NVC and Pinkston are back with the 2026 Business Leader Survey, a quarterly survey tracking the sentiment and priorities of regional executives throughout the year. A coalition of Northern Virginia chambers is partnering to implement this year’s survey, including:
- NVC
- Alexandria Chamber of Commerce
- Arlington Chamber of Commerce
- Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce
- Falls Church Chamber of Commerce
- Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce
- Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce
- Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce
- Northern Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Prince William County Chamber of Commerce.
“The 2025 Business Leader Surveys showed us that issues including affordability, retaining and growing our workforce, and lowering taxes have a profound impact on our region’s community, and we have been turning these sentiments into actions with NVC’s NOVA Roadmap initiative,” said Julie Coons, NVC President and CEO. “With a new administration and leadership in Richmond, we are proud to continue our partnership with Pinkston for the 2026 Business Leader Survey, keeping Northern Virginia’s business community at the forefront of state and local conversations. We are thrilled to be partnering with a coalition of ten Northern Virginia Chambers of Commerce to bring the views of a diverse employer community to this survey.”
“We’re excited to kick off another year of this research with NVC to capture the views and insights of the region’s business leaders,” said D.J. Jordan, Senior Vice President at Pinkston. “When this business community speaks, everyone should listen. Northern Virginia’s GDP represents nearly 42% of Virginia’s economy; it is vitally important to the entire Commonwealth as well as the Greater Washington D.C. area. We look forward to capturing and telling the story of our economic leaders as they navigate AI disruption, global competition, and government policy.”
Mark Your Calendar
The aforementioned coalition of Northern Virginia chambers will share the survey link with its members when the Q1 survey opens on March 23. The survey will close on March 27. Survey participants will include Northern Virginia business owners and executives from a cross-section of industries. This data collection serves as a tool for identifying emerging regional trends.
Once the survey closes, Pinkston’s research team will develop the Q1 Business Leader Survey Report, which is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, April 7. On Friday, April 10, NVC will host an exclusive Executive Member Forum (EMF) featuring a briefing from Pinkston on the Q1 Report.
If you’re a C-suite executive interested in participating in any future EMF calls, please contact NVC’s Membership Team.
Reflecting on the 2025 Data Results
Economic sentiment shifted considerably in the last quarter of 2025. In the Q4 Business Leader Survey Report, nearly half of business leaders believed the Northern Virginia economy would decline over the next six months, compared to 26% who expected it to remain steady and 26% who anticipated growth. This represents a negative shift from the third quarter survey, when only 35% expected a decline and 39% anticipated growth. The 2026 Q1 report, coming nearly six months after the 2025 Q4 report, should provide us with a snapshot that answers the question of which executives were correct in their assessment.
Shifting Gears: From Federal, to State and Local Conversations
While last year’s results reflected the heavy uncertainty of shifting priorities at the federal government, this year’s survey pivots to the state and local levels of government. This comes in recognition of the fact that a new Governor of Virginia has taken office, and the Virginia General Assembly has new leadership.
Stay tuned for updates regarding the survey and keep an eye out for communications announcing its release! To view last year’s Business Leader Survey results, please visit our website.
