A consultant hired by Fairfax County has rounded up some thoughts from regional government, business and non-profit leaders on what was hit most by the pandemic and where the most help is needed.

The feedback is one of the first steps on HR&A’s task of building an Economic Recovery Framework, a recovery strategy commissioned by Fairfax County and the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority.

“This strategy will guide the County through stabilization and outline recommendations for fostering an equitable, inclusive recovery,” HR&A said in a report on the preliminary findings of their study.

In the initial findings, county and civic leaders highlighted the disproportionate impact of the virus on Latino and immigrant populations in Fairfax. The pandemic has also affected access to housing, with lost jobs leaving families without the ability to pay rent.

“Continue to invest in programs that support economic mobility and enrich residents’ lives (job training, continuing education, disability support resources) despite budget shortfalls,” said one unnamed County leader sourced in the findings.

Meanwhile, non-profit and health service providers said their capacity has been under-strain and expect further fundraising challenges in the upcoming year. Suggested solutions mainly involved streamlining services and trying to find efficiencies.

Major employers in the region, meanwhile, said decisions about real estate investments are being deferred until more certainty can be stablished, balanced only by hopes for a more efficient permitting process and a doubling down on tourism and leisure investments.

Smaller employers said they are still struggling with a lack of consumer confidence in returning to businesses and negative impacts have rippled along the supply chain. Many small businesses in the area are still focused on survival. Proposed solutions included more clear safety guidelines, streamlined online permitting, and rent deferment for small businesses.

More analysis of potential recovery scenarios is currently in the works, with a final report being drafted after that.

Staff photo by Jay Westcott

Downtown McLean could see new development over the next 10 years, after Fairfax County adopted a new program last Tuesday making it cheaper and faster for developers to build in revitalization districts.

Developers whose plans meet certain criteria could benefit from real-estate tax breaks, a 10% reduction in site plan fees and a fast-tracked process for zoning applications if they build in McLean, or one of the other five revitalization district in the county.

The Board of Supervisors adopted the Economic Incentive Program on Sept. 15 to give the private sector incentives to revitalize and redevelop properties in a half-dozen commercial revitalization districts, including McLean.

The program was established by an ordinance that amends the county code.

Other qualifying districts include:

• Baileys Crossroads/Seven Corners
• Annandale
• Lincolnia
• Areas along Richmond Highway, including suburban areas and part of the Huntington Transit Station Area
• Springfield, except the single-family portion of the Springfield Transit Station Area

To qualify for the lower costs and faster application processes, developments must be commercial, industrial or multi-family residential. Proposals need to be new and should consolidate at least two neighboring parcels of land totaling at least two acres.

Proposals need to align with the county’s Comprehensive Plan for redevelopment, and follow all laws and policies regarding affordable housing.

Developers will only receive tax breaks for their proposals if they act within the 10-year timeframe specific to their revitalization area. McLean’s window for the tax cut starts on July 1, 2024 and lasts through June 30, 2034.

The county plans to make the application process and forms available later this fall. Those who are interested can connect with county staff and discuss their eligibility by emailing Community Revitalization Section Director Elizabeth Hagg at [email protected].

To attract talent to the Northern Virginia area, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority is hosting a workshop for regional companies.

The online Talent Attraction Workshop: Marketing Northern Virginia will take place Tuesday (Sept. 15) from 11 a.m.- 12 p.m. and help employers understand what draws people to the area and how to recruit talented individuals, according to a press release.

There are roughly 80,000 currently untilled positions in the region, the website said.

“The workshop will also reveal top findings from talent perception research commissioned by the FCEDA, as well as findings from a national survey of 1,600+ people recently conducted by Development Counsellors International (DCI) — the leader in marketing places,” the press release said.

For those who are interested, the event will also include an introduction to an online hub for talent to learn about career opportunities and relocation information.

“The hub includes a job board with 90,000+ active listings in Northern Virginia, upskilling and training resources, a cost of living calculator, a community finder quiz and more.”

Potential attendees can register for the Zoom session online.

Photo by Bruce Mars/Unsplash

Two Tysons companies are among the 15 tech employers listed for an upcoming virtual job hosted by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority.

The fair is targeted to mid-career tech professionals, especially ones with security clearances, and the companies represented will have a total of 3,000 open jobs in the Northern Virginia region, according to FCEDA.

“While the fair is primarily for those in tech fields including data science, software engineering, IT, cybersecurity, defense and aerospace, some companies are featuring non-tech positions such as marketing, sales, finance, human resources and legal,” according to FCEDA.

Companies signed up for the fair include:

• Microsoft, Reston
• Amazon Web Services, Arlington
• AppGuard Inc., Chantilly
• CGI, Fairfax
• Customer Value Partners, Fairfax
• Expedition Technology, Herndon
• EntropyZero Consulting, Reston
• FireEye, Reston
• Ipsun Solar, Fairfax
• General Dynamics Information Technology, Falls Church
• ManTech International, Herndon
• MicroHealth, Tysons
• NTT Data Federal, Tysons
• Serco Inc., Herndon
• SOSi, Reston

Previously, FCEDA hosted a virtual career fair for recent college graduates.

