The Vienna-Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce offers the following upcoming events:
Lunch and Lead Tip Group. Every Tuesday and Thursday, from 12:15-1:30 p.m. at Shula’s Steakhouse, 8028 Leesburg Pike in the Tysons Corner Marriott. For Tuesday and Thursday, R.S.V.P. to Harry Silverman, 703-319-8806. For Friday, R.S.V.P. to Jodi Scholes, 703-255-1500. Dutch.
East-West Basketball Game. Players are needed for the East vs. West business basketball game on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m. The game is 15 minutes long. Support the business community and have fun. Call 703-281-1333 to sign up.
Valentine Breakfast. On Thursday, Feb. 12, 7:30-9 a.m., bring a sweetheart and introduce him/her to the VTRCC at Anita's "New Mexico Style" Food Inc., 521 Maple Ave. E. Networking is at 7:30, breakfast at 8 a.m. Reservations required, call 703-281-1333. Cost is approximately $12.
Evening Mixer. On Thursday, Feb. 19, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at a location to be determined, meet more area business owners and fellow chamber members. Bring a friend and enjoy. R.S.V.P. to 703-281-1333. Cost is $5.
11th Annual Casino Night and Taste of the Town. Saturday, March 6, 7 p.m.-12 a.m. Sponsorship opportunities still available. Cost is $45 per person. Purchase a ticket by Feb. 28 and receive bonus "Chamber Cash." For tickets and more information, call 703-281-1333.
Excedent Technologies of Vienna, a leader in managed e-mail hosting and security threat prevention for service providers, appointed Kevin Minnick vice president of product development. A veteran of the software industry, Minnick most recently worked for Honeywell Corporation where he helped the POMS division develop software for the pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods industries.
Minnick has played a major role in helping the current management team of Excedent build its original product and service line, prior to his position at Honeywell-POMS.
Minnick’s first initiative once on board is to facilitate the deployment of Excedent’s newly developed infrastructure scaling architecture. This project will ensure optimal e-mail performance as Excedent’s customer base continues to grow and as spam and virus threats worsen.
Minnick will be based out of the Blacksburg, Va., office and will help Excedent expand its presence in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center.
Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC added Dean Rutley to the firm's Corporate and Securities Practice Group in its Tysons Corner office.
Rutley comes to the firm from Morgan Lewis where he was a partner in the firm's business and finance group. He has nearly 20 years experience counseling emerging growth companies on a variety of domestic and international business transactions including private equity finance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate structure, compliance with federal and state laws, boards of directors duties and the resolution of business disputes. He also focuses on the management, valuation and protection of intellectual property rights including the acquisition, licensing and structuring of technology and product development arrangements.
Womble Carlyle's Corporate and Securities Practice Group assists its clients in evaluating, structuring and negotiating complex business transactions, including venture capital financings, initial public offerings, corporate spin-offs, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances and joint ventures The group has a substantial transactional practice and represents a variety of issuers and regional and national underwriters in connection with initial and other public securities offerings and routinely advises clients on all phases of buying and selling businesses.
Rutley is a member of the Northern Virginia Technology Council Venture Capital Committee. He also is a member of the George Mason University Century Club Board of Directors and the Century Club Executive Committee. As past chairman of the George Mason Century Club's Grubstake Breakfast Program, he serves on both Grubstake Breakfast's Steering and Selection Committees.
He received both his bachelor's degree in political science and his J.D. from George Washington University.
Sport & Health Co. appointed Mitch Wald to the position of president and chief executive officer, effective Dec. 22. Wald, who was president of the Sport & Health Co. from 1998-2000, rejoins the organization as president and CEO, assuming the post from Jeffrey Hendrickson, who recently resigned to pursue other business ventures.
