1
MAY 2017
Proving the
POWER OF INCLUSION at CAPERNAUM PAGE 4
Unleash the fun!
DOGTOPIA
comes to Gainesville PAGE 2
Companies that work for women
AURORA FLIGHT SERVICES PAGE 3
CHARACTER. YOU CAN’T LEAD WITHOUT IT PAGE 6
2
MAY 2017
VENTURE
Fauquier Times/Gainesville Times/Prince William Times
Dogtopia – where every dog has its day By James Ivancic
Times Staff Writer JIvancic@fauquier.com
Dogtopia serves as a home away from home for canines, a place where they can play with other dogs and get tender loving care while their owners work or vacation. Fido and Fifi can even get a spa treatment complete with bathing and blow drying. “The works” includes teeth brushing, nail trims, brush outs, and ear cleaning. Doggy birthday parties and pool parties are held. Brian Fitzpatrick and Suzanne Dukes hold the franchise on the Dogtopia in Manassas and will open one in Gainesville in June in a new shopping center at Wellington Road and University Boulevard. Fitzpatrick and Dukes were once married. The marriage didn’t last but the business partnership did. Both are dog lovers. Fitzpatrick cradled Jackson, a 10-year-old Jack Russell mix they adopted eight years ago, during an interview at the Gainesville site. He and his ex-wife share custody. The Gainesville location gives them
TIMES STAFF PHOTOS/RANDY LITZINGER
access to clients in the west end of the county. Like the one in Manassas, it’s near I-66, making it easier for the dog “parents,” as they’re called, to quickly be
on their way after drop-offs and pick-ups. Dogs interact with others of their size at Dogtopia. There are separate play rooms for small, medium and large dogs. There’s a “meet and greet” area where a new dog is evaluated to see how it reacts to being away from the parent. It progresses to a mini-play area to mingle with a few dogs before being released into a larger population. Dog parents get a tour of the facility and view what goes on in each room through windows. “They can see everything we do,” said Fitzpatrick. Dogs must have the appropriate vaccinations and be spayed or neutered at seven months of age, A live web cam allows the dog parents to check on their furry loved ones wherever they have internet access. Dogs have balls, “donuts,” jumps, ramps and tunnels to amuse them. They romp on artificial grass indoors. There’s an enclosed outdoor play area. With so many dogs, cleanup is a constant process. An indoor flushing system whisks the material away. The Gainesville site has a different layout than the one in Manassas, which will get a makeover.
A love of dogs is the top requirement for anyone who wants to work at Dogtopia. Anyone who has worked with children “making sure everybody plays nice” would probably have what it takes to work with dogs, Fitzpatrick said. The ability to stay on your feet for long periods helps too. Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Dog parents can leave their loved ones at Dogtopia for half or all day. All day care includes a drop-off time at 5:30 a.m. and pick up time of 7 p.m. Monday through Friday to accommodate parents with long commutes. Day care hours on Saturday and Sunday are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fees are $35 for all-day care and $20 for half day. Five-day and 30-day passes lower the cost. The boarding fee is $55 per day. Owners can leave dog food or have their pets fed with the high-quality food Dogtopia supplies. Dogs are fed inside individual crates. Staff will administer any medication a dog is taking. “Dogs can choose what they want to do. They can rest on a bed or romp with their friends. Our mission is to give every dog the most exciting day ever,” said Dukes. For further information, call 703-4839444, or visit dogtopia.com/gainesville.
Times Business appreciates your feedback. Send comments or suggestions to Susan McCorkindale, Editor, at smccorkindale@fauquier.com
Fauquier Times/Gainesville Times/Prince William Times
COMPANIES THAT WORK FOR WOMEN
MAY 2017
3
AURORA FLIGHT SCIENCES
Aurora Flight Sciences employees from left, Marlise Soria, Ashley Gudzak and Mor Gilad work on the research and development of the next generation of aircraft.
