Chamber Puts Spotlight on Community Champions

Loudoun business and nonprofit leaders today put the spotlight on five men and women who have shown exceptional commitment to the local community and its citizens.

The Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce announced its Community Leadership Awards winners at a ceremony held at the National Conference Center this afternoon.

[Photo gallery: Loudoun Community Leadership Awards]

Chauvon McFadden, with Crimson Wealth Strategies, won the leadership award in the Young Professionals category. Pam Jones, of Extraordinary Transitions and Long & Foster, was honored with the Executive Leader Award. Palmercare Chiropractic won the leadership award in the Small organization category, and AH&T Insurance won for the Large Organization category.

Lynn Tadlock, deputy executive director of giving for the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation, won the leadership award in the Nonprofit Executive category.

Tadlock thanked her mother, who taught her the importance of community, and J. Hamilton Lambert, executive director of the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation. Tadlock said Lambert “dragged me off of a tractor and put me in a leadership role. I consider him one of my best friends and a mentor, so thank you for helping me get to this point.”

McFadden was brought to tears as he approached the podium to receive his award. He thanked his wife, who he called his best friend, and the other business and nonprofit leaders in the room. “What makes this community so amazing is that so many people choose to share their talents for the benefit of somebody else,” he said.

The event also served as the Chamber’s annual meeting, and the first event that Tina R. Johnson took part in as Chamber chairwoman. As the lead on the Chamber’s board of directors, Johnson said she wants to focus on small businesses and nudge people to use their “purchasing power” to support Loudoun County businesses. “I believe that small business is the heart and soul of our community. When we use our purchasing power to support small business, we are essentially giving back to the local economy,” she said. “Think local. Think Loudoun.”

Several other awards were given out at the meeting. Amy Owen, executive director of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Fauquier Counties, said she was speaking on behalf of all of the county’s nonprofit organizations when she offered her thanks to Chamber CEO and President Tony Howard. Specifically, she thanked him for supporting the idea in 2008 to create programs to support and further the work of Loudoun’s charitable organizations.

Ranna Golden, of Paychex, was named the Chamber’s Ambassador of the Year. And four people took home Chairman’s Awards for their work to support the local business and nonprofit community: Dave Trosko, of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management; Mindy Carlin, of Access Point Public Affairs; Dave Jones, of Long & Foster; and Chris Browne, who announced this week that he is retiring as manager of Dulles Airport.

dnadler@loudounnow.com
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