Send announcements to The Loudoun Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, e-mail to loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. For more information, call Jennifer Lesinski at 703-917-6454.
Christopher M. Edwards has joined the United States Army under the Delayed Entry Program. The program gives young men and women the opportunity to delay entering active duty for up to one year.
The enlistment gives the new soldier the option to learn a new skill, travel and become eligible to receive as much as $50,000 toward a college education. After completion of basic military training, soldiers receive advanced individual training in their career job specialty prior to being assigned to their first permanent duty station.
The recruit qualifies for a $15,000 enlistment bonus.
Edwards will report to Fort Benning, Columbus, Ga., for active duty on Aug. 11. He is the son of Jsteven M. and Janis E. Edwards of Sterling.
Girl Scout Service Unit 70-03 held its 2005 Adult Recognition Ceremony and recognized the following people.
Appreciation Pins: Lillian Cephas and Joy Dyer; Outstanding Leaders: Delia Andrews, Ginger Griffin, John Karman, Julie Kuhman, Andrea Linears, Charlene Mossesso, Debbie Watts and Regina Willard; Outstanding Volunteers: Nancy Foote, Lisa Lampert and JoAnn Sultan. The following received year pins recognizing years of service. Fifty-year pin Barbara Patton. Twenty-five-year pin, Debbie Comer. Fifteen-year pin, Mindy Cebulski. Ten-year pin, Beth Cadieux and Debbie Watts. Five-year pin, Sandy Cummings.
Sarah Perrett, a rising seventh-grader at Mercer Middle School, has been selected to participate in the Junior National Student Leadership Conference, a leadership development program for outstanding middle-school students. This year, approximately 1,500 gifted middle-school students from across the U.S. and from 45 countries around the world will participate in the conference. Students will attend special workshops and classes where they study distinctions of leadership. Through participation in the program, students develop their abilities to think on their feet, engage in critical analysis and to effectively communicate.
The Loudoun County Public Library received the LpeRCy award from the Library Public Relations Council, June 27, at the council's annual dinner at the American Library Association in Chicago. The award recognizes outstanding publicity materials produced by libraries serving populations of different sizes. The Loudoun County Public Library received this award for the brochure designed and distributed during the 2004 One Book-One Community project, which described the program and book activities associated with Simon Wiesenthal's, "The Sunflower: On the Limits and Possibilities of Forgiveness."
Christian J. Smith has graduated from Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Fort Benning, Columbus, Ga., and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
During the 14 weeks of training, the officer candidate received "basic soldiering" instruction in leadership, professional ethics, soldier team development, combined arms tactics, weapons defense, combat water survival, squad drill, intelligence, field training exercises, and navigation, maintenance, communications, staff and general military subjects, and physical training and conditioning.
The candidate was tested on leadership skills and team work abilities required of a commissioned officer. The student utilized acquired skills to function in "leader and follower" positions in squad and platoon sized elements in a stressful and demanding field environment.
Smith, an armor officer, is assigned to the U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion, Fort George G. Meade, Laurel, Md.
He is the son of Annette R. Green of South Riding and Christian J. Smith Sr. of Waldorf, Md. In 2001, the lieutenant received a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland University College, Adelphi.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia recently honored two members of the Loudoun
Sheriff's Vice-Narcotics unit for their efforts in two high-profile narcotics cases.
Investigators Ken Dondero and John Bailie received the 2005 Award for Public Service during a ceremony held Friday, June 17.
Dondero was recognized for his work leading up to the 2004 arrest of former D.C. police officer, who was a member of a drug trafficking organization that distributed ecstasy and methamphetamine in Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia, including Loudoun County.
Bailie received recognition for his 2004 investigation of a
prescription fraud conspiracy case where four suspects were charged federally with fraudulently obtaining more than 15,000 pills of a scheduled II controlled substance called Roxicodone.
Loudoun's outstanding volunteers were lauded April 19 at the Board of Supervisors meeting, and LINK president Nancy Smith and vice president Robert Duchesneau received the Loudoun Volunteer Services Outstanding Volunteer Organization Award. LINK is comprised of 14 member churches in Herndon and eastern Loudoun communities, united in a common cause to provide food, grocery gift certificates, new beds, hygiene supplies and financial assistance to qualified people in need, 52 weeks a year. In 2004, home food deliveries were provided to 747 families, more than 3,000 people. More than 400 deliveries were made to support organizations such as the Embry Rucker Shelter, Good Shepherd Alliance Shelters, ADAMS Center Mosque, The Closet and William Water House. LINK volunteers work with the public school special programs to assist families with school children in need. LINK is also teaming up with the Herndon and Loudoun Community Free Clinics to help supply prescription medication to those they serve. Through an awarded Health and Human Service grant from U.S. Representative Frank Wolf, LINK will distribute funding to each clinic.
The Loudoun Symphony Association announces the appointment of Mark Allen McCoy as music director and conductor of the Loudoun Symphony Youth Orchestra, an educational program of the Loudoun Symphony Association Inc. He replaces Ron Dillard who served in this position for three seasons, from 2002 through 2005. Dillard recently moved from Loudoun County to Kentucky.
