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 Friday, two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. For more information, call Jennifer Lesinski at 703-917-6454.
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has named the recipients of the 2006 Excellence in Caring Practices Award, part of the association's Circle of Excellence Awards recognition program.
Presented in honor of John Wilson Rodgers, this award recognizes nurses whose caring practices embody AACN's vision of a health-care system driven by the needs of patients and families. Recipients demonstrate how they have encompassed AACN's values and ethic of care in their practice. The local recipient was Dolores M. Kemp, RN, CCRN, Leesburg, Inova Loudoun Hospital.
Winners are recognized at AACN's National Teaching Institute and Critical Care Exposition, May 20-25, in Anaheim, Calif.; and receive an honorarium in the amount of $1,000 and one complimentary registration to the National Teaching Institute and Critical Care Exposition.
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors April 18 honored the recipients of Loudoun Volunteer Services' 2006 Outstanding Volunteer Awards.
The honorees are Outstanding Volunteer of the Year, Deborah West, Loudoun Literacy Council; Outstanding Adult Volunteer, Bill Fox, Loudoun Habitat for Humanity; Outstanding Adult Volunteer Team, Joelle Cottrell, Nicole Hancock, Andrea Linares, Rebecca Makowski, Shelagh Meade, OASIS (Outstanding Adults Serving, Inspiring & Strengthening Girls); Outstanding Environmental Volunteer, Frank Good, Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve; Outstanding Public Safety Volunteer Team, Gary and Debbie Myers, Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company; Outstanding Senior Volunteer, Carol Parsons; Outstanding Volunteer Organization, Loudoun Families for Children; Outstanding Youth Volunteer, Katy Peterson, Girl Scouts; and Outstanding Youth Volunteer Team, Abraham Annis, Hannah Guthrie, Thurza Hay, Elizabeth Hillis and Kristin Ober, Franklin Park Performing an Visual Arts Center summer interns.
Presentation of the Outstanding Volunteer Awards is an annual event that honors organizations and residents of Loudoun County who donate time and service to their community. Each spring, Loudoun Volunteer Services invites nominations for the awards.
Jesse Burns, senior, Ashburn; Kathryn Hershberger, senior, Sterling; Carrie Ingalls, senior, Sterling; Christine Keyserling, freshman, Potomac Falls; Jessica Kicha, senior, Ashburn; Andrew King, sophomore, Sterling; Ashley Kline, sophomore, Sterling; Bethany Phillips, freshman, Sterling; Angela Roth, senior, Potomac Falls; Brittany Short, junior, Ashburn; Christopher Siepmann, junior, Sterling; Elizabeth White, sophomore, Sterling, were named to the Dean's List at the University of Mary Washington, which recognizes outstanding academic achievement by full-time students who attain a minimum grade-point average of 3.5 out of a possible 4.0. A total of 640 students were named to the Dean's List for the 2005 fall semester.
The University of Mary Washington is a coeducational public institution with its residential campus in Fredericksburg, Va.
The Loudoun Convention and Visitors Association (LCVA) held its 10th annual meeting and 2005 Tourism Awards Luncheon, March 30, at the Washington Dulles Airport Marriott.
The following award winners were honored during the awards presentation for their contributions to tourism promotion in Loudoun County: Tourism Employee of the Year, Management and Nonmanagement: Gilbert Charite, Raspberry Falls Golf & Hunt Club, Nonmanagement and Jackie Gosses, Hampton Inn & Suites, Leesburg, Management; Volunteer of the Year: Kate Zurschmeide, Great Country Farms and Robert Gordon, chair, Zoning Ordinance Review Committee; Tourism Event of the Year, 2005 PONY East Zone National Tournament; Tourism Promotion/Campaign of the Year, Dodona Manor Opening Activities; Judy Patterson Tourism Award Ñ LCVA's highest honorÑ Linda Callagy, The Potomac Gallery.
In addition to the competitive awards, the LCVA gave the following awards to those individuals, businesses, and programs that made significant contributions to the LCVA and the tourism industry throughout the year.
LCVA Partner of the Year, Elizabeth Parker, BF Saul Company Hotel Division; LCVA Distinguished Service Award, Virginia Scott-Bey Kage, Loudoun County Department of Economic Development.
Sommer Long, junior, Ashburn and Jared Fausnaught, sophomore, Leesburg are among the 62 students at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg named to the university's President's List for the fall semester of the 2005-06 academic year. The President's List recognizes outstanding academic achievement at the university by full-time students who attain a perfect 4.0 grade-point average.
