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Keller Williams Realty has teamed up with the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) to raise money to pay down the mortgage on the AFAC building located in Arlington. The Arlington Food Assistance Center provides groceries to nearly 1,200 families per week, making Arlington one of the safest cities in America to weather the recession, according to a 2008 Business Week report.
On Thursday, Nov. 12 from 6-9 p.m. the Arlington Keller Williams office will host the second annual Pay It Forward, Pay It Down cocktail reception and fundraiser at the Clarendon Ballroom. In addition to cocktails, food and a silent auction, WJLA reporter, Courtney Robinson, will be the Mistress of Ceremony and 99.5 Kane Show co-host, Sarah Fraser, will be the Silent Auction cheerleader. In addition, Congressman Jim Moran will be in attendance at this important event aimed at raising $50,000 to put towards the AFAC’s mortgage.

Bruce Green, regional vice president of Weichert, Realtors, announced that David Lloyd of the Arlington office was recognized for industry success in the month of September. A neighborhood specialist, Lloyd led the company for dollar volume and resale dollar volume. Additionally he led the region for resales, resale revenue units and resale dollar volume.

Doorways for Women and Families, Arlington’s leading provider and advocate for victims of homelessness, violence and abuse, was honored by the Center for Nonprofit Advancement as the 2009 winner of The Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management. Doorways will receive a $10,000 cash grant and a scholarship for one person to attend the Georgetown University Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership’s Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate Program.

Arlington Career Center instructor Mike McGhee and the Supported Work and Transition (SWAT) program's "Brown Box Lunch Program" received 2009 Virginia Career and Technical Education Creating Excellence awards.
The awards recognize programs that challenge teachers to identify, initiate, and implement activities that provide exceptional classroom instruction or positive outcomes for students in career and technical education.
McGhee, the lead automotive instructor, was chosen to receive an award because he is a state and national leader in the development of an automotive program that adds value to student education and that meets the needs of the program's partners, including dealerships and local community colleges. He has worked to improve all aspects of the program and helps students prepare for state-of-the-art jobs in the automotive work force.

Jeanette English, an Avon Representative in Arlington, won a trip to Paradise Island to celebrate her success along with other top Avon Representatives at the company's President's Recognition Program Celebration.
The President's Recognition Program Celebration is an annual event at which the world's largest direct seller of beauty and other products brings together the nation's top achieving representatives who have distinguished themselves as top performers in sales or leadership.

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Arlington welcomes experienced real estate agent Robert O'Bryan as a sales associate. A professional who formerly worked for Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, O'Bryan said he chose to join Coldwell Banker because of its 103-year reputation for superior customer service.

The new Washington-Lee Aquatics Center has now reopened to pool patrons. The Aquatics Center will follow its normal summer schedule. The pool is located on N. Quincy St. behind the Planetarium and Education Center.
As Phase III (demolition of the old sections and landscaping) continues through the summer, parking for W-L pool patrons will be limited to several spots between the Education Center and the old W-L building, the top level of the I-66 Parking Deck and Quincy Park, which is located at the corner of Washington Blvd. and N. Quincy St.

Sunrise at Bluemont Park, a Sunrise Senior Living community, is one of the 2009 14th Annual ABBIE Award recipients. Each year the Arlington Chamber of Commerce recognizes businesses in the community that have delivered exceptional quality of service to their customers, are industry leaders offering a unique approach to the delivery of goods and services, all while displaying an interest and concern in the community. Sunrise at Bluemont Park is a senior-living community operated by Sunrise Senior Living, the nation's largest provider of senior-living services.

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Arlington welcomes experienced real estate agent John Brown as a sales associate. A respected professional who formerly worked for Weichert, Brown said he was drawn by Coldwell Banker's 100-year reputation for superior customer service.

Dori Familiant has been named complex general manager of the Doubletree Hotel Crystal City/National Airport and the Embassy Suites Hotel Crystal City/National Airport in Arlington. Familiant will oversee the day-to-day operations of the 630-room, upscale, full-service Doubletree hotel and the 267-suite Embassy Suites hotel.

