LOUDOUN SMALL BUSINESS WEEK - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Manager
- Department of Economic Development
Alex Gonski serves as the manager of strategic initiatives, where his role includes tracking business development activity, market research, lead generation and geographic analysis.
Gonski has degrees in business administration and biology from UNC-Chapel Hill and worked in economic development for the Research Triangle Park for several years prior to attending Virginia Tech's graduate programs in urban planning and landscape architecture.
Outside of work, Gonski enjoys golf and cycling the Washington & Old Dominion Trail.
Job Titles:
- Department of Economic Development
- Digital Properties Manager
As digital properties manager, Amber Styles is responsible for the department's website and social media assets.
Her sales and marketing experience includes roles at nonprofits and edtech ventures. Prior to joining Loudoun Economic Development, Styles led communications for a national foundation, where she was responsible for ensuring that research, grants, and scholarship outreach resonated with target audiences.
Styles grew up in Northern Virginia and holds a Master of Public Administration from George Mason University. Outside of work, she sits on the board for the Loudoun Coalition on Women and Girls and serves on the marketing and communications committee for Generation Hope.
Job Titles:
- Department 's Communications Program Manager
- Department of Economic Development
Amy Mugford serves as the department's communications program manager, focusing on the department's branding strategy.
Mugford graduated from Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., and brings seven years of graphic design and business development coordination experience in the architecture/engineering sector.
Job Titles:
- Rural Business Development Manager
Job Titles:
- Department of Economic Development
- Real Estate Intelligence Manager
Bobby Klancher serves as the real estate intelligence manager. His roles include tracking land and property data, managing the property database and building relationships with developers and brokers throughout the county.
He most recently worked as a land planner preparing and processing land use applications. He has gained experience in both the public and private sectors in multiple jurisdictions throughout Northern Virginia.
Klancher holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Virginia Tech and a master's degree in real estate development from George Mason University.
Job Titles:
- Business Development Manager
- Department of Economic Development
As business development manager, Brandon Ferris is responsible for customer engagement and business recruitment in the highly-specialized manufacturing, logistics and aviation sectors.
His prior professional experience includes serving in the United States Air Force as an information management journeyman and as a contracting officer. Upon leaving the service, Ferris served as a business development and program manager in the small business space. He was responsible for business partnerships, proposal development, capture management and executive decision-making.
Ferris grew up in Philadelphia and has been a Loudoun County resident for the past three years. He possesses a bachelor's degree in management studies, a master's degree in acquisition and supply chain management, as well as a MBA, all from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Job Titles:
- Department of Economic Development
- Executive Director for Economic Development in Loudoun County
Buddy Rizer is the executive director for economic development in Loudoun County, Virginia. He leads the agency responsible for encouraging growth and developing relationships with Loudoun's business community in both the commercial and agricultural-based business sectors. During his tenure, Rizer and his team have attracted more than $20 billion in new investment and tens of thousands of new jobs.
In 2007, Mr. Rizer joined Loudoun County and helped build "Data Center Alley" into the largest concentration of data centers in the world. He has spoken internationally on the growth of data centers in Virginia, the importance of incentives and business environment to the industry and the positive impacts data centers have on their communities.
In 2017, Rizer was named one of the top 50 Economic Developers in North America, he was named a Tech Titan by Washingtonian Magazine in 2017, 2018 and 2019, has been named one of the 50 most influential Virginians for 2018 and 2019 by Virginia Business Magazine, and was named to the Washington Business Journal's Power 100 as one of the most influential businesspeople in Washington, D.C., in 2019.
Rizer is a certified economic developer and a graduate of Virginia Tech's Local Government Management Graduate Certificate Program.
Message from Buddy Rizer, Executive Director: These are not normal circumstances.March 17, 2020
Job Titles:
- Business Development Manager
- Department of Economic Development
Chris Blosser serves as the Rural Business Development Manager for Loudoun Economic Development.
Working with farms, rural small and craft beverage businesses, he focuses on strengthening and growing the rural economy, which is key to preserving Loudoun's way of life and keeping the County a wonderful place to live, work and play.
Blosser has been a resident of western Loudoun County for nearly 15 years and has worked in both conservation and agribusiness over that time. Most recently, he was the director of corporate and foundation relations for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquartered in Harpers Ferry, W.V., and was the general manager of one of Loudoun's largest vineyard and winery operations, at Breaux Vineyards, for the preceding 12 years.
Blosser holds a bachelor's of science in communications from Ohio University and has served on a number of Loudoun and Virginia trade organizations including Loudoun County Farm Bureau, Loudoun Wineries Association and Virginia Wine Board. Outside of the office, you'll find him hiking with his children on a local stretch of the Appalachian Trail, W&OD trail, or enjoying one of our small town events that make Loudoun so special.
Job Titles:
- Department of Economic Development
In his role as a business development manager, Chris Friberg works to promote the IT industry in Loudoun County, with a particular focus on cybersecurity.
