By Mary-Claire Burick, President, Rosslyn Business Improvement District

Sociability and Engagement is at the Heart of Every Successful Community.
Everyone who knows me knows I’m a social person. So, it should come as no surprise that one of my favorite parts of the job is facilitating engagement with the various groups of people I meet. Whether it is a business owner, employee, resident or visitor, hearing their stories and learning from their experiences helps shape the way I see our community—the challenges we face and the potential we have. 

By Carla A. Fleming, CEO and Founder, Pivoting Strategies

Recently, when CEOs were asked what their top business priorities happened to be, a whopping 63 percent said, that by 2020, they were likely to change their business.[1] What’s behind this seismic change?
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In today’s increasing disruptive environment, CEOs are grappling with the fact that reliable methods for achieving growth no longer work. Mining existing customers for repeat business, improving workforce productivity, venturing into a new industry vertical—with slight modifications to an existing product—are examples of strategies that for years produced fairly consistent revenue gains…until they didn’t.

By Carlin Anderson, Development Manager, Bridges to Independence
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Without the structure of school, summer can be a difficult time for youth experiencing homelessness. It is critically important that during this time youth have plenty of opportunities to stay active. That’s where the Bridges to Independence Youth Development Program comes in. We strive to keep children busy, engaged, and active all summer long – and the centerpiece of it all is our Lemonade Stand. 

​By Celia Slater, AHC, Inc.

A safe and healthy home is the first step in developing a stable, successful life. Housing intersects with almost every other social issue and outcome, from education and health to employment and public safety. The challenge is to ensure communities provide a variety of housing opportunities for different incomes, demographics, and life stages. 

By Cara O'Donnell, Arlington Economic Development

​The Virginia Association of Destination Marketing Organizations (VADMO) awarded the Arlington Convention and Visitors Service a 2017 Virgo Award for Destination Event of the Year on Monday in Charlottesville. Arlington was recognized for its June 2017 Monumental Views IPW Travel Trade Reception, which showcased Arlington to international travel trade and media during the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW 2017 event in Washington, D.C.

By Sohee Choi, intern, Arlington Chamber of Commerce
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In the middle of my junior year at university in my home country of South Korea, I was troubled because I had only a few ideas about what I wanted to do for my future job, even though my friends had specific goals for their future careers. For three years, I had studied economics, marketing, and trade, but I had not figured out which field I like the most. But luckily, during summer vacation, I found Work English Study Travel (WEST), an internships abroad program, online. It offers two-month language class and four-month internship that is related to the each student’s major. I studied English, wrote essay and did interview to get into the program. After being accepted, I went to New York City, where I took English Business and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) class, and then finally got matched with an internship at the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.