By Jennifer E. Goldman
Times Business Contributor Jennifer@Resonance.us
When it comes to flexibility in the workplace, an aerospace company with clients like the U.S. military and high profile tech companies doesn’t typically come to mind. This is, however, what some of Aurora Flight Sciences’ female employees value most. Speaking with Mor Gilad, Deputy Program Manager, about what makes the company a great place for working women, she began by explaining how she’s always been integrated in a “male-oriented world,” growing up with brothers in Israel, being in the military, choosing engineering as a profession. “I really didn’t see myself as a woman in the workplace,” she clarified, “just a human…until I had a baby.” When returning from maternity leave, Gilad’s priorities and needs had, naturally, shifted. “I needed flexibility in order to be okay,” she remembered, “and they were great about it.” Aurora allowed her to return parttime and scale into full-time gradually. She’s also been able to enjoy going offsite to nurse or bring her daughter with her to work, when needed. Aurora, which was started by President and CEO John Langford in a garage in Alexandria, is now headquartered in Manassas and focused on innovation in aeronautics. “The people who work here are really emotionally involved,” explained Gilad, a self-proclaimed aero-nerd. “After work you’ll find people downstairs racing models.”
Gilad also confessed that at Aurora they are continually racing the clock to come up with newer technology before anyone else. The company, however, views this more as an opportunity to give leeway than to create stress and demands. Gilad has noticed that many employees feel encouraged to approach their superiors about trying something new or different. “You will almost never be told no,” said Gilad. “Aurora gives you the chance to try new things, to bite off big chunks, to make mistakes.” Another way in which Aurora encourages their employees is through their continuing education benefits. “We started Aurora University,” explained Communications Manager Ashley Gudzak. “We have classes like Preparing for Your Performance Review or software training.” Gudzak explained that the goal of Aurora University is to help employees grow within their field, hone or develop skills and to assist them in rising through the company. This is also what Administrative Services Supervisor Marlise Soria appreciates about Aurora. Soria started at Aurora just two years ago as an executive assistant. “And now I have a whole team,” she enthused. “This company is very supportive and quick to promote from within,” Soria explained. “The goal here is to support the staff so they can grow.” Constantly concerned with cutting edge technology and completing tasks as thoroughly and quickly as possible, time and stress management are key; calm and cohesiveness is evident. Every Friday, the nearly 200 employees gather in a confer-
ence room at lunchtime and listen to a seminar. The topics vary each week, but are mostly presented by employees sharing experiences. Gilad remembered presenting on the topic of ‘soft skills’; sharing with her colleagues what she’d recently
PHOTO BY TIN NYGUEN
learned at a workshop about communication, team building and collaboration. Aurora is continually seeking new team members. To find out about current opportunities, visit them here: www.aurora.aero/careers/.
appletoncampbell.com
...call your local expert electricians at Appleton Campbell! Lighting • Wiring • Fans • Generators Smoke Detectors • Electrical Panels ’s
Culpeper 2016 2016
CULPEPER
TIMES
BEST
Best
of the BEST OFTHE OF CULPEPER
540.347.0765 Warrenton | 540.825.6332 Culpeper 540.645.6229 Fredericksburg | 703.754.3301 Gainesville
AC TimesBusiness_Ad.indd 1
3/30/17 1:46 PM
4
FOCUS
MAY 2017
Fauquier Times/Gainesville Times/Prince William Times
Proving the power of INCLUSION at Capernaum
By Jill Palermo
Times Staff Writer JPalermo@fauquier.com
For teenagers with disabilities, getting involved in activities outside of school isn’t easy. Most youth sports leagues, clubs and even scouting troops are geared toward typical kids, making it difficult for special needs students to find their place. Capernaum is different. Affiliated with Young Life, a Christian organization
serving tweens, teens and college students worldwide, Capernaum’s mission is to create a welcoming space for disabled teens. The name, Capernaum (kuh-per-neyuhm) refers to a Bible story in which four able-bodied men were so determined to help their disabled friend visit Jesus that they cut a hole in the roof of the building where he was teaching in the town of Capernaum. Inspired by the tale, Young Life’s Capernaum pairs disabled teens with non-disabled “buddies.” The club meets once a month, usually on Saturday or Sunday evenings, for laid-back gatherings that include games,
PHOTOS COURTESY KAT RADER
crafts, brief Bible lessons and time to just hang out. In Fauquier County, Capernaum has been available for the past three years to students enrolled at all three high schools: Liberty, Fauquier and Kettle Run. Held at the Warrenton Community Center, club meetings are open to 14- to 22-year-olds who are enrolled in high school. “All kids with any disabilities are welcome,” says Kat Rader, the volunteer who directs the local group. “We have kids with physical disabilities, emotional disabilities, down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy…
1 Guy, 1 Truck, 1 Trailer
“One Call Moves It All” No Hidden Fees
Hourly rates only with a 3 hour minimum. Floor & Furniture Protection Included.