“Every job represents a household, so when we connect people — whether newly minted graduates or those midway through a career — to thousands of open jobs, we are really improving lives, saving households and communities,” Victor Hoskins, FCEDA’s president and CEO, said in a press release.

People will be able to browse companies in a virtual lobby before entering “virtual booths” to view open positions and video conference with recruiters.

The job fair will be hosted on Tuesday, July 14, from 1-4 p.m. People can register online.

Photo by Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash

Park Party Is Over — “A video supplied by a local resident showed throngs of bathing-suit-clad youths cavorting and whooping it up and swigging alcohol at the park’s scenic waterfall… Fairfax County Park Authority officials are beefing up police presence at [Scotts Run Nature Preserve], and authorities soon will be prohibiting parking along Georgetown Pike and some nearby neighborhood streets.” [Inside NoVa]

Empty Offices — “Many companies in the county are likely to shrink their footprints to account for increased remote work, according to surveys the FCEDA has tracked, while others that may have been considering a move to Fairfax have put those searches on hold, [Victor] Hoskins said. The county’s office vacancy rate stood at 13.9% at the end of 2019, according to the county’s 2021 budget plan.” [Washington Business Journal]

Vienna Hit With Power Outage — Thunderstorms last night swept across Northern Virginia. Dominion Energy has now resolved a power outage that was affecting over 1,700 customers around 8 p.m. in the Vienna area. It was caused by a circuit outage, according to Dominion. [Dominion Energy]

ICYMI: Protest Held in McLean — “Hundreds of people chanted and marched in a Black Lives Matter protest led by six McLean High School students on Wednesday.” [Tysons Reporter]

Join our Executive Director @LJCarbonneau for this Community Conversation on how the arts & cultural organizations in the Tysons area are planning in this uncertain environment. @TysonsVAPatch @mcleanvacenter @TysonsReporter @sungazettenews @DranesvilleSup @artsfairfax https://t.co/Z9re3W3thV

— McLeanProjectForArts (@MP4A) June 10, 2020

Five companies headquartered in Tysons and one in the Falls Church area have made this year’s Fortune 500 list.

At #41, Freddie Mac in Tysons nabbed the highest spot of the 11 Fairfax County companies on the list, according to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA).

The rankings are based on the companies’ 2019 revenue, according to the press release.

The local companies on the list cover a wide variety of industries. “The wide diversity of the industry sectors represented here also is striking, everything from our traditional strengths in IT, aerospace and defense to financial services, hospitality and construction, and that also speaks well for the stability and resiliency of our business base,” Victor Hoskins, FCEDA’s president and CEO, said in the press release.

The Tysons companies on the list include:

• #41 — Freddie Mac
• #96 — Northrop Grumman in the Falls Church area
• #97 — Capital One Financial
• #155 — DXC Technology
• #338 — Hilton Worldwide Holdings
• #450 — Booz Allen Hamilton

“Only a handful of communities can say they are home to 11 Fortune 500 companies. It sends a really strong message from the corporate world that this is a strong, stable, resilient location for headquarters operations,” Hoskins said.

Last year, seven of the 10 Fairfax County companies on the Fortune 500 list were based in the Tysons area.

New Unemployment Numbers for Fairfax County — “With 629,185 county residents in the civilian workforce and 16,992 looking for jobs, the county’s unemployment rate of 2.6 percent was up from 2.1 percent in February, according to figures reported April 29 by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.” [Inside NoVa]

Falls Church Senior Home Needs Masks — “The Kensington Falls Church is asking community members to sew surgical gowns for use by its staff.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Electric Bills Going Down — “Most Dominion Energy residential customers should see their bills drop in May, according to a Thursday news release from the company. The reduction will be around $6 per month for the ‘average residential customer,’ the release said.” [The Virginian-Pilot]

Create a Love Letter to Tysons — “Tysons Reporter is looking for video submissions of verbal ‘love letters’ to neighbors around the Tysons area.” [Tysons Reporter]

Small Business Loan Success — The Fairfax County Economic Authority interviewed the owner of Tysons-based Falcon Labs on what it was like getting a PPP loan. [FCEDA]

As part of the Town of Vienna’s efforts to boost economic development, the town recently partnered with a state agency to offer free counseling sessions for small businesses.

The town announced the Small Business and Supplier Diversity program yesterday.

“This is an opportunity for Vienna small businesses to learn about and take advantage of state programs and certifications that may help them do just that,” Economic Development Manager Natalie Monkou said in a press release. “This is a free service provided to current and future business owners and is an easy partnership that benefits businesses, the town and the state.”

The one-on-one, one-hour counseling sessions will be coordinated by Chris Ley, the NoVa business services manager at the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity, according to the press release.

