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Falls Church Business News & Notes

Burke & Herbert Combine Titles

Burke & Herbert Financial Services Corp. in Alexandria reported that its CEO, David Boyle, has been elected board chair, effective Jan. 1. Boyle will replace former CEO E. Hunt Burke as chairman, though Burke will remain chair of the bank subsidiary, Burke & Herbert Bank Trust, and will continue to serve on the holding company’s board of directors. As Virginia’s oldest continuously operating bank, it prepares to begin selling its shares on the Nasdaq as a means of both raising capital and raising its profile with investors. Its shares currently trade on the Pink Sheets. Burke & Herbert has $3.6 billion in assets and about 20 branches in Northern Virginia. As of June 30, it had the No. 15 market share in Greater Washington, with $3 billion in deposits.

Fairview Park Hotel Renovation Completed

Marriott International has completed a $11 million-dollar revitalization of the 395-room Falls Church Marriott Fairview Park. This includes a renovated lobby, a modernized fitness center, two new junior ballrooms, 27,000 square feet of meeting space and Tandem, a new restaurant and cocktail lounge. The makeover design was inspired by the early settlers to the Falls Church area, likely part of the Algonquian, Siouan and Iroquois nations. The hotel’s redesign celebrates details from these communities with artifacts, objects and drawings in combination with modern functionality. The property has more than 27,000 square feet of meeting space with a Grand Ballroom that can accommodate up to 1,200 people. The 16-story hotel is owned by Lakewood Hotel Group and managed by Marriott International.

Museum Plan Recognized

Falls Church-based OSS Society received promising news this month on Capitol Hill. The wording in the National Defense Authorization Act gave official recognition to a planned facility known as the National Museum of Intelligence and Special Operations. Charles Pinck, president of The OSS Society, acknowledged that this should boost the fundraising goal of about $100 million to develop and launch the museum at the mixed-use Kincora development in Ashburn. The society was created to honor the efforts of Gen. William J. “Wild Bill” Donovan and his Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA.

Free Metro Rides New Year’s Eve

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has announced free metro rides during the last hours of 2022. Metro announced extended hours to 2 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 1 and free fares from 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 31 through closing. When taking Metrorail and Metrobus after 8 p.m. on Dec. 31, riders do not need to pay with their SmarTrip card. Regular fares and hours will resume at 4 a.m. on Jan. 1 for Metrobus and 7 a.m. for Metrorail.

Grants for Women-Owned Businesses

IFundWomen and Johnnie Walker have come together to provide support to “trailblazing” women-owned businesses that continue to push boundaries and grow, helping their businesses succeed. Ten recipients of the First Strides Grant will receive a $10,000 grant and one year of coaching services through IFundWomen. Submit your application by December 31. Visit https://www.ifundwomen.com/ johnniewalker for more information.

 Business News & Notes is compiled by Elise Neil Bengtson, Executive Director of the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at elise@fallschurchchamber.org.

BUSINESS

DECEMBER 22 - 28, 2022 | PAGE 19

Falls Church School News & Notes

MHS Robotics Team Looking for Sponsors

Ever want to build a robot? Or help pay for one? The Meridian High School Vae Victis 1418 Robotics Team is looking for sponsors and mentors for their 2023 build season (January-April).Visit 1418.team/ for more information.

Support GIVE Day for FCCPS

GIVE Day (Get Involved, Value Everyone) will take place on MLK Day Of Service — Monday, January 16, 2023. All students across the division (Pre-K through 12th grade) are invited to the Secondary Campus to help with the community service projects set up by the GIVE Day Clubs. Please contact Erika Toman: erikadewald@gmail.com.

Nominate FCCPS Staff for Awards

The 2023 FCCPS Employee Awards program is open for nominations. Everyone is invited to recognize a teacher, specialist, or support staff employee for their dedication to students and schools. There are three awards: Falls Church Education Foundation Teacher of the Year Award, Professional Specialist of the Year Award, Support Staff Employee of the Year Award. For more information, visit https://www.fccps.org/o/fccps/page/ employee-recognition-awards

Meridian Offers MYP Certificate to Students

The Meridian Middle Years Programme (MYP) certificate is a new opportunity to recognize outstanding efforts and achievements by 9th and 10th grade students. The Meridian MYP certificate will be offered for the first time to current 9th grade students (class of 2026). The current 9th graders were introduced to the certificate during a recent Stable class.

All current 9th graders are eligible for this certificate because of the structure and support that occurs through their course completion, including Stable (advisory time) to complete the 10th grade Personal Project and participate in some service opportunities during school. The certificate is an opportunity to engage in active and reflective work, much of what students are already doing to support and prepare for selected 11th and 12th grade pathways. MYP Certificate participation is encouraged but not required and does not impact participation in the 11th and 12th grade Diploma Programme (DP) or Careers-related Programme (CP) courses.

Tuba Player Performed at Kennedy Center

Henderson 8th grader Nicholas (David) Machak played tuba on Monday, December 12th, in the Kennedy Center’s 49th annual “Merry TUBACHRISTMAS.” From the Kennedy Center website: 2022 is the 49th year of Merry TUBACHRISTMAS events which are presented throughout the world. TUBACHRISTMAS was conceived in 1974 by Harvey Phillips as a tribute to his teacher and mentor William J. Bell, born on Christmas Day, 1902. Since Paul Lavalle conducted the first TUBACHRISTMAS in New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza Ice Rink, musicians of all ages have gathered annually to perform traditional Christmas music arranged by American composer Alec Wilder on the tuba and euphonium.

MHS Selected as IREX & National Science School

After a competitive application process, Meridian High School has been chosen to participate in the World Smarts STEM Challenge, a virtual exchange initiative that supports STEM education in the United States and Ghana, funded by the National Science Foundation and implemented by the global education and development organization IREX. The program aims to improve students’ STEM skills, strengthen cross-cultural communication, and develop global competence while enhancing students’ enthusiasm an commitment to STEM learning and careers. The program will take place from January – May 2023.

Mustangs Split Pair of Home Games, Now Sit 5-5

by Ryan McCafferty

The Meridian boys’ basketball team has alternated wins and losses throughout much of its 2022-23 season so far, and that trend continued this past weekend as the Mustangs lost to Spotswood on Friday night by a score of 64-53, but then bounced back to beat North Stafford 49-33 on Monday.

Spotswood is expected to be a contender at the state level, and the Mustangs simply couldn’t keep up with their firepower despite Daylen Martino, Wyatt Trundle, and Will Davis all scoring in double figures. Isaac Rosenberger then led the charge against North Stafford with 17, while Martino added 12 in what assistant coach Rusty Payne described as “another quality win.”

Meridian faced Herndon High School on the road this past Tuesday, and lost 45-43. The Mustangs won’t be in action again until after the calendar turns to 2023.