Jessica Kicha, senior, Ashburn; Jesse Burns, senior, Ashburn; Brittany Short, junior, Ashburn; Ashley Kline, sophomore, Sterling; Carrie Ingalls, senior, Sterling; Andrew King, sophomore, Sterling; Kathryn Hershberger, senior, Sterling; Bethany Phillips, freshman, Sterling; Christine Keyserling, freshman, Potomac Falls; Christopher Siepmann, junior, Sterling; Angela Roth, senior, Potomac Falls; and Elizabeth White, sophomore, Sterling, are among the 640 students at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg named to the university's Dean's List for the fall semester of the 2005-06 academic year. The Dean's List recognizes outstanding academic achievement at the university by full-time students who attain at least a 3.5 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale.
The Collegiate Times, a student-run newspaper at Virginia Tech, won 25 awards from the Virginia Press Association's College Newspaper Contest. Among the winners were Seth Peterson of Sterling, senior, second place, feature photo, and first place, spot news photo; and Allison Jaragin of Sterling, junior, first place, infographics. Both are graduates of Potomac Falls High School.
Amy Loudenback of Ashburn will be one of 33 Special Olympics Virginia athletes and 15 coaches taking part in the first-ever Special Olympics National Summer Games, in Iowa, July 2-7. Loudenback, 32, will compete in aquatics.
One hundred, eighty-six young farmers and their families visited the Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum Wednesday, April 12, for Bunny Bonanza. Visitors met representatives of the Loudoun Department of Animal Care and Control and RABBITWISE.
Members of the Leaps and Squeaks Rabbit and Cavy Club of Northern Virginia were on hand to discuss rabbit care and the 4-H Extension program. The event featured displays, information and live animal demonstrations.
The faculty, staff, council members, and friends of the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center (EMC) recently honored Dr. Jack Howard, a retired veterinarian and longtime friend of the center for his years of distinguished service.
Howard, a resident of Leesburg, helped build the college into the internationally respected facility that it is today an advanced-care equine referral hospital that offers 24-hour emergency care and treats about 2,500 horses a year.
Howard was presented a photograph of him taken at Oatlands in 2005 by Dr. Ken Sullins, who was hired 22 years ago as the Equine Medical Center's first veterinary surgeon and is an award-winning photographer whose work is featured in area galleries.
The photograph was the first of 75 limited edition prints that have been produced in Howard's honor. Copies of the photograph are being sold and the proceeds will benefit the EMC. Call Amy Troppmann, assistant director of development, at 703-771-6843.
Laurence Kaptain has been appointed the next dean of Shenandoah Conservatory. Kaptain will follow Charlotte Collins, who retires from the deanship this summer after 34 years of service.
Kaptain is currently the director of the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University in Georgia.
Prior to that appointment, he was at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), the University of Missouri systemÕs designated campus for the visual and performing arts.
As a professional musician, he most recently appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, as well as the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Orpheus, the San Antonio, Boston, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Syracuse, Rochester, New World, Kansas City and St. Louis Symphonies and the Summit Brass, and has been featured with the MET Chamber Players and the Ensemble Sospeso in Carnegie Hall.
Kaptain begins his appointment at Shenandoah University on July 1.
Virginia Tech has named Gregory J. Sagstetter, a resident of Sterling, as the Outstanding Graduating Senior for the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.
Sagstetter is expected to receive his honors baccalaureate dual degree in philosophy and political science along with a minor in African-American studies from the College of Liberal Arts and Human Science's in December of this year. During his time at Virginia Tech, Sagstetter has participated in many extracurricular activities on campus, as well as received multiple honors and awards.
In 2006, Sagstetter was named to the USA Today's 2006 All-USA College Academic Second Team. In addition, Sagstetter is the co-founder of Virginia Tech's Student Alliance for Sound Financial Planning and Investment, as well as the first male peer educator for the Women's Center.
The Outstanding Senior Awards are presented at the Student Honors Day Banquet each spring and are co-sponsored by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association and the senior class.
Jordan Kupersmith, a 2002 graduate of Potomac Falls High School, was awarded the Benjamin Stoddard Ewell Award by the College of William & Mary at its recent Spring Awards ceremony. The award is for "Outstanding leadership and participation in college and community activities and for service to the college and community." Kupersmith will graduate in May cum laude with a 3.6 GPA and a double major in international relations and environmental studies. He is the son of Roy and Adriana Kupersmith of Potomac Falls.
The Senate Committee on Rules appointed state Sen. Mark R. Herring (D-33) to three state commissions and study committees in legislative action last week. Herring was appointed to serve on a committee to study telework opportunities for state and private sector employees and a committee to study open space and farmland preservation. Herring was also appointed to serve on the Substance Abuse Services Council.
Herring has also created a constituent services Web site, www.markherring.org. Herring's e-mail address is senator@markherring.org and his constituent services telephone number is 703-433-0048.