Because Jody Scholes grew up in small town, she likes being able to look around the room at Vienna-Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce events and know people's first names.
That dedication to the community is one of the reasons why the Chamber honored Scholes with 2003 Business Person of the Year award.
"It's always been my passion to contribute back to the community," said Scholes upon accepting the award. Scholes founded the Northern Virginia Massage Center.
The Vienna-Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce honored members of the business community last July 10 during an annual awards luncheon at Marco Polo Restaurant. The awardees, nominated by Chamber membership and selected by an awards committee composed of former awardees, each has made a significant contribution to the Vienna area and greater Northern Virginia over the years.
"The award recipients are individuals who might not otherwise get recognized for their contributions to the community," said Chamber president Gary Powers.
For instance, the Chamber honored Joan Fletcher, founder of Winning Ways Inc., due in part to her enthusiasm and energy in planning for Chamber events.
"In planning the annual award retreat, I knew that Joan would be the perfect facilitator," said Chamber member Renee Younes.
The Chamber also recognized Bob McCormick of McCormick Insurance Agency as 2003 Citizen of the Year, to thank him for his time on the Vienna Town Council and the Vienna Teen Foundation. McCormick was also responsible for spearheading a citizen effort to create a mural on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail.
"You see his work throughout the community, not only on the Council, but what he does to pull the community together," said Hunter Mill supervisor Cathy Hudgins, who presented the awards to the five recipients.
Other recipients included the Northwest Federal Credit Union as 2003 Business of the Year, with its president/CEO Juri Valdov accepting the award, and Linda Ekas of Ekas Consulting as 2003 Entrepreneur of the Year.