When we hear the word, “volunteer,” many of us instantly consider the recipient who will benefit from donated time and support rather than the advantages to the person giving away his or her time. After all, the long-held belief that volunteering is, “the right thing to do,” has been the backbone of the non-profit and support community. Yet numerous studies …
Chamber Statement on Metro, July 5, 2023
The transit system survived the past three years using nearly $2.4 billion in federal aid, staving off severe cuts and recently returning to pre-pandemic service levels. But with aid running out by July 2024, Metro leaders have undertaken a desperate search for sustainable funding to fill a financial hole projected to grow annually to as much as $1.2 billion later …
A Message from our 2023-2024 Board of Directors Chairman, Deb Gandy
Dear Chamber Members, I am extraordinarily humbled to serve as the 2023-2024 Chairman of the Board for the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is truly the voice of business in the Greater Washington Region. It provides a platform for businesses of all sizes and of diverse industries to be seen and heard. As I take this leadership post, …
Bipartisanship: Working Together to Build a Better Virginia
The Chamber recently spoke with Larry Roberts, Director of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia, who offered the following thoughts on the benefits of bipartisanship to Virginia government and its business community. The Sorensen Institute and the Chamber have formed an Advancing Civics partnership to promote bipartisanship and civil discourse as means toward effective public leadership. …
Creating a Culture of Support: Why We Need Employee Wellness Programs in the Workplace
The Chamber recently spoke with LeVar Johnson, a Community Activist working within the Pharmaceutical Industry, about employers’ roles in handling obesity within the workplace ahead of his participation in our Wellness in the Workforce Part 2 event on April 25th. Physical health is a personal mission for Johnson, who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 4. …
Employee Health & Benefits trends for 2023
In America’s professional landscape, there is a diverse workforce comprised of five different generations. While it is true that having a multigenerational workforce presents some challenges to employers, we encourage business leaders to view this as a benefit rather than a challenge. As the workplace evolves, talent acquisition and retention strategies will become increasingly more important and the evaluation of …
2023 Virginia General Assembly Workforce Update
The 2023 Virginia General Assembly wrapped up on February 25th in Richmond. The Chamber’s Vice President of Government Relations, Nick Clemente, was in attendance all 46 days (and then some!), advocating on behalf of our Region and Chamber membership. Chamber members were kept up-to-date throughout the session through Nick’s weekly emails and member advocacy calls. He was also always a …
8 Strategies to Build the Capital Region’s Digital Talent Pipeline
Digital talent is essential to competitiveness and growth, but our Capital Region continues to face a critical shortage. It is estimated that ~60% of Capital Region tech and tech-adjacent positions will be unfilled by 2025, leaving our region with a serious workforce issue. What is digital talent? Digital talent is the human capital needed to accelerate and deliver on an …
From a tight labor market to telework: results from the 2022 NOVA Workforce Index
Workforce issues continue to dominate our region’s business discussions this year as leaders face frustrating employee recruiting, retention, and remote work challenges. Working on behalf of our members, your Chamber has made sourcing solutions to these workforce issues a priority. As part of this effort, we’ve developed a broad range of member tools that include the Northern Virginia Workforce Index, …
Kicking Off the 2023 Virginia General Assembly
Editor’s Note: The Virginia General Assembly kicks off its annual legislative session this week lasting for 46 days. Staying connected to legislators and policymakers is critical for the Northern Virginia business community to ensure that we have a voice in the legislative process. The Chamber’s Nick Clemente, Vice President of Government relations is representing the Northern Virginia business community every …
