Talking with Todd

Outgoing Chair is committed to education, collaboration, and staying involved with the Chamber

Todd Rowley, market executive for the Capital Region at Old Dominion National Bank, will wrap up his year as Chair of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce in June. The Business Voice talked with Todd about his experience as Chair.

THE BUSINESS VOICE: WHEN YOU STARTED YOUR TERM AS CHAIRMAN, YOU SAID THAT AS AN ORGANIZATION, THE CHAMBER’S GOALS WOULD BE TO “GROW OUR MEMBERSHIP AND REACH, ENHANCE OUR REGIONAL FOCUS, AND INJECT MORE DIVERSITY IN THE PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES THAT INFLUENCE OUR CHAMBER.” WHAT PROGRESS HAS THE CHAMBER MADE IN EACH OF THOSE AREAS?

TR: I have seen the Chamber make great progress in each of these areas over the past year. New members are coming to the Chamber from all regions of Northern Virginia and beyond, and I think that the scale and diversity of the industry sectors they represent speak to how the Chamber has met this goal. In addition, our 2019 speaker lineup grew intentionally by gender and race: Speakers of color increased more than 10%, and 64% of our speakers were women. The leadership of the Chamber also reflects this effort. As I look at the members of the Chamber Board, Executive Committee, and the committee and council leadership, I have seen the advancement in this diversity effort and I know that it will continue under the direction of future officers. I can also see this reflected in our interactions with our elected leaders. The Chamber is respected for its regional voice in support of business interests, and that continues to serve us well during the General Assembly session and afterwards.

TBV: YOU’VE MENTIONED A DESIRE TO SEE “A SEAMLESS, BORDERLESS ENVIRONMENT OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND THE REGION AS A WHOLE” DEVELOP OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. WHAT KIND OF PROGRESS HAVE YOU SEEN MADE IN THIS DIRECTION IN THE PAST YEAR?

TR: This region is coming together in a way that I have not previously seen, and the Chamber is a part of the central matrix of this change. We are working with members of the newly established Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance and supporting their efforts to be more coordinated and collaborative in representing this region to companies seeking to establish a presence here. Also, the Chamber lends its support to regional-based organizations like Northern Virginia Community College, GO Virginia, and LEAD Virginia to expand the conversation regionally, as well as across the Commonwealth. It is also important to note that the leaders of the various regional Chambers have begun to meet periodically, and this elevates a new

collective focus on being less concerned regarding borders and more aligned on our overall regional success.

TBV: WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OR OPPORTUNITY FACING THE CHAMBER GOING FORWARD?

TR: COVID-19 has presented our country and region with extraordinary challenges. The Chamber has stepped forward to ensure that our region has the resources and means to get our regional workforce back to work. We have advocated for resources for business through federal and local funding; we

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are urging the governor to ensure that funds remain in place for investments in education and workforce. In this environment, it will be challenging to protect and expand what is needed, but the Chamber will keep pressing forward as we have a commitment to our members to advocate for their success.

TBV: YOU EARNED YOUR IT DEGREE FROM NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE LAST YEAR. ANY PLANS FOR ANOTHER DEGREE, AND IF SO, IN WHAT FIELD? TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR PASSION FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION AND WHY YOU MAKE TIME FOR THAT IN YOUR BUSY LIFE.

TR: In May 2019, I had the honor of completing an Associate of Science degree in Information Systems Technology, having completed courses in cyber and network security, coding languages, web design and information technology. Since then, I have been taking courses toward the completion of an Associate of Applied Science with a concentration degree in Cloud Computing Specialization, Infrastructure and Services, which I plan to complete by May 2021. Personally, I believe that continuing education is important, and that individuals should be lifelong learners. In my case, I have always had a passion for technology and NOVA permits me to follow this passion. It also keeps me well informed and relevant to the companies that I support, many of which have a focus on cybersecurity and cloud services. As for how I make time to take classes, I believe the answer lies in the question -- you make time. A person has to schedule it in and make it a valued part of their week. I take one class a semester, and that is enough given the other responsibilities I have in my life.

“In the past year, I have seen the Chamber make great progress in growing its membership and reach, enhancing its regional focus, and injecting more diversity in the people and businesses that influence our efforts, and I know that this will continue under the direction of future officers.”

TBV: DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MOMENT OR ACHIEVEMENT FROM THE PAST YEAR OF WHICH YOU’RE PARTICULARLY PROUD?

TR: In the fall, I was very pleased to extend my technology learning further when I successfully passed a Cloud Practitioner certification exam. What I hope this shows is that anyone who has an interest in areas like Cloud Computing or Cyber can achieve these skills, regardless of their current education background or demographics. We have a large number of regional IT positions that need to be filled, and we need individuals to focus on attaining these skills and certifications if we are to meet this need.

TBV: BEING CHAIR OF THE CHAMBER REQUIRES A BIG TIME COMMITMENT. ONCE YOUR TERM IS OVER, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH ALL THAT EXTRA TIME?

TR: I am very fortunate to have had the pleasure of having tremendous friends and colleagues to serve with me as fellow officers of the Chamber, which certainly helps with the ability to share the work associated with being Chair. Julie Coons and the Chamber staff are exceptional professionals and they have helped me to keep informed on the matters to which they need my help, and to advise me on the meetings and events to which I can provide the most benefit. In particular, the current Vice Chair and Chair Elect, Kathryn Falk, has been a great partner, and I truly value her collaborative efforts this year. As for “extra time,” those who know me appreciate that I like staying involved in region activities, and will continue to serve on several when my term as Chair ends, and I will definitely stay active and involved with the Chamber.

TBV: HOW HAS YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN A LEADERSHIP ROLE AT THE CHAMBER BENEFITED YOU PERSONALLY AND/OR PROFESSIONALLY?

TR: I have had the honor to serve alongside several prior Chairs, and I know that I have taken parts of each of their leadership styles with me along the way. Given the benefit of these past experiences, I know that I have become a better professional and a more effective regional advocate than I might have been otherwise. To that end, I have tried to be accessible to others eager to move up into positions of Chamber leadership to let them know how to get on that path. Overall, I am going to greatly enjoy my remaining term as Chair, and I am excited to work with the future Chamber leaders.