“Ley will discuss with small business owners and managers state certification programs and purchasing opportunities that may open them to new opportunities,” according to the press release. “She’ll also have information about regional events that help connect businesses and marketing opportunities.”

The first meeting is set to take place from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Friday, March 20, in the second-floor conference room at Town Hall and will be held the third Friday of every month. The town requests that businesses schedule an appointment by emailing [email protected].

A new apprenticeship program in Tysons will allow a wide range of job seekers in the technology industry to get a foothold in the workforce.

The initiative welcomed 10 apprentices at a signing event last Friday (Feb. 21) at the Alarm.com headquarters, where the apprentices will be working for a year, according to a press release.

The 10 chosen participants were selected from over 600 applicants, according to Megan Johns, the apprenticeship program manager. “It was a pretty rigorous process,” she said.

Applicants went through an aptitude test, which consisted of computer skills, a phone call and an in-person panel interview, Johns said.

Apprentices range in age and background according to Johns, who added that the participants are roughly 20-40 years old. 

The Tysons-based company helps clients with home and business security, according to its website. Founded in 2000, the website said Alarm.com lets people secure their homes remotely using technology that coordinates with personal devices.

As a state-funded initiative created in partnership with the Northern Virginia Community College and GO Virginia‘s economic development initiative, the program will include three members from the military community, the press release said.

One program participant spent more than 20 years serving in the army and National Guard, while another is a marine and the third is a military spouse, Johns said.

“There are more than 100,000 job openings right now in Northern Virginia, half of them in technical fields, so the need for connecting companies with talent is obvious,” Fairfax County Economic Development Authority CEO Victor Hoskins said.

At the signing event, speakers discussed talent acquisition efforts, the growing demand for on-the-job learning experiences and technical education, according to the press release.

After their initial year at the company, program participants will be able to apply for long-term positions within the company, according to Johns, who said Alarm.com is “rapidly growing” and looking for talent.

Photo courtesy Alarm.com

Three months into her job as Vienna’s new economic development manager, Natalie Monkou has an abundance of ideas for how to boost business in the town.

Monkou, an Annadale resident, previously worked in Arlington County as a liaison between the county and three business improvement districts (BIDs): Rosslyn, Ballston and Crystal City. Before that, she worked as the special assistant to Prince George’s County’s deputy chief of economic development.

Currently, Monkou has been on a “listening tour” around the town and holding public forums to receive input.

So far, the tour has been “really good,” Monkou told Tysons Reporter at Caffe Amouri earlier this week. “I’m trying to meet everybody.”

“Everybody” includes local businesses, commercial real estate brokers, local organizations that work with businesses and the Vienna Business Association.

While Monkou said she hasn’t heard anything surprising yet — mostly issues about high rents, property owners, vacancies and traffic — she said the people she has met with have different opinions on what economic development is and how it should work.

In an hour-long conversation with Tysons Reporter, Monkou shared a variety of ideas she’d like to look into for boosting Vienna businesses, like offering a walking tour with the mayor, improving the website for tourists and looking into how to turn the industrial area — what she calls a “sleeper hit” — into more of a destination.

But she said her main goal for this year is to get more data before she starts to make big changes. “I’ve heard lots of stories,” she said. Now she wants the data.

Currently, she said she’s working on a proposal for a market study that will look into Vienna’s competitiveness in the D.C. market, along with collecting demographic information and a SWOT analysis.

Using the study’s data, she wants to create an economic development strategy. Both the study and strategy could take anywhere from six months to a year, she said.

Her other top priorities for this year include a focus on the town’s budget and also figuring out how to market local businesses better outside of the town.

“I think there are opportunities to do more marketing and promotion of business here,” she said, adding that Vienna already supports local businesses well. “Why would I come here? Why would I shop here when I don’t live here?”

How to make Vienna a destination for nonresidents is on Monkou’s mind, as are controversial topics like the moratorium on new development guidelines for Maple Avenue — known as the “MAC” — and Tysons’ potential impact on Vienna.

“I want to be a part of MAC convos,” she said, adding that businesses have brought it up in discussions with her.

Monkou is clear that whatever happens with the MAC, which has been put on hold until June so the town can redo its guidelines, won’t slow her down and that there are plenty of areas around Vienna — like near Caboose Tavern — that she can focus on.

As for Tysons, Monkou said business owners can look to the growing community for potential customers.

A part of that involves making it easier for people to get to Vienna, which will require a look at traffic congestion and parking problems, she said. (For cycling enthusiasts, Monkou said she’s aware of how “special” the W&OD Trail is to the town and she said she wants to promote it more.)

As she dives more into these areas, Monkou expects lots of conversations with several town departments, like parks and recreation staff, as she works to merge traditional economic development with a “BID-like overlay” that includes online ads and events.

At the end of the day, Monkou said it’s all about “unique ways to promote the town’s assets.”