• Whole House & Small to Medium Office Moves • Real Estate Solutions: Furniture Moves & Staging, Junk Hauling • Store Pick Ups & Specialty Items (new TVs, Gym equipment, appliances) • Boat, Trailer & RV Hauling
SU PP O R T LO C A L B US I N E SS.
Email: 1guy1truck1trailer@gmail.com Phone: 703-622-3061
FOCUS
Fauquier Times/Gainesville Times/Prince William Times
all are welcome to come.” About 18 teens regularly attend along with 10 or 12 buddies, said Rader, who works as a special education teacher at a private school in Fairfax County. Rader was employed by Young Life earlier in her career and helped start one of the first Capernaum clubs in Texas. The purpose of Capernaum is to provide disabled teens “a place where they belong, where they can socialize, kick loose and have fun,” Rader said. “I think it’s a really awesome social outlet, for them,” she added. “And it lets them know how worthy they are.” But Rader says she’s become convinced, over the years, that typical teens who volunteer with the program get a lot out of it, too. Maybe even more than the disabled kids. “They get to see life through somebody else’s eyes,” Rader said. “The friendships they’ve formed with these special kids are just so genuine and pure… it really gives them an opportunity to form relationships
MAY 2017
with kids they wouldn’t get to know otherwise.” In high school especially, it’s uncommon for disabled kids to mix with their typical peers. Rader said kids sometimes meet at Capernaum and then discover they go to the same high school. Pretty soon, they’re building new connections at school that might not have happened. Marilyn McCombe, of Vint Hill, said her daughter, Jenna, who has Down syndrome, enjoyed just such an experience this spring. After meeting a new friend at Capernaum, the 17-year-old junior asked him to go to prom with her. He accepted. “I have pictures, I have stories … It was magical,” McCombe said of her daughter’s first prom. “It was everything we thought it could be and more.” McCombe shared the story with the Fauquier County School Board recently as an example of the positive effects of “inclusion,” settings that mix disabled teens with their typical peers, like Capernaum
does. McCombe is president of the ARC of North Central Virginia. Like Rader, she said such opportunities are valuable to all kids. “It’s just about a loving, supportive environment where everyone is respected and valued,” McCombe said. As for Jenna, her feelings about Capernaum are clear. “I see it every time I take her,” McCombe said. “She is just beaming. She is just energized every time I pick her up. It’s obvious what a positive time it’s been every single week.”
TO FIND OUT MORE:
For Capernaum: Visit www.fauquiercounty.younglife.org and click on “Capernaum.” For typical Young Life, find activities and meeting times on Twitter: Fauquier County: @FauquierYL or @ YoungLifeLHS (Liberty High School), Western Prince William County: @wpwyounglife, Eastern Prince William County: Call Ty Kosa, 703-980-2421 On the Cover: Jacob Rader, a student at Kettle Run High School, and his buddy, Tanner Kerby, at Capernaum Club.