The Lukmire Partnership, an architectural firm in Arlington noted for its library expertise, is working closely with Montgomery County officials on the design of the new Silver Spring Library in downtown Silver Spring.
The new Silver Spring Library, to be built at the intersection of Wayne Avenue and Fenton Street, will be part of a mixed-use development that will ultimately include residential and commercial space as well as the new light rail Purple Metro line.
While the project is still in the planning stages, the library will be the main occupant of an approximately 99,000-square-foot building that will also house an arts center and county office space. The building is being designed to achieve Silver LEED™ Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, signifying that it has met nationally accepted benchmarks as a green building.

Army Col. Donna M. Diamond relinquished command of the Kenner Army Health Clinic at Fort Lee, Va. She has been selected by the TRICARE Management Activity to serve as the deputy director of the TRICARE Area Office, Latin America and Canada with duty in Rosslyn, Va.
During her 27 years of military service in the nursing career, Diamond has served as a staff nurse, clinical nurse, surgical nurse and technician instructor, and nurse services officer at military installations in Virginia (three tours), Germany, Arizona, Kansas, Saudi Arabia, Washington, Hawaii, and Texas.
She is the granddaughter of Beatrice Nieh of Bridgeport, Conn. Her parents are the late Dolores Mitchell and Johnny Holloway.
Col. Diamond and her husband, Army Reserve Col. William Diamond, have three children named Robin, Mark, and Alexis.

SOC Enterprises of Arlington announced that its Board of Directors has named Linda H. Chandler to serve as its new Chief Executive Officer. The company assists, supports, and empowers people with disabilities to achieve employment, independence and integration in the workplace and in the community. Ms. Chandler has served since July 2003 as Vice President, Operations of Goodwill Industries International, a $30 million non-profit entity with 168 organizational members.

Marriott International Inc. opened the 176-suite Residence Inn by Marriott in Arlington, on Aug. 3. Located at 1401 North Adams Street, the Residence Inn Arlington Courthouse will operate as a Marriott franchise, managed by Donohoe Hospitality Services of Washington, DC.
Located two miles from downtown Washington, DC and five miles from the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the Residence Inn Arlington Courthouse offers its guests convenient access to the Arlington National Cemetery, the Iwo Jima Memorial, and is only steps from the Courthouse Metro stop on the Orange Line. Rates begin at $299 per night, with special weekend pricing and multiple packages.

Virginia Commerce Bank announces the appointment of Robert Esguerra as vice president and branch manager of the Clarendon branch. He joins the Bank with five years of branch management experience in Arlington and the surrounding areas. Previously, Mr. Esguerra worked as a business consultant for over 20 years, analyzing and evaluating a variety of different organizations and industries, helping them become more efficient and profitable in their operations.

P. Wesley Foster Jr. chairman of The Long & Foster Companies, announced that Jeffrey S. Detwiler, 47, has been selected as the new president and chief operating officer. The Long & Foster Companies is the parent company of Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., Prosperity Mortgage Company, Walker Jackson Mortgage Corporation, Long & Foster Settlement Services, and Long & Foster Insurance Agency, Inc.
Before joining The Long & Foster Companies, Detwiler was the chief production officer of the Institutional Mortgage Services Group for Countrywide Home Loans. He led three divisions: correspondent lending, warehouse lending, and landsafe origination services.
He is a graduate of Princeton University, and is relocating from California to Northern Virginia. Detwiler is married and has four children.

WJLA and NewsChannel 8 announced today the promotion of Bill Lord as station manager with responsibilities over the complex, day-to-day operations of both the ABC affiliate and the 24-hour cable news operation in the Washington region. The move formalizes the existing management structure at the flagship of the Allbritton Communications Company television group and gives Lord new responsibilities for coordination of sales and marketing as well as news, promotions and technical operation of the two stations.

