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Register now for FCEDA’s Tech Virtual Career Fair: The FCEDA is hosting a Tech Virtual Career Fair next Tuesday, July 14 to connect mid-career job-seekers with companies that are hiring now. Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and 14 other leading tech companies in Northern Virginia are bringing recruiters to a virtual career fair. The companies represented will be offering more than 4,000 job opportunities in Northern Virginia.

If you are (or know) a tech professional looking for a meaningful, new job or career change, please view the registration page. Registration is free. Individuals with security clearances are strongly encouraged to attend.

The fair is primarily for those in tech fields including data science, software engineering, IT, cybersecurity, defense and aerospace, but some companies also are featuring non-tech positions such as marketing, sales, finance, human resources and legal. Participants will be able to browse companies in a virtual lobby, enter companies’ booths, view open positions, engage in video conferencing and chat with HR representatives in real-time – all from the comfort of their homes.

How the FCEDA can help your business: Go to the end of this newsletter to find out how the FCEDA can help your business during the COVID-19 emergency.

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Road to prosperity: The Dulles Toll Road area, which includes Reston and Tysons, was the second-most-active submarket for commercial real estate deals in the U.S. last quarter, behind only Oakland, Calif. according to JLL research. The Northern Virginia region’s office market sector continues to be strong during the shutdown, paced by deals such as Microsoft taking 400,000 square feet in Reston Town Center, researchers at commercial brokers told Bisnow. Key factors for Northern Virginia resilience include the concentration of tech companies and government contractors. “Northern Virginia is very healthy right now,” said Savills research manager Devon Munos. “The tech sector is really well-positioned for growth, and the Northern Virginia market is a great place for that to happen because there is such a highly educated workforce.”

President Washington takes the helm: Greg Washington, the first African-American president of George Mason University, is taking over during challenging times. He spoke with Julie Carey of News4 about his vision for Mason, distance learning amid the coronavirus pandemic, student activism and serving first-generation college students. President Washington comes to Mason after serving as dean of the engineering school at the University of California Irvine.

Innovation firestorm: DC Inno recognized five Fairfax County-area companies as “2020 Inno on Fire” winners for driving innovation in the Washington, D.C., region: Herndon-based Expel, which provides a security operations center as a service for other companies; McLean-based kidney-care startup Somatus; Reston-based SOC Telemed, a telemedicine provider; Parabon NanoLabs, a Reston DNA technology company; and RunSafe Security, a Tysons cyber firm.

Wait wait, do tell me: Reston-based Waitbusters released a contactless dine-in platform to support the safe reopening of dining rooms. Nearly all dining transactions can be completed without contact by the restaurant staff, according to Waitbusters: getting in a wait line remotely via the website, Alexa, messenger or SMS; making a reservation via the website, Alexa, messenger or SMS; ordering a meal via mobile device; communicating with wait staff or the restaurant via SMS two-way communication; and paying the check via mobile device. Restaurant News served up this story.

Top secret solutions: Government contractors and their customers have been dealing with the “new normal” of how to get work done during the pandemic because of the requirement that classified employees must work from secure locations. “There is a lot of work that can be done in the unclassified space and then move inside,” said Mark Testoni, CEO of SAP NS2 in a Washington Technology interview on reshaping classified work.

Cloud cover: Amazon Web Services (AWS), which maintains its east-coast campus in Herndon, is launching a new business unit, the Aerospace and Satellite Solutions segment, to focus on using cloud services to help process the massive amounts of data and design new information technology architectures for space operations. “We want to bring all of those AWS tools to bear to help our customers succeed in space,” said Teresa Carlson, vice president for AWS’ worldwide public sector business, reported the Washington Business Journal.

Secure data, unleashed: Reston-based Syncdog, a mobile security and data loss prevention company, partnered with Ingram Micro, a technology distributor in Irvine, Calif., to produce a streamlined mobile-security software package. This partnership will allow SyncDog to bring advanced mobile security to a broader audience of customers that are looking to secure corporate data on employee devices from wherever they are, regardless of the device itself. InsideNoVa picked up the release.

Cybercrime sleuthing connection: Reston-based ThreatQuotient, a security operations platform innovator, announced an integration with Intel 471, based in Prosper, TX, a provider of cybercrime intelligence for intelligence, security and fraud teams, in a move that will beef up both companies’ offerings. The combination of products offers organizations real-time insight into existing and emerging threats within the cybercriminal underground. DC Inno picked up the release.

3D deal: Maxar Technologies, a Westminster, Colo.-based aerospace company, which has an office in Herndon, wrapped up its acquisition of Tysons-based Vricon, a 3D data and analytics company, for about $140 million, as part of efforts to advance growth initiatives in 3D technology and earth intelligence markets, GovConNews reported.

Skills bridging: Microsoft, which has an office in Reston, launched a global skills initiative to add more digital skills to 25 million people worldwide by the end of the year in response to the global economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Microsoft will expand access to digital skills to accelerate economic recovery and will assist in job training. The company will provide data to identify in-demand jobs and the skills needed to fill them, free access to learning paths and content to help people develop the skills these positions require and low-cost certifications to develop a skilled workforce. Find out more in Executive Gov.

