Tony Howard
Tony Howard, CCE, IOM
President & CEO
Loudoun Chamber of Commerce
Tony Howard is the President and CEO of the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce, a 1,200-member business organization that is Northern Virginia’s largest chamber of commerce. A 20-year Chamber Executive, Howard began his tenure as the Chief Executive of Loudoun’s premier business engagement and advocacy organization on August 1, 2006. Previous to that, he worked for seven years at the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, where he last served as Chief Operating Officer and as Vice President of Membership and Communications. Howard is a Certified Chamber Executive (CCE), the premier professional certification for Chamber of Commerce Executives. He also is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organizational Management (IOM).
Howard also was named the 2015 Virginia Chamber of Executive of the Year by the Virginia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (VACCE). He also served as President of the VACCE Board from 2012-2013. In 2017, the Community Foundation for Loudoun named him “Champion of Loudoun’s Nonprofit Sector.” Howard currently serves on several nonprofit and advisory boards, including the Loudoun County Economic Development Authority, Loudoun First Responders Foundation, the Loudoun CEO Cabinet and the Loudoun Economic Development Advisory Committee. He also is a member of the Ashburn Rotary Club. Earlier in his career, Howard served as the chief spokesman for Congressman Michael P. Forbes of New York, where he handled all media relations, working with major news outlets in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Long Island.
A graduate of the State University of New York, Howard is an award-winning journalist, having worked as a reporter and editor for newspapers in New York’s Hudson Valley and Long Island. Howard’s journalism career earned him numerous awards for in-depth reporting, feature writing and sports coverage from the New York Press Association.
A resident of Leesburg, Howard and his wife Alison have one son, Jake.
Eric Byrd
Eric Byrd,
Manager, Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Mason Enterprise Center (MEC)-Leesburg
As the manager of the Small Business Development Program in Loudoun Eric leads a team of experienced business advisors and educators to help small businesses thrive and grow. With 30 years of business experience he has worked with companies and organizations of every size and structure.
Melding strong storytelling skills from his days as a television editor, producer, director and screenwriter with skills learned from 20 years as a technology sales professional Eric uses proven tools to help business owners identify key areas of opportunity and challenges. After working in the IT space as a Cisco certified trainer he launched a training company called Pitch for Success that creates action based learning and skill building programs.
He leans on his own experience as an entrepreneur and from growing up in his family's small business to help entrepreneurs develop a strong strategy for success. Leveraging his BS in Communications from James Madison University, Eric teaches and coaches strong planning and communications practices as the point person for the business consulting team at the SBDC in Loudoun.
Kindra Harvey
Kindra Harvey,
Purpose WorX
HUBZone National Council-Leesburg
Kindra Harvey serves and inspires business owners and industry professionals daily. Encouraging and empowering those who are unafraid to take the leap into business ownership is one of her core missions in life. She believes it is through our collective experience and willingness to share that we are able to impact generations and contribute innovation to the future of our culture, community, country, and our world. Helping to create jobs for our neighbors, stepping in to help companies re-imagine their possibilities, and shining light on resources that make a difference drives her to excel. Exceeding expectations and witnessing dreams as they come true is what makes her job interesting. Kindra also, serves on HUBZone National Council where she is Chair of the Economic Development Committee.
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Professionally, Kindra has spent the past 17 years working in Human Resource Development, Training and Development, Employer Services, Business Development, and Economic Development. During her tenure in Economic Development Kindra led the charge in her community to create a system of support for HUBZone companies and local job seekers. This model is now being duplicated in communities across the country.
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Now as an entrepreneur, her company, Purpose WorX, guides businesses through the process of expansion, relocation, and consolidation of their business operations. They regularly monitor economic trends and the competitive landscape for various industries. The firm advises businesses on strategies and best practices to better equip them for success.