Andrew Paine has joined First Command’s Arlington office as its newest Financial Advisor. First Command Financial Services and its subsidiaries, including First Command Bank and First Command Financial Planning, assist American families in their efforts to build wealth, reduce debt and pursue their lifetime financial goals and dreams—focusing on consumer behavior as the first and most powerful determinant of results. Through personalized financial plans that emphasize accumulating wealth while reducing risk, First Command Financial Advisors have established lasting relationships with hundreds of thousands of client families since 1958.

Leadership Arlington announced the members of the Class of 2010. Participants met for the first time at the opening retreat held on Sept. 17-18 at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority at Reagan National Airport.
The Class of 2010 is composed of 48 leaders from the business, public and non-profit sectors of our community. These leaders will meet over a 10-month period to discuss and learn about the issues and opportunities facing Arlington while enhancing personal and professional leadership skills. Topics for the year include Economic Development, Health & Human Services, The Arts, Education and Justice, Crime & Public Safety to name a few. Participants will also make a trip to Richmond to visit the General Assembly.
Here are members of Leadership Arlington's Class of 2010:
Cathy Abbott, Arlington Temple United Methodist Church
Susan Anderson, Clarendon Alliance
Jim Arnold, Mack|Crounse Group
Karen Bate, KB Concepts PR
Linda Bethel, Vanguard Services Unlimited
Glenda Blake, Arlington County Government - DHS
Rob Cahill, Rob Cahill + Associates
Emily Cassell, Arlington Economic Development
Maureen Caughran, Caughran Associates LLC
Toby Chaudhuri, Campaign for America's Future
Mary Curtius, Arlington County Government - Media Relations
Carla de la Pava, Arlington County Treasurer's Department
Alan Dorn, Arlington County Fire Department
Steve Dougherty, Outsource Partners International
Sally Duran, SJD Associates
Elizabeth Harr Bricksin, DynLink
Mary Ann Hodges, Fort Myer Military Community
Pam Holcomb, Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization
Rick Holliday, AHC, Inc.
Pat Hope, American College of Cardiology
Sherri Hughes, Marymount University
Claire Huschle, Arlington Arts Center
Krysta Jones, American Psychological Association
Takis Karantonis, Abano-Systems Americas LLC
Paul Larson, Arlington County Sheriff's Office
Tad Lunger, Bean, Kinney & Korman, PC
Bill Maher, Arlington Virginia Federal Credit Union
Rob Mandle, Crystal City Business Improvement District
Kate Marshall, SRA International, Inc.
Walter McKenzie, Arlington County Public Schools
Erin Mendenhall, Mendenhall Properties, LLC
Mike Mesmer, Kodiak Realty Services LLC
Kamara Napper, Virginia Commerce Bank
Ware Palmer, Branch Banking & Trust
Claire Polk, HCA - Dominion Hospital
Courtney Reeve, Greenbrier Learning Center
Sandy Robinson-Burkholder, U.S. Department of State
Ann Rosser, Finding Resolution LLC
Steve Rubloff, Virginia Hospital Center
Tara Russo, Verizon
Kenwyn Schaffner, Arlington County Public Schools
Ginna Schneider, Habitat for Humanity of Northern VA
Scott Seaton, Emmanuel Presbyterian Church
Gerry Shannon, Arlingtonians Meeting Emergency Needs
Kathy Sibert, Arlington Street Peoples Assistance Network
Brian Steffan, Steffan & Co., Inc.
Tiffany Townsend, WETA
Susan Wobst, Partners for Community Solutions

Synetic Theater is the recipient of three Audience Choice Awards from DC Theatre Scene. Dante, which was produced in the beginning of 2009, won for Favorite Play and Favorite Ensemble. Alex Mills, who plays Puck in the company’s current production of A Midsummer Night ’s Dream, now playing through Oct. 10 at the Rosslyn Spectrum, won for Favorite Actor in a Play.

