MCLEAN, Va. (February 23, 2023) — The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) , the trade association representing the region’s technology community, marked the record-breaking growth of Virginia’s data center industry at its fourth annual NVTC Data Center Awards. Over 200 industry professionals, statewide business community representatives and public sector leaders attended the awards ceremony to celebrate the winners and toast to the region’s success as the largest data center market in the world.
Data centers drive significant opportunities for Virginia residents, supporting 45,000 total jobs and employing nearly 13,500 Virginians in the data center industry alone. In Loudoun County, where many of these facilities are located, data centers bring in roughly one-third of the property value stream. Their impact isn’t limited to economics, however. Data centers are increasingly migrating to more eco-friendly practices like clean energy—using 36% of the Dominion Energy utility’s solar capacity in Virginia. In total, Northern Virginia’s data centers handle at least one-third of the world’s online use.
“Data centers are a significant source of economic growth in Loudoun County, both in direct investment and the local tech business environment created as a result of their presence,” said Buddy Rizer, Executive Director of Loudoun Economic Development. “As a passionate advocate and promoter of data centers in our region for more than 15 years, I am excited for the NVTC awards night as the innovators and leaders in our rapidly evolving data center industry are recognized and applauded.”
The NVTC Data Center Awards recognize the changemakers responsible for cementing Virginia as a dominant player in the data center industry and driving its growth and economic impact. This year, NVTC announced winners in eight categories, three of which were new: the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Award; the Global Data Center Award; and the Data Center Innovation Award. NVTC also announced its first-ever dual winners of the Rising Star Award.
“Virginia continues to lead the way among global data centers, and this year’s winners are a reflection of innovation and industry leadership,” said Jennifer Taylor, president and CEO of NVTC. “As technology becomes more embedded in our everyday lives and the amount of data generated continues to grow, data centers play a vital role in enabling a digital economy to flourish. Congratulations to the companies and individuals who received this year’s awards.”
An independent panel of business leaders selected the winners in eight award categories.
Community Champion Award:
Steve Altizer, Compu Dynamics
Construction Project Award:
Amazon Web Services
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Award:(New!)
Equinix
Global Data Center Award:(New!)
Digital Realty
Data Center Innovation Award:(New!)
Compass Datacenters
Rising Star Award:
Sarah Godbehere, Google
Boomya Patan, World Services, LLC
Sustainable Champion Award:
Katrina Rymill, Equinix
Trailblazer Award:
Rob Faktorow, CBRE
This year’s NVTC Data Center Awards are sponsored by Loudoun County Economic Development, AHT Insurance, Amazon Web Services, Falken Industries, Google, Meta, QTS, Digital Realty, Iron Mountain Data Centers, Northern Virginia Community College, Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative, Prince William County Department of Economic Development, Vantage Data Centers, Equinix, Henrico County Economic Development Authority, and INTERSTATE.
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Contact
Tarin Horan
Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC)
thoran@nvtc.org
703.946.0319
About the Northern Virginia Technology Council
NVTC is the trade association representing the Northern Virginia technology community. As one of the nation’s largest technology councils, NVTC serves companies from all sectors of the industry, from small businesses and start-ups to Fortune 100 technology companies, government contractors, as well as service providers, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations. More than 450 members look to the organization as a resource for networking and educational opportunities, peer-to-peer communities, policy advocacy, industry promotion, fostering of strategic relationships, and branding of the region as a major global technology center. Learn more at www.nvtc.org.