Nancy Volpe, a long-time Vienna resident, is co-chair of the upcoming Vienna Woman's Club Harvest Bazaar and Fall Festival, which takes place Nov. 12, at the Vienna Community Center. She is very involved in the community, and she is this week's People Profile.
Years in the community: I've been a homeowner in Vienna (22181) since 1978. For three of those years, my husband had an overseas assignment and we lived in the Netherlands. From 1964 to 1974, we lived in Arlington and Annandale. We moved here from New York City (Queens County) in 1964 with a job transfer.
Family: My immediate family consists of my husband of 44 years, Joe, and four adult children, Marianne, Patricia, Joe Jr. and Suzanne. We also have two granddaughters. All of them live in Arlington, Fairfax or Loudoun counties.
Education: I attended Albany State Teachers College for a year and then decided it wasn't for me after a session of student teaching. I then went to nursing school for three years and received a nursing diploma from Bellevue Hospital School of Nursing in Manhattan. I worked for a short while, married and took a break while raising my kids. When the children were between 10 and 17, I went back to work as a private duty nurse.
Current job: My current job is with Long & Foster Real Estate in Vienna as an agent. I've been there for almost 10 years. I had been a Realtor in the 1970s and decided to go back to a field that I could set my own hours.
Affiliations: I am a member of the Vienna Woman's Club (VWC) as well as the Vienna Host Lions Club. For the past five or six years, I've been co-chairman of the Harvest Bazaar and Fall Festival put on by the VWC. I also have been an active Lions Club member helping with the Christmas tree sale each year. I have been president of the homeowners association where I live for four years and co-president for one year. I also have been involved in various political clubs in the area.
Interests/hobbies: My husband and I like to travel when time allows. Until 2003, we also skied, but an accident and knee surgery ended that. We also play golf at local courses. We are very active in Lionism and try to attend state and international conventions. We really enjoyed the convention that took us to Osaka, Japan.
Favorite restaurant in Vienna: I can't really name a favorite because we love so many of the local ones. We frequent Bonaroti's, Cafe Renaissance, Sushi Yama, Marco Polo's, Scorpios, Nizam's, Wolftrap Deli, Anita's and Natta Thai. Vienna has a wonderful assortment of excellent
restaurants only five-10 minutes from our home.
Community concerns: My concerns are the same as most area residents — traffic. I have decided that we have to accept that there will always be a problem with traffic. It's the price we pay because of where we are located — about 10 lights from Tysons Corner. The growth of jobs has brought thousands of people here from other states and countries. The mindset of most people has them "tied" to their car and even though the price of gas has soared, it hasn't gotten people out of their car and onto public transportation in enough numbers. The answer is always "Leave 30 minutes earlier ... ."
What brought you to Vienna? We moved to Vienna because I loved the town when I came to shop here at the old Lowe's (Whole Foods location). I liked the selection of stores and shops in the 60s and 70s, and since then it's been improving yearly. Four grocery stores and numerous specialty shops are outstanding. Everything you need is right here in one town.
Community hidden treasure: It's not exactly a "hidden treasure" but the Vienna Community Center is a wonderful asset to the town and the surrounding areas. It's a beehive of activity for all age groups and we are fortunate to have it. The selection of events and classes are well suited to the interests of the community.
Personal goals: My personal goal or mission is to continue doing what I've been doing for several years but to find more time for relaxation. I sometimes volunteer and then find that it cuts into scarce free time.