NVTC's Kilberg to retire

A legend in the Northern Virginia technology and business community is giving up her perch. Bobbie Kilberg, president and CEO of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, plans to retire effective June 30, 2020.

She has led the organization for 22 years and built it into a powerhouse for networking and promotion of the D.C. area's technology community.

The NVTC board of directors has formed a search committee and hired Korn Ferry to look for her successor, but I doubt they’ll ever call that person Kilberg’s replacement.

As cliched as it is, she really is one of a kind. She has brought a mix of intelligence, tenacity and charm to the role of promoter of all things tech in the Northern Virginia region. And if you ever attended one of NVTC’s Hot Ticket events, she also knows how to throw a party.

Since she took over NVTC in 1998, the organization has grown to represent 1,000 companies and other entities with 350,000 employees in the region. Members include technology companies, systems integrators, service providers, universities and colleges, foreign embassies, non-profit organizations and government agencies.

“Bobbie was instrumental in shaping NVTC into one of the largest technology councils in the U.S. and into the regional tech powerhouse that it is today,” said Richard Montoni, chairman of the NVTC board and vice chairman of Maximus’ board of directors. “Bobbie is an icon in the industry. Her extraordinary leadership over two decades positions NVTC for its next phase during this very exciting time.”

When Kilberg came to NVTC she was an experienced political operative, having served in both the Nixon and George H.W. Bush administrations. She also was an adviser to George W. Bush, serving on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

While a Republican, Kilberg also reached across the aisle and has worked closely with U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who is the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

In 2010, the Army worked through Warner to tap the NVTC and several member companies to assess IT issues that plagued Arlington National Cemetery, particularly in how its paper records were being preserved.

We’ll likely not see her kind again, so we should enjoy these next eight months.