Last night I was the MC at the annual Vienna Tysons Chamber of Commerce business awards, which was held at Maggiano's in Tysons.  There was a large crowd of over 100 business owners attending, along with Supervisors Cathy Hudgins, John Foust and Sharon Bulova (Chair) and Delegate Mark Keam.

As everyone in Fairfax knows, the Tysons area has grown exponentially in the past forty years from a rural grocery store at the corner of Rte 7 and Rte 123 to one of the largest office and employment centers on the East Coast.

Most of this growth is driven by high-tech corporate icons such as SAIC or Microstrategy or quasi-government agencies like Sallie Mae and Freddie Mac.  The growth is supported by small businesses, such as those represented by the Chamber, which provide the services from preparing meals to moving families.

With the County Board emphasizing a future on-site residential population of potentially 100,000 people in Tysons, the role of small business is only going to expand. 

Of course, one of unique niche businesses in Tysons are tow truck operators called upon to Slim Jim a vehicle when the owner has locked himself out of it after a speaking engagement.  Not that I'd know anything about that.