Wald returns to Sport & Health with a diverse and successful career in the health and fitness industry. In addition to his tenure at Sport & Health, over the last decade Wald has held several senior executive positions, including president and COO of Fitness MX and senior vice president of Charles E. Smith’s health club division. Wald is a former president of IHRSA, the International Health, Racquet and Sports Club Association, and a recipient of IHRSA’s Distinguished Service Award. Most recently, he was vice president of Health Fitness Corp., a leading provider of fitness, wellness assessment and occupational health services to corporations, hospitals, universities and communities.
At the helm of Sport & Health Co., Wald will be responsible for strategic corporate direction, continued development of innovative programming, partnerships and alliances, and leadership of the executive team and its efforts to solidify Sport & Health’s position as the leading health club company in the Washington, D.C., metro area.
For Acumen Solutions Inc., a management and technology consulting firm in Vienna, 2003 was an eventful year of community service activities including multiple events to feed the homeless, participation in a marathon day of service and continued support of the Make-A-Wish foundation through raffles, triathlons and other fund-raising activities. Acumen Solutions was once again recognized this year as a finalist for the Northern Virginia Leadership Award in the category of Community Trustee and named one of Washington’s 50 Great Places to Work by The Washingtonian magazine. In 2003, Acumen Solutions’ employees contributed 1,265 hours of service to the community.
Acumen Solutions partnered with numerous socially responsible organizations in 2003, with a focus on providing aid to children and young adults. For the fourth year, Acumen Solutions participated in and volunteered at the Make-A-Wish Sea Colony Triathlon in Bethany Beach, Del., and sponsored the bike course for the event. In addition, it sponsored a local Wish Child and raised funds, totaling over $21,000, to support her wish and the wishes of numerous other children through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Also in 2003, Acumen Solutions continued partnerships with both George Mason University (GMU) and Share Our Strength. For the third year, Acumen Solutions funded five $1,000 scholarships to benefit undergraduate students of the GMU School of Management. For the fourth time, Acumen Solutions worked with Share Our Strength to produce a corporate anniversary event, with all of the proceeds going directly to support Share Our Strength’s mission to end hunger in the United States and abroad.
Acumen Solutions’ community service also included collecting canned goods and monetary donations to support Food for Others of Northern Virginia and volunteering at So Others Might Eat in Washington, D.C., to feed the less fortunate in the area during the Thanksgiving season. Additionally, Acumen Solutions held its annual holiday drive to support Kristi’s Christmas and the Fairfax County Women’s Shelter. Throughout the year, employees of Acumen Solutions donated cell phones to Call to Protect, a domestic violence prevention program that provides wireless phones to those in danger.
Cochran & Owen, LLC opened its law offices in the Tower Club building in Tysons Corner. Founders Deborah Donick Cochran, Esq., CPA and Amy Sandborn Owen, Esq. are joined by Patrick Kennedy, Esq., Benje Allen Selan, Esq. and legal specialists, paralegals and administrative assistants Dawn Hitchcock, Melanie LeTourneau, Vera Schleeter and Courtney Watson.
Prior to founding her own firm, Cochran was a partner at Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP. She designs estate plans and advises family-owned businesses on a variety of issues. Area Certified Public Accountants and financial planners selected her as a top estate planning lawyer in the December 2002 issue of Washingtonian Magazine. Owen, formerly of Richards McGettigan Reilly & West, PC, focuses her practice on employment law and commercial litigation, including litigation involving intellectual property, financial institutions, real estate, insurance and business torts. Both are members of the Virginia, Maryland and District of Columbia bars. For more information about Cochran & Owen, call 703-847-4480 or e-mail info@cochranowen.com.
May Jewelers, with a location in Potomac, Md. for the past 15 years, is relocating to Tysons Corner at 8032 Leesburg Pike effective Sunday, Feb. 1. Call 703-448-0866.
Verizon Wireless has completed work that increases by 20 percent the number of calls its wireless network can handle for customers in Vienna. The expansion provides improved wireless service for Vienna Metro and Wolf Trap Farm Park, along Old Gallows Road, Spring Hill Road, Chain Bridge Road, Nutley Street, Maple Avenue and Park Tower Drive.