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President’s Message
Spring has finally sprung in Washington which means the Cherry Blossoms have bloomed, baseball is back and the LFVA has had its annual Spring Event. The events committee decided it was time to move out of the Center City area and visit another happening area of our city, DuPont Circle. Unlike the Pepco Gallery in February, the weather cooperated which contributed to another great event, this time at Urbana.
I know I speak for everyone in the group when I tell you how much I look forward to seeing so many good friends and having the opportunity to catch up with everyone. Work and family keep us very busy so it is important to take the time to keep in touch with our many friends. It is these types of events that allow us the opportunity to stay connected over the years.
I would like to take this opportunity to put in a plug for our website, www.lfva.com. There is a lot of great content on the site such as pictures from previous events. These photos allow you to put a name with a face, even though you can’t always trust those name tags. Additionally, you can get bios on each of our members and information on the companies they represent. The In the News section has informative articles written by our members to make your job “easier, smarter and more productive”. You can also view past copies of the newsletter which contain interesting information.
I’m hearing from the Events Committee that we are planning to have two more fun outings this year with the Holiday Party being over the top! I look forward to seeing you all there.
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July Quarterly Networking Lunch: Best of DC Scholarship Celebration
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Registration & Networking: 11:45 am – 12:30 pm
Lunch: 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
W Washington
515 15th St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20004
Fundamentals of Project Management for Law Firms
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Lunch: 11:45 am – 12:30 pm
Presentation: 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Sidley Austin
1501 K St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20005
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LFVA Newsletter Committee
Meghan Dunn, ADC Corp.
David Noel, MOI, Inc.
Debbie Sachs, MOI, Inc.
Matt Vester, HITT Contracting, Inc.
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LFVA Spring 2016
Living La Vita Bella
The LFVA celebrated spring with a festive cocktail party at Urbana located in the heart of Dupont Circle. Urbana, voted one of the Washingtonian’s “Favorite Italian Restaurants”, has a décor inspired by 1920s New York and was the perfect setting for getting together with friends, new and old.
Urbana prides itself on a commitment to authentic craftsmanship in all that they do, from handmade artisan pastas to thoughtfully crafted cocktails. The menu is comprised of a Mediterranean-sunset inspired palette that is both interesting and delectable! Executive Chef Ethan McKee likes to feature the light, fresh flavors of Italy and locally sourced ingredients – including herbs from a garden on their own rooftop – in his simple preparations that allow the food to speak for itself.
Executive Chef Ethan McKee trained at Gaithersburg’s L’Academie de Cuisine in classic French and Italian culinary techniques. With more than 15 years experience, he is widely acclaimed for his healthful menus and has been at the helm of multiple kitchens. Several of the kitchens that Chef McKee has helmed have been recognized among the “100 Very Best Restaurants” by Washingtonian magazine.
Inspired by Chef Ethan McKee’s palette, guests were sent home with Artisan Tomato Sea Salt to help recreate some of Urbana’s flavors in their own kitchens. Once again, the night was a success and all had a wonderful time! As always, we all look forward to seeing everyone soon!
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L to R: Lisa Benden/Wilkinson Barker Knauer; Karen Laumoli/Wilkes Artis; Brian Kellenberger/Kastle Systems |
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L to R: Beth Fowler/Robbins Russell; Shera Berini/Robbins Russell; Julie Tomey/Weiner Brodsky Sidman Kider |
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L to R: Erica White/Lerch Early & Brewer; Kristine Miller/Nixon Peabody; Gil Carpel/Washington Express |
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L to R: Nancy Krondstadt/Epstein Becker; Kevin Ward/NOS, Inc. |
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LFVA Member Spotlight
Kastle Systems
Go Inside the Workspace of the Future
New smart building technologies, which merge intelligence, adaptability, automation, and sustainability, are dramatically altering the typical office environment. After all, the way we work is very different from 2o years ago – so it makes sense that our workspaces would be very different, too.
“Millennials will make up the majority of the workforce in the next couple of years, and they have different expectations than prior generations,” explained David McGuinness, Vice President of Corporate Strategy for Kastle Systems. “They want immediate access to information and data, the ability to perform critical functions from their mobile devices, and open, liquid working spaces instead of a hierarchy of assigned offices.” To meet their expectations, building design is getting “smarter” – meaning that all systems (lighting, heating, IT, ventilation, security, etc.) are connected in an integrated and dynamic way, allowing data to pass seamlessly back and forth. This increases the building’s efficiency, comfort, and safety while reducing the cost, energy use, and environmental impact.
In response to these new worklace trends and customers’ evolving needs, Kastle Systems has introduced KastlePresence, a brand new smart office platform that increases both building security and productivity, too. Here are some of the amenities of KastlePresence that not only make the lives of people working there easier, more comfortable, and some might even say enjoyable, but ultimately make organizations more successful.
Hands Free Access is on of the most convenient features of having integrated systems. An employee can enter the parking garage, call the elevator, grant access to their suite, open the file room, and even connect to the network – all with one credential stored on their phone.
Instant notification capabilities alert employees to social events, services and other information about your building, fostering camaraderie and open communication.
Personalized security enables an employee to send a priority signal from their phone, alerting the security team and precisely informing them of critical data (name, location, etc.) needed for best first-responder action. Help is essentially just a swipe away.
The delivery of space usage data, patterns and other occupancy insights can improve operational efficiency and reduce energy costs. For example, the platform can identify specific times of the day when occupancy drops, which means you’ll know not to waster money and energy cooling an empty office.
The bottom-line: Research has shown that happier employees perform at a much higher level than those who are not happy. If you think your organization could benefits from smart, more integrated building systems, contact info@kastle.com.
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