•* ' , f ' High-tech Resources • The

High-tech Resources

• The Northern Virginia Technology Council (www.nvtc.org) is the emerging voice of the regional technology community. Founded 10 years ago as a membership organization, NVTC now boasts 1,400 member companies from aH , H spectrums of the technology sector. NVTC has assumed a more active rote * * recently in local, state and federal policy debates, helping shape new guidelines for technology and e-commerce. • Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (www.cjt.org) is a state-chartered, non-profit corporation focused on promoting the use, knowledge and business of technology across the commonwealth. With eight regional offices J across Virginia, the CIT provides access to technology and works closely with the state’s universities to provide research and expertise. Despite its lofty aspirations, the CIT is probably best known locally as that strange looking building on the Dulles Toll Road near Herndon. • The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority is the equivalent of a local booster club. The EDA promotes Fairfax as a world-class business center and technology hub, focusing on the big fish as well as the small-, minority- and womenowned businesses. The EDA, now with offices in Tokyo, London and Frankfurt, covers the globe looking for companies to expand or relocate into Fairfax. • George Mason University (www.gmu.edu), the region's hometown higher education center, has shifted its attention to developing programs and courses to train highly sought after technology workers. GMU School of Information and Technology Engineering is the first engineering school in the country to focus primarily on high-tech rather than the traditional fields of engineering. • Northern Virginia Community College (www.nv.cc.va.us) is the region’s other premier teaming center, offering specialized technology courses for those just entering the field or those looking to build on their existing skills. NOVA, as the school is commonly known, has campuses across the region and offers a popular selection of night courses for those already in the workforce. • The Northern Virginia Regional Partnership (www.nvrp.org) works in concert with the NVTC to oversee the Northern Virginia Technology Workforce Development Initiative, which aims to create a high-caliber, knowledge-based workforce to attract other businesses to locate in Northern Virginia. • The Greater Washington Board of Trade (www.bot.org) is a group of senior executives from Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia who, on a regional basis, promote the metropolitan area as a quality place to live and work. The board also advocates changes at the local and state levels to maintain that quality.