Chamber Insider Blog

Congratulations Tony! VACCE Executive of the Year


Chamber President Tony Howard Named 2015 Virginia Chamber Executive of the Year 

Roanoke, VA – Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tony Howard was recognized as the 2015 Executive of the Year by the Virginia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (VACCE). The award was presented at the VACCE Annual Meeting held in Roanoke, Virginia on Thursday, June 25, 2015.

In 2014, the Chamber has reached new levels of success and business leadership in the Loudoun community under Howard’s leadership. Last year, the Chamber’s membership grew 19%, to over 1,300 members, the highest membership total in over a decade. Howard also led the growth in the prominence of the BizVotes Election Education Campaign to increase the influence the business community has in local public policy and the issues that impact Loudoun’s overall quality of life.

“He began as the chief cook and bottle washer of a small (and financially troubled at the time of his hire) Chamber of Commerce in 2006.  Since then the Chamber has grown to the second largest in Northern Virginia with a full time staff of 10, supporting 100+ events per year and 14 permanent programs,” said 2014 Chairman of Board of Directors and CEO of Sterling-based Integrus Holdings, Inc, Scott Hamberger. 

Howard, who has been at the helm of the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce for nine years, has been an instrumental leader in the post-recession small business growth in Loudoun, successfully rallied the business community in advocacy for Dulles Metrorail expansion, and incorporated the non-profit community into the Chamber through the Non-Profit Initiative and the launch of the Connect Northern Virginia website.

In 2014, Howard also led the creation of the Loudoun Chamber Foundation, the Chamber’s foundation arm dedicated to supporting economic development, public safety and quality of life causes in the Loudoun County. Last week the Chamber’s Board of Directors voted to approve the Foundation’s first ever round of funding for three Loudoun-based nonprofits: the Loudoun Education Foundation, Loudoun Interfaith Relief and Northern Virginia Community College’s SySTEMic Solutions program.

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