Be patient: Fairfax-based ECS will develop a cloud-based technology prototype to support data-consolidation efforts at the Defense Health Agency. The company aims to build a patient-centric system for the agency, according to ExecutiveBiz.

Stars not just on the silver screen: Drive-in movies are coming to Tysons Corner Center beginning this Friday, July 10. Space located along Fashion Boulevard between Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s will open for parking and reservations are required. While the movies are free, the mall is asking people to donate $25 to Second Story, a local nonprofit that helps people seeking food, shelter and emergency support. The series, which is sponsored by the Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner Center, will run the second weekend of August and September as well, according to Tysons Reporter.

Generosity, unmasked: Portals Global, a consulting firm based in Tysons, donated 15,000 KN95 masks to Fairfax County to help essential workers during the pandemic. With assistance from the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, Portal Global was connected with Volunteer Fairfax to make the donation. Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the FCEDA, noted that front-line essential workers who can’t work from home will benefit from the mask donation. Tysons Patch revealed more details.

Notable contract wins by firms in Fairfax County

Leidos won a five-year, $960 million contract to develop software to support the Customs and Border Protection’s traveler-vetting procedures. GovConWire

Northrop Grumman landed a five-year, $93 million contract from the Army to manufacture a multipurpose munition technology for destroying targets such as lightly armored infantry vehicles, petroleum storage systems and parked aircraft. GovConWire

Parsons secured a potential five-year, $178 million contract to help the U.S. intelligence community analyze measures for securing physical and technical assets. GovConWire

NCI Information Systems won a $57.3 million contract for information technology and audiovisual engineering and installation services. Signal Magazine

Featured business events

July 9 — Beyond COVID-19: Supply Chain Management. The Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance presents the next session of its three-part, 12-session “Beyond COVID-19: NOVA Business Resiliency Webinar” series with a focus on supply chain management. Click here to register.

July 9–Annual State of Economic Growth. The Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce presents a live virtual roundtable featuring Dr. Stephen Moret, president and CEO of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, who will provide the keynote presentation. A panel discussion will be held, featuring the following leaders of Northern Virginia economic development organizations: Victor Hoskins (Fairfax County), Stephanie Landrum (Alexandria), Telly Tucker (Arlington), Buddy Rizer (Loudoun), and Christina Winn (Prince William). Click here to register.

July 9 — Build Back – Dream Forward. The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia presents a virtual town hall to discuss a shared dream for our region, through COVID-19 and beyond, to build a community that works for everyone. A panel of experts will discuss systemic racism’s impact on our economic systems, and share their thoughts, work and inspiring visions for a more equitable future. Click here to register.

July 14 — Fairfax County EDA Virtual Career Fair. The FCEDA is presenting a free virtual career fair to help mid-career tech professionals find jobs. The companies represented will be offering a combined 3,000 job opportunities in Northern Virginia. Click here to register.

July 15 — Argentina Technology: Robotic Process Automation. The Northern Virginia Technology Council presents showcasing RPA solutions from Argentina. Click here to register.

July 16–International Business Committee Series: Life Sciences: India. The Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce presents an online webinar featuring participants from across the U.S. and India engaged in various aspects of life sciences, including policy, medical informatics and pharmaceuticals. Click here to register.

July 28 — Diversity and Inclusion Career Event. The NOVA Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce presents an online Diversity and Inclusion Career Event for job seekers to interact with employers via one-on-one live video and text chats. Click here to register.

How the Fairfax County EDA can help

Forward Virginia Phase 3 reopening guidelines: Fairfax County began the third phase of re-opening businesses on Wednesday, July 1. The Forward Virginia plan provides guidelines that all businesses must follow. Residents are still advised that they are “safer at home.” Click here to find out the updated guidelines.

Get business assistance: Continuing business operations in today’s situation is challenging and the FCEDA is working to assist businesses with information and access to critical resources during this emergency. Visit the FCEDA’s Covid-19 Business Resource Hub for up-to-date information, resources and assistance for businesses.

The FCEDA, like other economic development organizations in the region, is working virtually, and our staff is working full-time with businesses of all kinds to offer assistance and direct them to resources. For direct assistance, email the FCEDA at info@fceda.org, or call 703-790-0600 to leave a voice message for our staff. And click here for resources available in the other nine jurisdictions that make up the Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance.

Here are more useful informational resources:

• Fairfax County information for businesses impacted by coronavirus: click here
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Virginia: click here
• SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program information and other COVID-19 related resources and guidance for small business: click here
• CDC resources for businesses and employers: click here
• Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance — links to COVID 19-related resources throughout the region: click here

Get text updates: Fairfax County residents are encouraged to sign up for coronavirus-related text message alerts from the Fairfax County Health Department in order to stay current with important updates. To receive these alerts, text FFXCOVID to 888-777. In addition, residents can send specific questions or concerns related to the coronavirus to ffxcovid@fairfaxcounty.gov. This email account will be staffed Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. to respond to question.

Call to action: How is your company reacting to the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis? Is your company developing any technologies, implementing any noteworthy procedures or have advice for other companies on how conduct business more effectively in this situation? Please contact the FCEDA communications division at info@fceda.org with relevant information that we may possibly share with our readers. Thank you for your assistance in these unprecedented times.