3 minute read
SUE Goodhart
As a Compass Realtor, Sue Goodhart has the backing of a well-known name in real estate. But the co-founder of the Goodhart Group has created a reputation of her own in Alexandria for her area knowledge, expertise and dedication to her clients. Notably, Goodhart is actively involved in the community and has been for many years, currently serving on various boards including the Alexandria Chamber, Choral Arts and St. Coletta of Greater Washington. She was also a former board member of the Campagna Center.
The mother of two grown daughters and the grandmother of four boys, Goodhart prides herself on the family she’s built. “Raising two daughters who enjoy both their professional and family lives is something that I consider to be a tremendous accomplishment,” says the Realtor, who works alongside one of her daughters in the Goodhart Group.
On a personal level, Goodhart hopes to make an impact on the people who cross her path through her attitude. “I strive daily to be a positive person and to encourage everyone I meet to achieve their goals and have a great life,” she says.
Future goals for Goodhart are simple, but life-enriching. “I want to continue helping people through the transitions of their lives as a real estate agent and I also hope to travel and spend as much time enjoying my children and grandchildren as possible. I am devoted to my family, friends and the community in which I live and I try to give as much of myself to each aspect as I can. At 67, I’m starting to play tennis and I believe that it’s never too late to find a new passion.”
Felicia Brewster is someone who, as a DMV transplant, keenly understands the importance of finding a place that feels like home. “Home” is a concept so important for Brewster that in addition to her work as a Real Living at Home Realtor with @Properties, she serves on the Affordable Housing Committee for the City of Alexandria. She also served as a past chair of the Young Professionals Network for the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors
(NVAR) and currently serves as Vice Chair of the CARES committee for NVAR, directly giving back to organizations in the community such as ALIVE, Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together. Additionally, Brewster serves on the Housing Opportunity Committee for the Maryland Association of Realtors as well as Diversity Equity and Inclusion for the Virginia Association of Realtors. In 2022, she was awarded Volunteer of the Year with Alexandria Senior Services for the Groceries2Go Program. “My husband and I shop weekly with this program and also participate in Meals on Wheels,” she says.
The giving spirit does not stop there. “Throughout [the] COVID [pandemic], I created a group called Agents in Action to help better serve our communities,” she says. “We have volunteered at the Capital Area Foodbank, Martha’s Table and Meals on Wheels. My grandfather volunteered over 40 hours weekly before he was no longer able to drive due to his diagnosis of ALS. When he was not able to continue, I wanted to pick up where he left off. Serving has always been important in my life and being able to give back to a community that I now call home is in the fabric of my life and businesses. I truly believe in paying it forward and if I can continue to pay it forward, I hope the chain continues to grow.”
In her professional life, Donna Shaw serves as the Administrator at Woodbine Rehab and Healthcare Center, dedicating her focus to the needs of others. In her personal life, Shaw is an active volunteer with Senior Services of Alexandria, where she previously served as Board Chair and currently remains an active member of the Advisory Committee of Past Board Chairs, in addition to serving on the board of the Virginia Health Care Association and on the board of Northern Virginia Hospital Alliance from 2019 to 2022.
“As the recipient of a kidney transplant, my passion also is directed to improving health and attitudes of transplant recipients and donors of transplants,” she says. “I am an active volunteer for the National Kidney Society and the American Society of Transplantation, where my time is spent advocating for transplant recipients and donors. I also help educate them on the process of transplantation, how to ask their families and friends to donate an organ and explain the need to be in great physical health and taking care of their bodies before, during and after transplantation. I have always been inspired to help others, which is why I originally became a nurse. My parents started this seed from when I was a very little girl and I’ve always carried that with me."
But Shaw believes her impact on the world goes outside of her nurse and advocacy work. “I feel that I have made the most impact in this world by being kind and friendly to others,” she says. “Also, by showing both grit and grace to get through life’s biggest challenges. I try to do this in both my personal and professional life as an example to others. One of my biggest challenges was my own transplant and I’m proud of how I handled it. I try to look at the positive things in life to stay motivated.”