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Governor Timothy Kaine appointed these Alexandria residents to state boards and committees:
Frankie D. Hughes, Virginia Retirement System Board of Trustees
Michael J. Carrasco, Virginia Board for People with Disabilities
Carlton A. Funn, Board of Visitors to Mount Vernon
Nellie B. Quander, Board of Visitors to Mount Vernon
Boy Scout Trop 1509 assisted Colin Amerau with his Eagle Scout project on Saturday, June 2. Amerau designed and cut the wood for six benches and a potting/demonstration table which will be used for the American Horticultural Society's Outdoor Education Progran at River Farm.
Alexandria City Manager James K. Hartmann appointed Goodyear, Arizona Deputy Fire Chief Adam Thiel as the City's new Fire Chief. Since November 2004, Chief Thiel has been the deputy chief of emergency services for the City of Goodyear, Arizona, managing the city's response to fires, medical emergencies, hazardous material releases, and rescue situations. He is a certified fire officer, fire-rescue instructor, rescue diver, hazardous materials technician, and former paramedic. Chief Thiel earned Bachelor degrees in history (UNC-Chapel Hill) and fire science (University of Maryland College Park), and a Masters in public administration from George Mason University. In 2004, he attended the Harvard University Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government. He has served as an adjunct instructor at several colleges and universities.
Drexel University's Alumni Association's Honors and Awards Committee selected Alexandria resident Trudi Bellardo Hahn, Ph.D '84, as the 2007 recipient of the Service to Profession Award. The award is conferred upon graduates who have earned recognition for their professional achievements or have contributed to advancements within their chosen field. Hahn received her Ph.D from Drexel University's College of Information Science and Technology in 1984. She also holds a master's in library science and a bachelor's in linguistics from the University of Kentucky. Hahn is and has been a member of numerous organizations and boards. She has been a recipient of numerous awards and honors and has authored numerous papers, presentations, co-authored four books, and written a book.
Audrey P. Davis, Assistant Director of the Alexandria Black History Museum, was re-appointed to the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy (VFH) and Carlton Funn, president of the Alexandria Society for the Preservation of Black Heritage, was appointed to the Mount Vernon Board of Visitors. Davis will serve her second three-year term and Funn will serve a four-year term.
Davis was hired by the City of Alexandria in 1993 and has served as the Alexandria Black History Museum’s Assistant Director/Curator since 1996. She has served as a Virginia Association of Museums (VAM) Council member since 2000, including two years as president of the VAM Council. In addition, Davis serves on the boards of the National Preservation Institute, Gunston Hall Plantation, the Alexandria Historical Society and the Frederick Douglass Home in Annapolis, Md. Davis has served as a lecturer for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Statewide Partnership Program since 2002, as well as three years as a grants reader for the Virginia Commission on the Arts.
Funn, a lifelong Alexandrian, is a retired teacher who served for nearly four decades in Northern Virginia public schools. As the president of the Alexandria Society for the Preservation of Black Heritage, Funn guides educational and fundraising efforts to promote local African American history as well as exhibitions and programs at the Alexandria Black History Museum. He also is the curator of National/International Cultural Exhibits (NICE) which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Funn created NICE, a traveling exhibition that has been shown more than 400 times to school and community groups in 11 states. Funn will join six other members on Mount Vernon’s Board of Visitors, an organization responsible for reviewing the operation of Mount Vernon and reporting its findings to the Governor.
Many Senior Girl Scouts from the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital were awarded the Girl Scout Gold Award on Sunday, May 13 at the council's annual "In Your Honor" ceremony at Trinity University in Washington, DC. The following are Gold Award winners from Virginia:
* Erin Burke, Alexandria, made the Youth Center at her church more "teen friendly." She redesigned the room by painting, making pillows and a memory ceiling. She also started a recycling program.
* Sarah Conrad, Arlington, taught children at a religious education program about the story of Christmas and the Epiphany. She directed a Christmas pageant and conducted crafts and lessons with the kids.
* Julia Dahlin, Arlington, gave children in a city summer camp the opportunity to travel to a number of enrichment activities in the suburbs. All transportation and tickets were provided to the children free of charge.
* Elizabeth Dalch, Alexandria, began a series of puppet shows with religious themes at her church. She also created a program called, "Bible Buddies" to read to kids.
* Kelly Jemison, Alexandria, increased environmental awareness among children through organizing activities as part of a large Earth Day fair.
* Julia Light, Arlington, brought a group of senior citizens to a nature center for a spring afternoon of tree planting and a tour.
* Anna Ly, Alexandria, held a Vietnamese Culture Day to educate American families who have adopted children from that country about Vietnam culture.
* Elisabeth Palmer, Alexandria, started a knitting club at her high school. Participants knitted scarves for a shelter for women and families. She also held "sit and knit" sessions at a senior center.
* Sarah Peak, Arlington, made stuffed fabric heart-shaped characters to give to patients undergoing intensive surgeries at a hospital in Philadelphia.
* Leila Shiekhy, Arlington, trained volunteers in handling dogs and began a dog walking service for local senior citizens.
* Molly Turner, Alexandria, renovated a children’s garden at the American Horticultural Society. She removed dead and invasive plants, shrubs and trees, and created a more defined path through the garden.
* Bianca Velez, Alexandria, hosted a cultural awareness project at a local nursing home by bringing teens and the residents together through crafts, snacks and other activities.
* Milica Wren, Alexandria, rebuilt a house and rejuvenated plants surrounding the children’s garden at the American Horticultural Society.
Jean-Blaise Ognong, a student at the Alexandria Campus of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), was the focus of a July 2 feature on WAMU 88.5 FM, a National Public Radio affiliate in Washington, D.C. Ognong, who was raised by a single mother in a mud hut in Cameroon, overcame adversity to become the winner of a highly competitive Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship. Ognong is planning to use his scholarship at Georgetown University to study economics and finance.
The Alexandria Choral Society (ACS) appointed Neil Weston as Interim Artistic Director for ACS's 38th Season, succeeding Philip Cave, Artistic Director for three years. A native of England, Mr. Weston is the Director of Music at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church in Potomac Falls, Va., and Organist at Temple Sinai, Washington, D.C. As a conductor and soloist Mr. Weston has appeared in several major venues in the Washington area, including the National Cathedral, the National Shrine and the Kennedy Center. A past prizewinner of the American Guild of Organists' National Competition in Organ Improvisation, he is also a well-known exponent of the art of liturgical organ improvisation. He has worked closely with Mr. Cave and the choristers as the Assistant Director of the Alexandria Choral Society for the past few seasons.