Secure, Flexible, Affordable IT Solutions For Your Business and Family
The right face for your business. INTERNET
CLOUD
SECURITY
REFRESH
• Delivering primary and back-up high speed internet
Professional Headshots
39 Garrett St, Warrenton, VA 20186
540.878.1383
dreamspeedphotography.com
5
solutions to offices, homes, and mobile platforms • Increasing office efficiencies by migrating you to the Cloud and managing your IT services • Providing security solutions across your business profile • Auditing your current business systems against growth requirements and delivering an affordable, pro-active, long term IT solution
A Local Business Solutions Provider for World Wide Technology
Locally Owned and Operated
www.sonustechnologies.com • 540.729.1715
6
BUSINESS BRIEFS
MAY 2017
Fauquier Times/Gainesville Times/Prince William Times
Character – the Foundational Key to Great Leadership By Scot Small
Times Business Contributor Scot@RevBuilders.com
Do we have more characters in society today than we have character? It certainly seems that way. In some of our most visible leaders, we sometimes see a lack of character in all too often shocking and unsettling ways. As my grandmother used to say, we can’t change the choices of others or the situations they create, but we can change ourselves and the way we respond. So, I ask you – where do you place character in your own (business, family, work, leadership) life? Let me first say that I’m constantly working on building a stronger character and staying true to it. I have by no means arrived and don’t claim to be better than anyone else. Hopefully I’m better than I was yesterday and the day before. But, life is a journey in which we try and fail and, hopefully, pick ourselves up and try again, maybe even reaching that bar or hurdling over it. I continue to learn as I go just like everyone else. An analogy on character: The oak tree is known for its expansive root system which spreads out beneath the earth to a distance far greater than the width of its canopy. This allows it to grow and stand tall and solid. The pine tree, by comparison, has a much shorter and denser root system, so when the storm comes, the pine tree is the first to fall. Its foundation is not strong enough to withstand the assault. Life is the same. The bigger our dreams, our com-
Become
a
panies, the groups we lead – the stronger our foundation needs to be. The more you desire to have an impact in others’ lives, the more your own life needs to be rooted deep in good, solid character. What is character? I define it as: To stand firm in what is true and sure, to be someone who can be relied upon at all times to serve and sacrifice for others. Or maybe you’ve head the saying, “Character is doing the right thing when no one is looking.” As people come to know you and believe they can rely on you in all matters, your ability to lead grows, your ability for influence grows, your relationships deepen, your self-confidence grows, and your general sense of well-being increases. Most importantly you are trusted. Without good character, there is no trust. Without trust there is no leadership. It is not always easy to stay true to these things, because powerful worldly influences will always beg for your attention and test your resolve. How can you best position yourself to make the right decisions, to do the right thing more often than not? 1. Decide beforehand what your decisions will be with situations that you know will arise. This helps remove the emotions of a situation. 2. Monitor yourself in these areas of life: a. Commitments – Did you meet them? Did you prioritize properly? Consider what this says about you. Work to make your actions a true reflection of your intentions. b. Were you honest in all matters? Any white lies? c. Were you authentic with yourself and others?
If you’re willing to commit, placing character above all will help you get on the path to increasing your root system, which will earn you the trust you need from others to help you lead more effectively. Now, go and grow. Scot Small is president and CEO of RevBuilders and sits on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Fauquier County and Middleburg Bank. He can be reached at scot@revbuilders.com.
certified Welder
in
3 Weeks!
Call for Class Schedule
Tuition includes instruction, welding equipment (helmet, gloves, and jacket) and Certification! Welding Level 1 teaches basic skills, focused on stick or Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) and grinding
Welding Level 2 builds on Level 1 and focuses on Metal Inert Gas (MIG) Welding and Vertical and Overhead welding
Start Building a Strong Foundation Today for a Solid Future Tomorrow
at the American Institute of Welding in Chantilly, Virginia
703-955-0462
www.americaninstituteofwelding.com
7
8
be daring...
allen wayne Design. Identity. Creative.
703-321-7414 allenwayne.com AW Cover Ad_daring.indd 1
Realize your creative power with the help of Allen Wayne, a local, award winning, graphic design studio with more than 40 years of experience. Our design team is ready to build your brand identity, promote your business, and spread your message with:
Graphic Design • Web Design Print & Editorial Services
...be aw 5/9/17 8:05 AM