Volunteer Profile

Fairfax County Park Authority

PARK SERVICE AWARD HONOREES

Congratulations to the following award recipients for outstanding volunteer service and contributions to Fairfax County parks!

CAROLYN BANKS SUMMERS – for maintaining her family’s former homestead, now the Olander and Margaret Banks Neighborhood Park, for the past 15 years. Her volunteer service includes organizing cleanup events and creating the Friends of Olander Banks group to support the park. KATHLEEN J. O'HARA – for 17 years of volunteer service at Colvin Run Mill. Her involvement includes giving tours and sharing her knowledge about milling and the importance of simple machines with hundreds of third-grade students each year. She also serves as the Friends of Colvin Run Mill treasurer. LESLIE PAINTER – for more than a decade of volunteer service at Frying Pan Farm Park. Her service includes technological support, farm chores and helping to manage major events. She also serves as secretary of the Friends of Frying Pan Farm Park Board.

Special Recognition Recipients

BIRDS AND BEES ENGINEERS – for installing, monitoring and maintaining bird houses for bluebirds and purple martins at Twin Lakes Golf Course, Burke Lake Park, Oak Marr RECenter and the Upper Occoquan Service Authority, and for establishing a honeybee yard at Twin Lakes. JANE GAMBLE – for her wildlife photographic work to help promote natural resource stewardship in Fairfax County Parks. Her photos often appear in Park Authority social media posts and agency publications. SARA A. HOLTZ – for her leadership as the Difficult Run Stream Valley Park Invasive Management Area (IMA) site manager in Oakton. She works to remove nonnative invasive plants from the park, leads volunteer group workdays and educates scout groups about the importance of habitat restoration. JEAN ANN LINNEY – for serving as a front desk volunteer at Riverbend Park’s visitor center for the past two years, managing gift shop sales, answering phone calls and providing guidance to visitors. ELARBI TAOUIL – For his role in establishing the Cub Run Stream Valley Park Volunteer Team and twice-a-year park cleanup events, and for making the park a destination of choice for birding through his photography over the past three years. TONY L. WILLIAMS - for more than eight years of volunteer services as a Mount Vernon RECenter martial arts instructor. He brings a positive attitude, flexibility and dedication to his role, whether teaching a class for one or 10 students.

Student Honoree

end volunteer shifts. The 14-year-old volunteer also helps lead birthday party reptile talks and pond studies for the participants, provides impromptu reptile talks for visitors and helps maintain trails.

Sally Ormsby Environmental Stewardship Award

CATHERINE C. LEDEC – for her advocacy, personal donations, and tireless efforts to lead long-term natural resource preservation efforts at Huntley Meadows Park and throughout Fairfax County. Her longstanding work is firmly focused on improving the environment and on protecting and restoring irreplaceable natural resources, including native wildlife.

Harold L. Strickland Collaboration and Partnership Award

MERIDIAN GROUP – for its commitment to a unique partnership between developers and park planners to turn a former parking area into Quantum Field, a multisport athletic area in The Boro – Meridian’s transit-oriented, live/work/play neighborhood in Tysons. The field opened in 2019 and offers year-round play for five sports.

Eakin Philanthropy Award

DOMINION ENERGY – for nearly $200,000 in total philanthropic donations to the Park Foundation since 2001 to support park programs and natural resource stewardship initiatives. Dominion Energy is a longtime, countywide supporter of the Summer Entertainment Series, Arts in the Parks, SpringFest and several significant trail projects.

FRIENDS OF RIVERBEND PARK (FORB)

– for supporting many Riverbend Park programs and projects through the Fairfax County Park Foundation. Since 2016, FORB contributed more than $86,000 to fund valuable forest restoration and environmental field trips to Riverbend Park for Title I school students, summer internships, canoes, equipment, interpretive signs and other important park needs. THE HWANG FAMILY – for supporting numerous Park Foundation projects since 2011. William Won K. Hwang and his wife, Young M., and daughter, Jennifer Hwang have donated funding for camp scholarships for children living in homeless shelters and supportive housing, and they have supported the FCPA Evenings on the Ellipse Summer Entertainment Series and major golf tournaments. Mr. Hwang served three terms as a Foundation board director.

TRINITY CENTRE AND I-66 EXPRESS

MOBILITY PARTNERS - for their commitment to co-sponsor the FCPA Starlight Cinema Summer Entertainment Series. Their total partnership contributed $170,300 to fund movie rental fees, projectors, technical and logistical support for this popular Drive-In Movie Series in the Sully District.