Prince William County Department of Development Services is celebrating its Small Business Project Management Program, a Board of County Supervisors initiative to support small business owners, startups, and entrepreneurs, which has surpassed 1,000 customers, marking an important milestone for the program.

From healthcare services and professional collaborations to restaurants and specialty stores, these entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses have continued to innovate and to help their customers adapt to the next normal.

Ann Wheeler, Chair-At-Large, Prince William Board of County Supervisors, said: “This milestone is a testament to each and every small business owner that has chosen Prince William County to help them create a thriving business, even in times that reflect unprecedented uncertainty and change. The Small Business Project Management Program initiative was founded on the belief that if government aligns success with that of the customers we serve, like these small business owners, we all grow better, faster, stronger, together.”

“Thanks to the dedicated team of highly trained professional experts, this milestone is proof of the continuing success of the program. This program is an extension of the Department of Development Services highly successful Commercial Project Management Program which creates value for our customers by helping them navigate all the regulations, nodes of work, and sourcing it takes to stand up and open a business,” said Wade A. Hugh, Director of Department of Development Services, Prince William County.

Opening a new business is a significant investment of financial and personal resources. Prince William County wants to assist all customers through the regulatory process to ensure new and existing businesses have a positive impact on their neighborhood and business community, is safe to occupy, and open as quickly as possible.

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Virginia Civil Air Patrol’s Chaplain, Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Miner, a resident of Woodbridge, was recognized with the 2021 Senior Chaplain of the Year Award at CAP’s national conference last month.

Chaplain Miner serves as the Wing Chaplain for CAP in Virginia.  He is responsible to the commander for providing religious and spiritual support to over 2,000 adults and middle and high school-aged cadets that serve their communities.

He oversees a team of chaplains and adult mentors who provide monthly programs that mold the youth in the organization towards living lives based on the core values of integrity, volunteer service, excellence, and respect, as well as other topics that shape the nation’s future leaders.  The senior chaplain award recognizes Chaplain Miner’s own excellence as a leader of these chaplain programs in Virginia and nationally.

Chaplain Miner started as a chaplain in the Prince William Composite Squadron of Manassas in October 2014 with an additional duty of assisting the national Chief of Chaplains with reaching the youth through online presence and social media. In May 2016, he was appointed the Wing Chaplain and had since recruited chaplains and Character Development Instructors, streamlining the application process and approval time, to support members throughout the state of Virginia.

Chaplain Miner started an extensive and robust encampment program of religious observances that supports many different faiths. Encampment is an annual week-long youth leadership-focused training camp. He coordinated with different religious bodies to identify the needs of cadets and their faith obligations during the encampment period.  He made each cadet’s faith a source of resilience as well as support accommodations for participants as needed.

He created a character essay award program that supports character development and cadet programs. He also established the Chaplain Robert P. Taylor prize to recognize members of the Virginia Wing who demonstrated compassionate selfless service to another CAP member.  Chaplain Taylor was a WWII hero and the third Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force (USAF).  Taylor’s family still resides in Virginia and gladly gave permission for the award.

Chaplain Miner, a retired USAF officer, also augments the military chaplain program at Quantico Marine Corps Base under an Air Force-assigned mission.  He is the only CAP chaplain augmenting the U.S. Space Force’s chaplain corps personnel. At the national level, he was instrumental in creating an upcoming agreement with the Veterans Administration for CAP chaplains to support funerals at the nation’s national cemeteries.

He uses his extensive aviation experience to also serve as a crewmember for the nation’s largest fleets of Cessna and small drone aircraft maintained by CAP for emergency services and aerospace education.

Colonel Liz Sydow, the Virginia Wing commander, commented, “Chaplain Miner is a true blessing and has fundamentally changed the role of chaplain. This award is well deserved and brings great credit to himself, his community, state, and nation.”

The Stafford Education Foundation (SEF) will partner with the Stafford Museum and Cultural Center organization to celebrate and build community awareness of local history in Stafford County Public Schools (SCPS).

The collaborative partnership, formed in March 2021, brought together board members of SEF, members of the Stafford Museum and Cultural Center, SCPS administrators, and leadership from SCPS’s Office of Equity and Accountability and learning and Organizational Development Departments. The competitive historic mural grant program has provided more than $40,000 to fund mural projects that highlight Stafford County’s history.

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Matthew Russell King was born into eternal life on September 8, 2021, in Woodbridge, Virginia, after a courageous 14-month battle with cancer. He died surrounded by his loving wife Mellora, his beloved children Cat and Felicity, his parents Barry and Cheryl King, his brother Michael King, and his parents-in-law David and Cynthia Taylor.

Matt possessed a servant’s heart. As a young man, he served faithfully at the altar of Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church in Woodbridge, Virginia. As a young adult, he enlisted in the Marines and served his country bravely for 8 years. Matt loved music, and proudly played clarinet in the 2nd Marine Division Band at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and the III MEF Band at Okinawa, Japan — highlights of which included playing in the Ticker Tape Parade for astronaut John Glenn when he returned to space in 1998 and traveling to Greece and Turkey for performances. After leaving the Marines — although he would say that one never truly leaves the Marines — Matt worked as a cybersecurity specialist for several government and private sector organizations, most recently Octo Consulting Group in Reston, Virginia.

As an admin for “A Bunch of Dads,” a Facebook group with 130,000 members, Matt shared his parenting wisdom with other men navigating parenthood. He was a mentor to many other fathers around the world, always offering support when needed.

Matt is survived by his wife Mellora, his children Cat and Felicity, his parents Barry and Cheryl, his brother Michael, and countless friends who will miss him dearly.

Matt’s proudest roles in life were that of husband and father. Every Saturday, all summer long, he could be found flipping burgers behind the grill starting in the early morning hours and cheering for his kids as they competed in their races at the Southbridge Seals Swim Team Pool. He was a master of the “Dad Joke” and could bring a smile — and often a groan — to anyone’s lips. He set a wonderful example for his children and everyone fortunate enough to know him of what a loving, empathetic, emotionally available husband and father can be.

Donations to support Mellora, Cat, and Felicity during this time can be made here.

Visitation will be held at the Mountcastle-Turch Funeral Home in Occoquan, Virginia, on September 23 from 5-7 PM. A funeral Mass will be held at Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church in Woodbridge, Virginia, on September 24 at 10 AM, followed by burial at Quantico National Cemetery at 12:30 PM. The family requests that all in attendance be vaccinated against COVID-19 and wear masks for the safety of Matt’s young children.