David Gardner, co-founder and Chief Rule Breaker at The Motley Fool, will be the keynote speaker at the 19th annual Alexandria Business Philanthropy Summit April 27 at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial.
Presented by Volunteer Alexandria, the event will also honor Elizabeth Lucchesi and The LizLuke Team as Small Business of the Year, SunTrust Bank as Large Business of the Year and John O. Woods as Outstanding Veteran of the Year.
“We are incredibly pleased to have such an accomplished and distinguished group of awardees,” said Volunteer Alexandria Executive Director Marion Brunken. “They all have made a difference and changed the lives of many people in a way that matters to them.”
John O. Woods — Outstanding Veteran of the Year Award
Woods, a disabled Vietnam War veteran, is the founder of Peacock Engineering. He has designed and consulted on hundreds of significant structures throughout the greater D.C. region and over 40 countries on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Overseas Building Operations and tenant organizations. Woods has served as president of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Metropolitan Washington and the Coalition of American Structural Engineers. He previously served on both the Governor’s Council and the Alexandria Commission for the Disabled and completed his Presidential appointment in 2008 as a Public member of the U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Access Board. He is currently the treasurer and a director of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, has served as the chairman of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce and as president of the Alexandria Rotary Club. He is an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church.
The LizLuke Team — Small Business of the Year
For over a decade, Elizabeth Lucchesi and The LizLuke Team have assisted in real estate ventures ranging from high-end luxury properties to first-time condo buyers. The LizLuke Team is a sponsor of the Old Town Boutique District and the Del Ray Business Association as well as a long-standing member of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, where Lucchesi sits on this year’s board. The LizLuke Team has donated funds, goods and time to a number of Alexandria organizations including: Rebuilding Together Alexandria, the Boys and Girls Club, The Little Theatre of Alexandria, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Alzheimer’s Association, Marine Corp Marathon, National Children’s Hospital, Veterans of Foreign Wars and various Alexandria City, Fairfax County and Alexandria private schools.
SunTrust Bank — Large Business of the Year
As part of a purpose-driven mindset, SunTrust Bank empowers its 24,000 employees to participate in its onUp Together Volunteerism Program. This program provides eight hours of volunteer time for teammates to support local nonprofits and educational institutions. In 2016 SunTrust’s teammates logged more than 17,000 volunteer hours in Northern Virginia. In addition, as part of the SunTrust Foundation, teammates pledged more than $6.5 million to support the United Way to help people take steps toward financial confidence. Established in 2008, the Foundation’s grants and activities focus primarily on financial empowerment but also include education, health and human services, civic improvement and cultural growth.
The Alexandria Business Philanthropy Summit will take place April 27 at 7:30 a.m. at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, 101 Callahan Drive. For tickets or more information, visit www.VolunteerAlexandria.org.