McCoy has been music director and conductor of the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra, the Loudoun Symphony Youth Orchestra's parent organization, since 1998. He is also director of orchestras at Towson University in Maryland. He served as cover conductor for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra during its 1997-1998 and 1998-1999 seasons and was music director of the Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestras from 1995 to 1998. Also, serving one season as music director of the Orchestral Academy of the Tropics in Miami, Fla.
McCoy received acclaim as the only American chosen as one of six finalists during the 1997 "Arturo Toscanini" International Competition for Conductors held in Parma, Italy. In November of the same year, McCoy received an "Honorable Mention" certificate and medal at the prestigious Tokyo International Conducting Competition, conducting both the Tokyo City Philharmonic and the renowned Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. McCoy was also a first prize winner in the 1996 Freedman Conducting Competition.
McCoy holds degrees from the Conservatory of Music in Kansas City, the University of Illinois and pursued doctoral studies in conducting at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, where he served as Assistant Conductor to the Peabody Camerata Contemporary Ensemble and Preparatory Sinfonia Orchestra. He is a three-time recipient of a Peabody Career Development Grant and was awarded the Harold Randolph Prize for Outstanding Musicianship and Performance in 1995.
Kids R First, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students from needy families by providing school supplies to 13,000 in 70 schools in the Dulles corridor, held its fourth annual golf tournament June 27. The winning foursome included Jeff Bogart, George Bowns, Ray Woods and Wayne Barber. Longest drive for men were Mike Reese and Mario Reynolds; for women were Leslie Oestreicher and Carol Molesky. Closest to the pin for men were Joe Ammons and Don Ragley; for women were Stephanie Mix and Linda Kosek. Carol Williams won the putting contest. During the post-tournament festivities Laura Gemery, the community outreach manager from Sallie Mae, presented Kids R First with a check for $5,000. This money is to be used for supporting the College and Career-Bound program in the high schools. Kids R First will need $75,000 this year in order to fulfill its commitment to the 13,000 students in the Dulles corridor. The organization has begun ordering school supplies for distribution in August. It is looking for corporations to match existing funds, volunteers, and cash donations. Call 703-860-2255 or e-mail kidsrfirst2@msn.com. Cash donations can be mailed to Kids R First, P.O. Box 3242 Reston, VA 20195.
Josiah A. Toepfer, son of Frederick and Sue Toepfer of Sterling, was recently promoted to second class cadet at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. He will spend part of this summer as a member of the Swab Summer Training Program Cadre, which is responsible for training the incoming Class of 2009, who are known as swabs. He is part of the First Make Cadre and is the training squad leader for Zula 1 Platoon, which is part of Zulu Company. Following his duties as cadre, he will participate in the Cadet Aviation Training Program in Mobile Ala. Toepfer was also selected to participate in the Service Academy Exchange Program and is one of five Coast Guard Academy cadets who will spend the fall 2005 semester as an exchange students at the U.S. Naval Academy. Toepfer is a 2003 graduate of Potomac Falls High School.
Chuck Mills III of Sterling, president of Salera Capital Management and former director of the Virginia Department of Business Assistance, was appointed the Board of Visitors, University of Mary Washington by Gov. Mark Warner.
Kids Serve Too, a program of Virginia-based Salute Our Services, a nonprofit to support deployed soldiers and their families, is one of 10 programs from around the nation to receive the Newman Award, which is given to organizations involved in supporting deployed service members or the families of deployed service members and is based on the organizationÕs impact to the respective communities, creativity and innovation. Along with a grant, KS2 will receive a certificate of recognition from Paul Newman.
The mission of Kids Serve Too is to honor, support and thank military children by fostering awareness and appreciation about the sacrifices and unique challenges they face; provide financial grants to allow military children the opportunity to maintain their extracurricular activities during deployments Ñ a time when many military families are faced with a loss of income; build support systems in school districts, not located on military installations, by adding deployment issues to the curriculum and building partnerships between military families and the communities in which they live; and to provide informational tools and web-based resources for military families and their communities by providing a central location on the Web site for all activities and programs that benefit children of a deployed parent.
To learn more about Kids Serve Too or apply for a grant, visit www.kids2.org or www.saluteourservices.org.
Tina Gulland and Emily Tyler were recently elected to serve on the board of directors for Oatlands in Leesburg. Gulland is from Loudoun County and is the director of television and radio projects for The Washington Post. She's also the executive producer for Inside Washington with Gordon Peterson. Tyler, of Middleburg, is the development assistant and special events coordinator for the Hill School in Middleburg.
Thomas J. Koenig has been named director of Animal Care and Control, effective July 28.
Koenig, 45, has served as a senior human resources analyst for the county since April 2000. Since March 1, he has managed the Department of Animal Care and Control on an interim, part-time basis, in addition to carrying out his regular responsibilities in the Human Resources division.
While serving as the acting operations manager for Animal Care and Control, Koenig developed the department's fiscal year 2006 budget, drafted new performance measures for the department, oversaw the "Homeward Bound" community event, established the department's newsletter and Junior Volunteer program, and implemented several organizational
initiatives.
Before beginning his service with Loudoun County in 2000, Koenig served in several human resources and management positions with the federal government, including the Federal Bureau of Prisons and Defense Intelligence Agency. He has also owned and managed a portrait studio and photography lab.
Koenig is a native of Washington, D.C. He and his wife, Amy, have three children.