Reston Chamber changes leadership

A changing of the guard is occurring at the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce.

Attorney Mark Looney of Cooley Godward Kronish is stepping down as chairman, and Jennifer Sterling of professional services marketing firm Hinge will soon take over.

“This is Mark Looney’s last hurrah as chairman of the board of Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce. After June 30, he’ll step aside to let Jen Sterling assume the mantle of responsibility,” wrote Chamber President Penny Pompeii in a chamber newsletter.

Sterling, a self-proclaimed “volunteer-oholic,” has been a Reston chamber member since 1998. She is a graduate of the 2007 class of Leadership Fairfax and serves on several boards in the Fairfax County area, including the Fairfax County Parks Foundation, the Valor Foundation and the Success in the City group.

Her other community leadership positions include past chair of the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce and chair of the Excess in the City Gala, an exclusive invitation-only event.

“Jen is one of the most energetic entrepreneurs that I have ever run across,” Looney told The Times. “She is creative, enthusiastic and is forceful in her leadership. She will build upon the successes of the last year.”

“We are currently coming out of a perfect storm,” Sterling said of the chamber's present state, noting that she is impressed by how much Looney accomplished in the middle of that “storm.”

“We had a total changeover of staff and had lots of challenges come up this past year with our Web site, our computer server, our air conditioning and the fact that it rained for this year's Taste of Reston. We had it all happen at once, and I want to make sure we come out of it sailing full speed ahead and picking up some speed.”

Sterling said she is looking forward to becoming chair, a position that has a one-year term limit.

“Re-energizing and re-engaging the entire membership and community of Reston is my top priority,” she said. “I have big plans. I just hope I can pull them all off in one year.”