His career includes more than 25 years of experience in B2B sales of enterprise IT solutions. He has been with software vendors like Intergraph, BMC Software, Quest Software, and Centrify, selling identity and access management and systems management software solutions. His background also includes working with federal systems integrators and value-added resellers to bring IT solutions to federal and SLED customers.
Friberg is a native of Northern Virginia and received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Virginia Tech and a certificate in Cybersecurity for Business Leaders from the University of Virginia. He has lived in Ashburn for the past 24 years with his wife and family, and enjoys reading, sports, travel and music.
Job Titles:
- Department of Economic Development
- Manager for Loudoun Economic Development
Chris Hunter serves as the business retention manager for Loudoun Economic Development. He works to promote the services of the department throughout the county's business community and acts as a resource for county government assistance to businesses within Loudoun.
A Northern Virginia native, Hunter received his undergraduate degree from Christopher Newport University and has consistently served as a community liaison for organizations and businesses throughout his professional career.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Department of Economic Development
Colleen Kardasz is responsible for assisting the executive director in planning, directing, managing and overseeing the activities and operations of the department, which include commercial and rural business recruitment, retention and expansion; and research, real estate and marketing activities.
She joined the team after 12 years in Northwest Ohio where her career included marketing, communications and international business development for a non-profit and local government.
An Ohio native, Kardasz graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in communication and Spanish from Hiram College. She received her law degree from the University of Toledo and passed the bar in Ohio, where she held an active license until moving to Northern Virginia with her husband and two daughters.
Job Titles:
- Department of Economic Development
- Small Business and Entrepreneurship Manager
Danelle Hayer serves as the small business and entrepreneurship manager for Loudoun Economic Development.
She focuses on strengthening and growing the entrepreneurial ecosystem in one of the country's most successful tech communities while working with strategic partners to promote business engagement and success.
Danelle has more than 18 years of marketing, sales and business development experience across public and private sector industries. She most recently worked for the City of Hagerstown, where she served as the business development specialist.
Danelle holds a bachelor's degree in sociology and a master's degree in business administration from Frostburg State University. Outside of the office, she is an avid Nationals fan and NASCAR enthusiast.
Job Titles:
- Senior Business Development Officer
- Department of Economic Development
Dave Diaz serves as the senior business development officer, coordinating business attraction, retention, expansion and creation efforts across the county to align business development efforts with the team's strategic plan.
He brings a dynamic combination of roles to his team, including economic development, business improvement district management, city planning, city management, and veteran empowerment.
In the Research Triangle region of North Carolina, his team ushered an historic turnaround of Raleigh's center attracting global companies and billions in new investments. As a city planner and assistant to the city manager in Roanoke, Va., Dave managed the 20-year land use planning process involving over 3,000 citizens.
Diaz is a proud Army veteran who served a tour in Iraqi receiving the Bronze Star. As Vice President of Regional Operations for The Mission Continues, his team activated over 20,000 veterans and community members in service projects across 45 communities.
Job Titles:
- Senior Business Development Officer
Job Titles:
- Workforce Development Manager
Job Titles:
- Business Development Manager
Job Titles:
- Business Development Manager
Job Titles:
- Department of Economic Development
George Hoddinott provides project management for the county's Fast-Track Commercial Incentive Program. He works with county staff to streamline the development process, and serves as an ombudsman to help businesses navigate the county's permitting requirements.
Hoddinott also works on special projects that require technical knowledge of the zoning code, the county's comprehensive plan, and other county regulations.
He earned a master's degree in urban and regional planning and an undergraduate degree in international business from the University of West Virginia, and a professional designation as a Certified Zoning Administrator.
Hoddinott has also worked as a financial analyst, environmental planner, and land-use planner managing projects at a federal, state and local level.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Strategic Initiatives
Job Titles:
- Small Business and Entrepreneurship Manager
Job Titles:
- Business Development Assistant
Job Titles:
- Business Retention Manager
Job Titles:
- Department of Economic Development
John Magistro provides services and support to Loudoun's rural businesses. This includes coordinating with partner groups, industry sectors and business organizations to increase rural business development.
Prior to joining our department, Magistro served on Loudoun's Rural Economic Development Council and Loudoun's Agricultural District Advisory Committee, and worked for the Loudoun Valley Homegrown Markets Cooperative.
Magistro also managed a grant-funded, national wetland conservation program for the USDA, was a technical services provider to the Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District, served as the director of conservation programs for a local land trust, and ran his own environmental consulting practice.
He has a BA and MS in Biology from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. John and his wife Marilyn live on a farm in Lovettsville where they utilize sustainable agricultural practices.
Job Titles:
- Development Process Manager
Job Titles:
- Business Development Officer, Agriculture and Business Services
Job Titles:
- Business Development Officer
Job Titles:
- Communications Program Manager
Job Titles:
- Market Intelligence Manager
Job Titles:
- Business Development Manager
Job Titles:
- International Business Development Manager for Loudoun Economic Development
Robert "Bob" McCollar serves as the international business development manager for Loudoun Economic Development. He works to promote the department's services throughout the international business community, and acts as a resource for the county and Commonwealth of Virginia to attract, grow and maintain international business in Loudoun.
Job Titles:
- Digital Properties Manager