Letter from the Chairman

Given the broad array of programs and business services NVTC offers to bolster the success of our 1,100 member companies, to strengthen the technology industry in Northern Virginia and to positively impact the economic growth of the region and the Commonwealth, I am always proud of the great number of companies that consider our public policy advocacy efforts to be among the most valuable and critical benefits of NVTC membership. As the voice of Northern Virginia's technology community in Richmond, NVTC has long provided strong, proactive advocacy on behalf of the region's tech industry—entrepreneurs, executives, employees and companies of all sizes—to ensure that[added that] state policies and investments reflect our priorities and foster a probusiness environment supportive of the technology industry and statewide technology–based economic growth.

Through NVTC's advocacy efforts last year, we won passage of a variety of important initiatives including:

  • A statewide transportation funding bill that includes a Northern Virginia self–help component to provide more than $300 million per year in new, dedicated, sustainable transportation funds for the region. NVTC actively worked with 21 other Northern Virginia business groups to secure approval of this essential legislation in Richmond and ensure implementation by our local government leaders.
  • Legislation establishing the Community College Transfer Grant Program to provide higher education grants to community college students who have earned an associates degree and are admitted to a Virginia four–year college or university. Reflecting tech industry workforce needs, the amount of the grant doubles for students pursuing undergraduate work in engineering, mathematics, nursing, teaching or science.
  • One–stop permitting for small businesses to streamline and consolidate the business registration and permitting process for entrepreneurs in Virginia, which leverages technology to provide Virginia entrepreneurs with a single access point to fill out and submit the various permit applications associated with establishing a small business in Virginia. It ensures Virginia remains a preferred place to start a business and helps entrepreneurs reduce their transaction costs with government so they can instead focus on hiring talented employees, bringing their products to market and growing their bottom lines.

The 2008 NVTC Legislative Agenda for Virginia lays out a bold yet pragmatic set of priorities—objectives that reflect the strong diversity within Northern Virginia's technology community, and also the unified focus of NVTC members in ensuring that this region continues to grow and distinguish itself as a global technology center with the infrastructure, quality of life, educational assets, research activities, highly skilled workforce, public policies and public investments to rival any other region in today's highly competitive global environment.

Given the budgetary and economic challenges facing policymakers this year, it is now more critical than ever that Virginia legislators and technology leaders work together to preserve the important initiatives and policy strides we have made in Virginia over the past several years. We also must continue to move forward with further investments in technology– driven economic growth and our collective technology future.

Together, we must continue efforts to address Northern Virginia's transportation crisis, take even greater initiative in keeping Virginia competitive in the increasingly global economy, provide adequate funding for higher education in Northern Virginia, increase research funding at Virginia universities— especially those located in our community—and ensure the Commonwealth provides more highly skilled workers to power Virginia's technology economy. With the recent launch of NVTC's Green Technology and Energy Task Force, NVTC also is equipped and prepared to work with political, university and business leaders to leverage technology and our technology community to enhance energy efficiency, help curtail energy demand, encourage use of renewable energy sources and address environmental challenges throughout the region.

I highly encourage you to read the Legislative Agenda from cover to cover to understand what our lobbyists in Richmond are advocating on your behalf during the 2008 General Assembly session. Become educated on how policy and our efforts in Richmond directly impact the future viability of your business and that of the tech community at large in our region and the Commonwealth. I also encourage you to leave the sidelines and enter the playing field as an active participant in our Public Policy Steering Committee and a contributor to the NVTC TechPAC, or simply to take the time to express your opinions about our legislative priorities to the NVTC leadership. We are ready to listen.

An educated and active membership is a powerful membership and with one strong voice we can accomplish great things.

John C. Lee
NVTC Chairman of the Board
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Lee Technologies