Meet Our Team

Membership and Governance

Our diverse national business membership includes businesses coming from 11 U. s. States: Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Michigan, Florida, and California.‍ ‍

As a trade association we offer small business, corporate, and government member services that focus on networking, advocacy, outreach, communications, business development through the Virginia Asian Foundation, and global business development (Export and International Investment).

Our staff is fluent at the native level in 9 languages: Mandarin Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Hindi, Tagalog, Japanese, Urdu, Arabic; Also in European languages: French, and Spanish.

Directors At Large

Arnel Tanyag, President, Tanyag & Associates, Professional Services, VACC Virginia Beach Office Liaison

Shaun Singh, President, AKSP Holdings * Manufacturing, VACC NOVA Region Liaison

Naumaan Nasir, President, Nasir & Associates, Construction and Infrastructure, Mid Atlantic Region Liaison

Francis Acuna, President, CADDCONSTRUCT, Architecture and Engineering/A&D Sector, Northern and Central Virginia Office Liaison

Srini Bayireddi, President, Navitas, Information Technology Sector, VACC Herndon Office Liaison

VACC MEMBERS IN KEY U.S INDUSTRIES

  1. Government & Military / Defense — Because of its proximity to Washington, D.C., there is a strong presence of federal agencies, defense contractors, and military installations.

  2. Information Technology & Cybersecurity — Northern Virginia is a major tech hub, especially for data centers, cloud computing, and cybersecurity.

  3. Professional, Scientific & Technical Services — Consulting, engineering, scientific research, and R&D.

  4. Advanced Manufacturing — Particularly In aerospace, shipbuilding, mechanical manufacturing, and defense manufacturing.

  5. Life Sciences / Biotechnology — There’s growing investment in biotech, pharmaceuticals, and medical research statewide.

  6. Agriculture & Agribusiness — Farming (crops, livestock), food processing, forestry.

  7. Energy & Related Sector— Including traditional utilities, nuclear, and emerging renewable energy (solar, wind).

  8. Tourism & Retail, Hospitality — Virginia’s history, natural scenery, retailers, and cultural attractions make tourism a big contributor.

  9. Transportation & Logistics — Thanks to ports (e.g., the Port of Virginia), rail, and warehousing.

  10. Healthcare / Education — These are large employers in the state. According to state data, “Health Care and Social Assistance” plus “Educational Services” are among the top industries for Virginia.

STATEWIDE BUSINESS GROWTH DEVELOPMENT ADVISORS

Mark Gazillo, Industry: Defense sector, U.S Department of War, Washington Office Director, National

Dallas Simmons, Industry: Energy sector, CPA, Supplier Diversity Director, Dominion Energy, Statewide

John Larson, Industry: Energy sector, VP of Community Affairs, Dominion Energy, Statewide

Gregory Lewis, Growth Strategy, in Energy, Utilities, Industrials - Black & Veatch, Hampton Roads Office

SMALL BUSINESS INDUSTRY ADVISORS

George Koshy, President, Central Virginia * Project Management and SE Asian Community Outreach, VACC Richmond Office

Bill Cadaing, CEO, 17th Street Auto, Transportation, VACC Virginia Beach Office

Rommany Chanthavong, President, Fleet Clean USA, Supply Chain and Logistics, VACC Coastal Virginia Region

Phuong Vo-Thornberg, Commercial Real Estate Broker and Agent, Vancore Realty Group, Central Virginia Region

Ganesh Bhandari (Nabin), President, A&S Pro Electrical, Construction Trades * Youth & community development

Swamy B, Subcontractor, Altria * Community Development

Archana Illa, IT Professional, Genworth * Women and Youth Development

State and Regional Operations

Ishya Anbuselvan, Program Assistant - International * Program Operations and International Relations

Kavya Vandavasi, Program Assistant - Statewide, Policy and Research

Sahasra Bhagwat, Program Assistant - Statewide * Marketing, Events, and Project Management

Avnar Shah, Program Assistant - Statewide * Marketing, Events, and Project Management

Misha Janice, Program Assistant - Statewide * Marketing, Events, and Project Management

Pearl Patel, Program Assistant - Statewide * Marketing, Events, and Project Management

Kishori Vohra, Program Assistant - Central Virginia * Administration and Operations

 Regional Industry Advisors

Attorney Charlotte Rosen, Esq, Odin, Feldman, & Pittleman, Reston Office, Northern Virginia, NOVA Office Program Committee, Federal Contracting Law and Policy

Dr. Barbara Gonzalez, Ph.D., Director, Norfolk Office, Monach Internships and Co-Op Office, Old Dominion University * Hampton Roads Program Advisor * Business, Demographics, & Economics Research

Sarah Bice, Owner, Principal Broker, Sarah Bice & Associates Real Estate, LLC, Henrico, Central Virginia * Real Estate, Asian American Community Engagement, and VACC’s Chinese American Community Liaison and Leader

George Hiller, Esq. Professor, University of Richmond, School of Continuing Education, Former International Business Development Manager, Virginia Economic Development Partnership