. NVC’s DE&I Board of Advisors holds a vital role of advising the NVC’s Board of Directors on processes and policies that advance DE&I at NVC, engaging with broader communities to promote social justice, and providing members with learning opportunities to strengthen their knowledge of DE&I issues. We salute their dedication to our Region’s diversity today and into the future.

  • Deb Gandy (co-chairman), Managing Director, Chevy Chase Trust
  • Stephanie Turner (co-chairman), Vice President, Diversity & Chief Sustainability Officer, MITRE
  • Kathy Albarado, President & CEO, Helios HR
  • Stephanie Berkowitz, President and CEO, Northern Virginia Family Service
  • Kristina Bouweiri, President and CEO, Reston Limousine
  • Karla Bruce, Chief Equity Officer, Office of the County Executive, Fairfax County Government
  • Jim Dyke, Senior Advisor, McGuireWoods Consulting
  • Kathryn Falk, Vice President, Northern Virginia, Cox Communications
  • Luanne Gutermuth, Founder, Good Spirit Farm
  • Cecilia Hodges, Regional President, Greater Washington and Virginia, M&T Bank
  • Victor Hoskins, President and CEO, Fairfax County EDA
  • Jermaine Johnson, Regional President, Greater Washington and Virginia, PNC Bank
  • Edward Kane, Jr., Transformation Lead, Youth Investment Partners
  • Patricia N. Mathews, President & CEO Emeritus, Northern Virginia Health Foundation
  • Matt McQueen, Senior Vice President & Chief Communications and Engagement Officer, Peraton
  • Derrick N. Perkins, Senior Vice President Market Executive, Bank of America
  • Richard Pineda, President & CEO, CALIBRE
  • Scott Price, Regional Policy Director, Dominion
  • Monica Schmude, President, Virginia, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • KayAnn Schoeneman, President, Curley Company, Inc
  • Gregory Washington, President, George Mason University
  • John A. Allen, Region Bank President, Wells Fargo
  • Lance Collins, Inaugural Vice President and Executive Director, Innovation Campus, Virginia Tech
  • Molly Fogarty, Senior VP Corporate & Government Affairs, Nestlé USA
  • Kelly Schlageter, SVP, Marketing and Communications, Acentra Health
  • Eileen Ellsworth, President and CEO (Retired), The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia

2021 VETERAN EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR:

  • Charles Miles, PenFed Credit Union - Winner
  • Tim Bayliss, Government Tactical Solutions - Winner

Thank You To Our Annual Partners

Premier Partners

Elite Partners

Business Partners

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When/where will the awards be presented?
A: The Distinguished Service Awards will be presented on at the Army Navy Country Club, September 12th, from 8-10:30AM
 
Q: Can I get a free / discounted ticket to attend the event?
A: Members of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce (and their employees) may register at the member rate.
 
Q. Can we nominate our own company/organization?
A: Absolutely! Use this link to submit your application by June 23rd.