June 15, 1995
The Northern Virginia
Project today announced the formation of its Board
of Directors and the designation of officers for the
coming year. The Northern Virginia Project is an
industry-driven educational initiative to propel
Northern Virginia to the forefront of growth in the
information products, intellectual services and
communications technologies that will be essential for
competitiveness in the 21st century.
By establishing the region as a "learning center"
to help businesses, community and educational
institutions and citizens, the Project will help
position Northern Virginia as a world center for
innovation and the beneficiary of a vibrant base
of commercial and social entrepreneurism in the
Knowledge Age. The end result will be new opportunities
for economic growth, educational advancement and a
better quality of life for Northern Virginia residents.
The Project's new board includes some of the region's
top business and community leaders: Dan Bannister,
President of DynCorp; Ed Bersoff, President and CEO of
BTG; Fred Bollerer, President and CEO of Riggs Bank of
Virginia; Mike Daniels, Senior Vice President, Technology
Applications Sector of SAIC; Mario Morino, Chairman of the
Morino Institute; George Newstrom, Corporate Vice President
of EDS and Chairman of the Virginia Technology Council;
Chuck Stein, President and CEO of NETRIX Corporation; Robert
Templin, President of Virginia's Center for Innovative
Technology; April Young, Executive Director of the Northern
Virginia RoundTable; and Earle Williams, Director and
retired President and CEO of BDM International.
According to Morino, an architect of the Project,
"The coalition represents some of the foremost business,
educational and community strategists and visionaries in
Northern Virginia. Some of the brightest minds in information
technology have come together to guide the Project
and help the region capitalize on its potential for
global leadership in the high-stakes competition for
information products, intellectual services and
communications technologies in the commercial,
educational and social sectors."
The Project was formed to help Northern Virginia
take immediate and aggressive steps to ensure that
it accelerates its development towards a leading
technology and information center in the race for
high-tech business development, education and
community service. "Forging a strong board with a
compelling vision for the future of Northern Virginia
is the first step toward harnessing the power of
technology for growth," says board member Newstrom.
"By marshaling the region's wealth of technology,
information, and people resources into a powerful,
cohesive force, we can make Northern Virginia a
world-class center for education and innovation in
the Knowledge Age."
Board members will serve staggered terms, ranging
from appointments of one to three years. Officers
elected by the board to spearhead the operational
efforts of the Project include: Mario Morino,
Chairman; Ed Bersoff, Vice Chairman; April Young,
Secretary; and Fred Bollerer, Treasurer. Morino
will, in the interim, serve as President until the
person for this role has been recruited.
Bollerer notes that all citizens throughout the
region will benefit from an energized commitment
to expanding growth in the information products and
intellectual services areas. "The coalition will
foster vital contacts, collaboration and
public/private partnerships, while providing fertile
ground for entrepreneurs in the business, social,
academic and government sectors," he says. "The end
result will be new opportunities for long-term
economic growth, improved awareness of the potential
of this new age for our citizenry, and a better
quality of life for Northern Virginia residents."
The Northern Virginia Project was born out of the
Northern Virginia RoundTable and is anchored by
the founding partners of the Century Club, George
Mason University, The Governor's Regional Economic
Development Advisory Council, the Northern Virginia
RoundTable, Northern Virginia Community College,
Northern Virginia Technology Council, and Virginia's
Center for Innovative Technology.