By Debbie Powers, Events Associate, Arlington Chamber of Commerce

​I am delighted to be working with the Arlington Chamber after a 43-year career as a public servant. I was born in Richmond, Virginia a long time ago, moved to Michigan in my teen years, then moved back to Virginia after I was married. I have lived and worked in Arlington for over 35 years and cannot imagine living anywhere else!  I started my career with the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service in Arlington, then worked for Arlington County for over 30 years in Parks and Recreation, and ended my career in the Office of Emergency Management. I have been very active in the community as a resident and am a member of the Kiwanis Club of Arlington, AAUW, and Leadership Center for Excellence, to name a few. My husband, Bill, is an architect and our daughter, Stephanie, is married and lives in Memphis, Tennessee.

By Barbara Nicastro, The Law Offices of Barbara E. Nicastro
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YEA! stands for Young Entrepreneurs Academy, but the phrase doesn’t begin to describe the energy, determination, and talent of the individuals who have participated in Arlington’s YEA! program over the past three years. I’ve had the privilege of being one of the instructors for two years and have been blown away by the abilities of these middle and high school students.

By Joanne M. Anderson, Open Blooms

​It's so easy to get tangled up in the excitement of Valentine’s Day, and Open Blooms, the local floral delivery folks headquartered in Chantilly, likes to embrace a shop local perspective. It's a fact that communities which stay economically viable and prosperous do so, in part, because local residents believe that "shop local" is more than a mantra. It's a lifestyle that can impact families, friends and co-workers for generations.