For the third year in a row, ESN of Arlington rose in ranking on the Inc. 5000’s list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. In its September issue, Inc. magazine named Engineering Services Network Inc. — a trusted leader in engineering, IT and business consulting — among the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the United States. ESN soared in the rankings to No. 3,863, up from 4,412 on the 2008 Inc. 5000.

MTFA Architecture Inc. of Arlington announces the newest additions to its growing team, Kristen Paradies and Katherine Solether. Kristen, an architect with 10 years of experience, brings to MTFA a specialized expertise in commercial interiors and environmentally friendly design. Katherine is a designer talented in architectural planning and interior design.

Heidi Farrell of Arlington has become an independent consultant with Tastefully Simple Inc., a national direct-sales company featuring easy-to-prepare food products.
As a consultant, Farrell offers the company's gourmet foods and beverages to guests at home taste-testing parties. Guests receive samples, easy meal ideas, recipes and serving suggestions.

The J. Dellinger Learning Resources Center at Southwest Virginia Community College, designed by The Lukmire Partnership of Arlington to be the centerpiece of the campus, officially opened last week with a dedication ceremony, building tour and reception.
Located in the mountains of Southwest Virginia in the town of Richlands, the new Learning Resources Center is positioned in the middle of the college’s campus, resulting in spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. It also visually connects the upper and lower campus buildings, which are separated by a vertical grade change of 70 feet. Plus, it provides the remote rural campus with the most advanced technologies to link its students to the rest of the state.

Aisha Ayub has joined First Command’s Arlington office as its newest financial advisor. First Command Financial Services and its subsidiaries, including First Command Bank and First Command Financial Planning, assist American families in their efforts to build wealth, reduce debt and pursue their lifetime financial goals and dreams—focusing on consumer behavior as the first and most powerful determinant of results.

Bean, Kinney & Korman Law Firm of Arlington announced the addition of Jerry William Boykin as Of Counsel to the firm. Boykin has been practicing law for more than 30 years. In his new position with Bean Kinney, he will represent clients in civil litigation matters. Mr. Boykin also has notable experience representing clients in corporate matters, commercial real estate, mergers and acquisitions and other transactional work.

Clifton Gunderson of Arlington, ranked as one of the nation’s largest certified public accounting and consulting firms, announces that Kurt Binder, CPA has joined the firm as a partner in the Arlington office.

Engineering Services Network Inc. of Arlington has been awarded a $12.5 million contract from the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) under the GSA VETS GWAC to support the Department of Veterans Affairs, Field Security Operations (FSO), Network Security Operation Center (NSOC) Critical Infrastructure Protection Service (CIPS).

Former delegate in the Virginia House of Delegates and longtime Arlington resident, L. Karen Darner, will be honored as the 2009 recipient of the Arlington Community Foundation’s annual William T. Newman, Jr. Spirit of Community Award. The award ceremony and luncheon will be held at noon on Thursday, Nov. 12 at the Sheraton National Hotel. Established in 1993, the Spirit of Community Award recognizes and honors those people who have demonstrated tireless and unselfish commitment to improving the quality of life in Arlington. Last year, the award was renamed to honor the Foundation’s founder and president emeritus, The Honorable William T. Newman, Jr.

Edwin M. Scholly, certified executive chef, of Crofton, Md., has earned the certified culinary educator (CCE) designation from the American Culinary Federation Inc. Scholly is chef instructor, at The International Culinary School At The Art Institute of Washington, Arlington, Virginia, and a member of ACF Art Institute of Washington.

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Greater Washington, D.C., announces that the following new sales associates joined its office in September:
* Ann Jameson, Arlington office
* Lyzbeth Monard, Arlington office

Woolpert announced that the firm has relocated Joe Seppi from its Dayton, Ohio, office to its Arlington office location to support the increased demand for federal project support.
Seppi joined Woolpert in 2008 and has more than 20 years of geospatial experience, including project management and consulting in the design and fielding of geospatial and enterprise information management systems for homeland security and defense.