Reston Man Tapped For Coronavirus Recovery Business Task Force

RESTON, VA — Warren Thompson, president and founder of Reston-based Thompson Hospitality, is one of business people Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has selected to serve on the COVID-19 Business Task Force.

Comprised of a diverse group of business leaders, the task force will advise Northam and his Cabinet on how to ease restrictions on individuals and businesses that were put in place to stem the spread of COVID-19, the illness associated with the new coronavirus.

“These are Virginians who are thinking everyday about how to protect the health of their staff and the communities in which they operate,” Northam said, in a release. “They understand that our public health and business interests are aligned—we must take measures that both ensure the safety and confidence of consumers and prevent the spread of disease. Their input will continue to be critical as we plan a safe, consistent, successful path forward.”

Northam issued a stay-at-home order on March 30 for all Virginians. The order also directed all non-essentials businesses to close.

Thompson, a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College and the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, started out as an assistant manager in the Marriott Corporation's Roy Rogers unit. After nine years at Marriott, Thompson invested $100,000 of his own money to start his own food service company. Thompson Hospitality owns and operates a number of restaurants in the D.C. metro area, including the American Tap Room in Reston Town Center.

Members of Virginia’s COVID-19 Business Task Force include:

• Chad Ballard, Cherrystone Campground, Cape Charles
• Katy Brown, Barter Theatre, Abington
• Josh Chapman, Black Narrows Brewing, Chincoteague
• Jenny Crittenden, Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust, Gloucester
• Patrick Crute, Virginia Alliance of YMCAs, Statewide
• Christy Coleman, Jamestown Yorktown Foundation, Williamsburg
• David Foster, High Point Barber Shop, Richmond
• Angelyn Glasgow, Nu Image Salon, Blackstone
• George Hodson, Veritas Vineyard, Afton
• Lester Johnson, Mama J’s Restaurant, Richmond
• Franky Marchard, Volvo, Dublin
• Owen Matthews, Kings Dominion, Doswell
• Bill Meyer, Meyer Fitness, Norfolk
• Brian Moore, Amazon, Arlington/Alexandria
• Brooke Mueller, Walmart, Statewide
• Jon Norton, Great American Restaurants, Arlington/Fairfax
• Alex Nyerges, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond
• Chris Ray, Center of the Universe Brewing, Ashland
• F. Dee Suarez-Diaz, ReNuew Wellness Spa LLC, Manassas
• Warren Thompson, Thompson Hospitality, Reston
• Bruce Thompson, Gold Key PHR, Virginia Beach
• Laura Todd, Institute of Advanced Medical Aesthetics, Ashland
• Terri Vander Vennet, Hampton Coliseum, Hampton

The task force will be staffed by Deputy Secretaries of Commerce and Trade Angela Navarro and Cassidy Rasnick, Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Resources Gena Berger, Chief Workforce Adviser Dr. Megan Healy, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer Dr. Janice Underwood, as well as staff from the Virginia Department of Health, the Virginia Tourism Corporation, and the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.

Also see ...

• Virginia Coronavirus: Over 700 New Cases, Legislature's Actions
• Northam To Protesters: 'This Is Not The Time To Play Politics'
• VA Hospitals Avoid Coronavirus Patient Surge As Curve Flattens