The Connection

Reston — The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce welcomed a new board and handed out their annual ACE Awards at the Sheraton Reston Thursday, June 27.

“Each year, we recognize outstanding businesses, volunteers and committees that work hard to make this chamber a successful place to do business,” said Mark Ingrao, president and CEO of the chamber. “This year, our seventh annual ACE awards, we had a record number of nominations.”

LauraLee Spatzer was named Volunteer of the Year. Ingrao praised her, as well as the numerous volunteers that help the chamber every day.

“The chamber is what it is today with the help of hundreds of volunteers each year. Reviewing the nominations was humbling, and reminded us how truly dedicated our volunteers are,” Ingrao said. “Her outgoing personality and passion for the chamber and the Reston business community shines when she welcomes new members as a chamber ambassador. She’s reliable, flexible and always there when calls for volunteers go out.”

In addition to the business and individuals, the chamber also took time this year to recognize the First Responder of the Year. This year’s winner was Sally Dickinson, a K-9 Handler with Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.

Dickinson is a member of the Fairfax County Search and Rescue team, where she is a K-9 search specialist.

“Her personal dedication to Reston residents goes beyond its borders,” Ingrao said. “On May 4, 2013, she was deployed to Kazakhstan as part of a three-person team to search for the remains of a U.S. Air Force KC-135. The mission was a success, and she and her dog earned high praise from the military for her efforts.”

As part of the new board, the chamber welcomed a new chair, Jane Raymond, vice president and COO of Reston Hospital Center. Raymond replaces outgoing chair C. Michael Ferraro of Training Solutions.

“With Metro coming next year comes a projected 60,000 new residents to Reston over the next 30 years, our work will continue,” Ferraro said. “Our responsibilities will include finding how to engage and welcome these new members. I’m confident we will be able to do so.”

Raymond has been with Reston Hospital Center since 1987, where she began as director of Physician Services. She has been COO since 1993, and also has served on the boards of Reston Interfaith and the Greater Reston Arts Center. She also cited a number of stats indicating the area’s projected growth, and said she and the chamber were prepared to take the challenges it presents head on.

“According to George Mason University, housing units in Reston and Herndon will quadruple, from 5,860 to more than 20,000 by 2030. We will also add more than 13 million square feet of commercial development, and experience a 40 percent growth in jobs, adding more than 25,000 positions,” she said. “These are stats and opportunities that other communities across the commonwealth, and quite frankly the nation, would be thankful to have. More than 70 percent of the world’s internet traffic comes through our region, we boast some of the highest median incomes in the nation, and we have a highly educated workforce, with bachelor’s and graduate degree attainment above the national average, and we have the second largest suburban office market in the U.S. Keeping up with this growth while keeping up with our vision will be hard work.”