Business leaders, members of local organizations and Reston residents gathered in sweltering heat on Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce. The celebration included induction of new officers on the Chamber’s board.
Mark Looney, a land use attorney with Cooley Godward Kronish, took over from Marion Myers as chairman of the Reston Chamber. He said he has two main goals for his tenure. "One, I want to focus on making sure the rest of the region understands the importance of Dulles Corridor to this region," said Looney. He said economic growth in the corridor benefits not only Reston, but also the entire region. "Two, I want to continue to enhance the chamber’s financial base," he said. Looney added that he would work to continue to provide good services and programs for the chamber’s almost 900 members.
Past chairman Myers said the chamber is poised for dramatic growth. She noted that the chamber-sponsored Taste of the Town, which took place on June 16, was one of the highlights of her tenure. There was an increase of 20,000 tickets sold for the event over the prior year’s event.
Myers awarded Del. Ken Plum (D-36) with the chamber’s 2007 Pinnacle Award. Plum said the organization was near and dear to his heart, and recognized its work in the community. "The chamber is doing so much for the business community, and not just the business community, but the community at large," he said.
Chamber president Penny Pompei said it was nice to be a part of an organization celebrating 25 years of success. She expects that the future will bring dramatic growth to the Reston Chamber. "More members, more services and significantly expanded resources," she said. Some of the resources she hopes to expand are small business loans and free consultations to the chamber’s members. One of her goals is to introduce a new member service every month for two years. Pompei said she does not see any indication that the economic growth in and around Reston will slow down. "Look around. The number of new businesses coming to this area is just phenomenal," she said.