NVTC’s fifth annual Data Center Awards finalists continue to push the boundaries of data center innovation to make Northern Virginia the epicenter of the world’s data landscape.

The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), the trade association representing the region’s technology community, today announced the finalists of the fifth annual NVTC Data Center Awards.

The finalists are the individuals and companies who continue to push the boundaries of data center innovation to make Northern Virginia the epicenter of the world’s data landscape. Winners will be announced at the annual awards ceremony at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, at Stone Tower Winery in Leesburg, Va.

Each year, the NVTC Data Center Awards celebrate the statewide business community and public sector leaders who contribute to the enormous growth of Virginia’s data center industry. This year’s awards will recognize individuals and data center facilities that have embarked on innovative construction projects, energy-efficient practices and impactful community engagements.

The Northern Virginia region is consistently recognized in Cushman & Wakefield’s Global Data Center Market Comparison report as the largest data center market in the world, with more than 447MW of absorption and a 0.9% vacancy rate. While Virginia’s data center market has been highly concentrated in Loudoun County for the past 17 years, development is now expanding to Manassas, Sterling, Herndon and Prince William and Henrico counties as developers search for more access to available power and larger land sites.

“As one of the leading tech hubs in the nation, NVTC is pleased to advocate for and celebrate the growth of the data center industry across the Commonwealth, especially in light of the much anticipated ‘AI gold rush’ that will scale data center capacity even further,” said Jennifer Taylor, NVTC President and CEO. “This is an excellent industry to expand in the Commonwealth because the jobs-to-investment ratio is far lower than other economic development areas. We look forward to celebrating the many contributions that the data center industry is making not only at the state level but within local economies and communities.”

According to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), data centers are the major driver for investment in Virginia. In 2023, new and expanding data centers accounted for 92% ($45.9 billion) of all new investment in the Commonwealth. One of the major benefits of data centers is they serve as major tax generators. In Loudoun County alone, officials predict that they infuse over $570 million in personal property taxes annually into the county’s coffers.

“I commend the NVTC Data Center Awards for spotlighting the enduring prominence of Northern Virginia as the foremost hub for data centers worldwide. Amidst the surge of AI, this region witnesses exponential growth, making it crucial to recognize the trailblazers shaping our digital infrastructure” said Vinay Nagpal, chairman of NVTC Data Center and Cloud Community. “Congratulations to all nominees for their pivotal roles in driving the remarkable expansion of the data center industry in Northern Virginia. I also congratulate Christian Belady, who is recognized as the Data Center Icon Award Honoree for his immense contributions to the data center industry.”

An independent panel of business leaders selected the finalists in six award categories.

The NVTC 2024 Data Center Award finalists are:

Community Champion Award

•     7 x 24 Exchange DC Chapter
•     AFCOM Potomac Chapter
•     Mike Berman, Amazon Web Services
•     Jack Bidlack, Northern Virginia Community College
•     Robert Hepler, Equinix
•     Amber Tillman, Google

Construction Project Award

•     ABX-1
•     QTS Data Centers
•     Yondr Group

Global Data Center Award

•     CyrusOne
•     EdgeConneX
•     Vantage Data Centers

Data Center Innovation Award

•     Aligned Data Centers
•     Equinix
•     TRAXyL

Rising Star Award

•     Gabrielle Bishop, DPR Construction
•     Anna Figueroa, Coresite
•     Zack Jones, CPG
•     Caroline Teitelbaum, CBRE
•     Sara Wengrowski, Barge Design Solutions

Sustainable Champion Award

•     Randy Brouckman, EdgeConneX
•     Dan Moore, CyrusOne

Data Center Icon Award Honoree

NVTC also announced that Christian Belady, former vice president and distinguished engineer at Microsoft, will receive the 2024 Data Center Icon Award. The Icon Award recognizes individuals who have significantly contributed to the Data Center community throughout their careers, playing a crucial role in advancing the industry and supporting the growth, prominence, and success of the world-leading data center sector.

This year’s NVTC Data Center Awards are sponsored by Amazon Web Services, Falken Industries, Baldwin Risk Partners, Google, Meta, QTS, Equinix, Digital Realty, HITT, Magnum Economics, Northern Virginia Community College, E.E. Reed, Novec, Prince William County Department of Economic Development, Ricardo, Vantage Data Centers, CoreSite, Loudoun County Economic Development, Reston Limousine, CBRE, and InterGlobix.

Tarin Horan

Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC)

thoran@nvtc.org

703.946.0319

About the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC)

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 460 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 http://www.nvtc.org.