News
Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership Fights for Northern Virginia's Businesses at 2012 General Assembly
January 21, 2012
CONTACT:
Tony Howard, Loudoun County Chamber:
(o) 571.209.9020; (e) thoward@loudounchamber.org
Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership Renews Effort to Advocate for Northern Virginia's Top Business Issues in 2012 General Assembly
The Dulles Regional, Greater Reston and Loudoun County chambers of commerce, representing more than 2,800 employers and 100,000 jobs, have announced that their organizations have renewed their partnership to serve as a strong, coordinated voice for Northern Virginia businesses during the 2012 legislative session through the Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership.
“The top priority of every member of the Virginia General Assembly must be the creation of good, high paying jobs and on investing in the workforce and infrastructure that is absolutely necessary to keep our economy strong. The policy agenda of the Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership is focused exclusively on creating those outcomes and we are committed to fighting hard for our member businesses in the upcoming legislative session,” said Tony Howard, President and CEO of the Loudoun County Chamber.
As in previous years, the individual chambers within the Partnership each possess a broad and comprehensive public policy agenda. The Partnership has taken those high priority positions from the agendas of the three organizations to make up the collective focus of its advocacy efforts in Richmond in 2012 to include the following:
“Particularly in the dynamic and challenging business environment we find ourselves in, it is more critical than ever to promote a strong, pro-business environment that enhances Virginia’s and the Northern Virginia region’s economic competitiveness, cultivates growth in all segments of our economy, and ensures adequate access to critical business infrastructure and resources,” said Mark Ingrao, President and CEO of the Greater Reston Chamber. Enhancing a strong, pro-business environment will continue to be the focus of the Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership’s efforts in Richmond.
The region’s leading business organizations in the Dulles Region (including the Dulles Corridor, western Fairfax, Reston and Loudoun County), the Commonwealth’s most vibrant economic market, formed the Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership in 2010 to ensure the needs of area businesses are represented before Virginia’s key public policy decision makers in state government. “This voice of Northern Virginia businesses has strengthened significantly through the Partnership’s efforts over the past several years and we are proud to continue to provide that leadership to represent our members’ interests at the state level in 2012,” said Eileen Curtis, President and CEO of the Dulles Regional Chamber.
“When you consider the total number of employers and jobs represented by the Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership, it is clear we are providing an unparalleled voice for Northern Virginia’s business community at a time when supporting pro-business policy is more critical than ever,” added Howard.
With so many new members of the Virginia General Assembly elected in November, and recognizing that what is good for Northern Virginia is generally good for the Commonwealth as a whole, the Partnership plans to focus its outreach and communications broadly once again this session. “We look forward to actively working not only with the members of our delegation, but also with others in the General Assembly and the Governor’s Administration, in support of promoting a pro-business environment in Virginia,” said Curtis.
Tony Howard, Loudoun County Chamber:
(o) 571.209.9020; (e) thoward@loudounchamber.org
Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership Renews Effort to Advocate for Northern Virginia's Top Business Issues in 2012 General Assembly
The Dulles Regional, Greater Reston and Loudoun County chambers of commerce, representing more than 2,800 employers and 100,000 jobs, have announced that their organizations have renewed their partnership to serve as a strong, coordinated voice for Northern Virginia businesses during the 2012 legislative session through the Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership.
“The top priority of every member of the Virginia General Assembly must be the creation of good, high paying jobs and on investing in the workforce and infrastructure that is absolutely necessary to keep our economy strong. The policy agenda of the Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership is focused exclusively on creating those outcomes and we are committed to fighting hard for our member businesses in the upcoming legislative session,” said Tony Howard, President and CEO of the Loudoun County Chamber.
As in previous years, the individual chambers within the Partnership each possess a broad and comprehensive public policy agenda. The Partnership has taken those high priority positions from the agendas of the three organizations to make up the collective focus of its advocacy efforts in Richmond in 2012 to include the following:
- Strong support for economic development incentives that particularly support business growth and retention in the Northern Virginia region;
- Support for responsible use of eminent domain in instances where the rights of property owners are balanced with the rights of entities with existing eminent domain authority, and strong opposition to including eminent domain, specifically, in Virginia’s Constitution;
- Protection of Virginia’s right-to-work statute and all related policies;
- Continued support for efforts to secure new, sustainable, long-term regional and statewide transportation funding to meet Virginia’s critical transportation construction and maintenance needs;
- Continued investment in higher education and workforce development initiatives that help prepare Virginia’s workforce for the current and future needs of the business community; and
- Continued support for investment in promoting tourism and business travel in the Commonwealth.
“Particularly in the dynamic and challenging business environment we find ourselves in, it is more critical than ever to promote a strong, pro-business environment that enhances Virginia’s and the Northern Virginia region’s economic competitiveness, cultivates growth in all segments of our economy, and ensures adequate access to critical business infrastructure and resources,” said Mark Ingrao, President and CEO of the Greater Reston Chamber. Enhancing a strong, pro-business environment will continue to be the focus of the Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership’s efforts in Richmond.
The region’s leading business organizations in the Dulles Region (including the Dulles Corridor, western Fairfax, Reston and Loudoun County), the Commonwealth’s most vibrant economic market, formed the Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership in 2010 to ensure the needs of area businesses are represented before Virginia’s key public policy decision makers in state government. “This voice of Northern Virginia businesses has strengthened significantly through the Partnership’s efforts over the past several years and we are proud to continue to provide that leadership to represent our members’ interests at the state level in 2012,” said Eileen Curtis, President and CEO of the Dulles Regional Chamber.
“When you consider the total number of employers and jobs represented by the Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership, it is clear we are providing an unparalleled voice for Northern Virginia’s business community at a time when supporting pro-business policy is more critical than ever,” added Howard.
With so many new members of the Virginia General Assembly elected in November, and recognizing that what is good for Northern Virginia is generally good for the Commonwealth as a whole, the Partnership plans to focus its outreach and communications broadly once again this session. “We look forward to actively working not only with the members of our delegation, but also with others in the General Assembly and the Governor’s Administration, in support of promoting a pro-business environment in Virginia,” said Curtis.
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