Network Alliance, Inc. Wins Stevie Award
Network Alliance, Inc. (Network Alliance), Reston-based leading IT management solutions provider, has been recognized by the international Stevie Awards program for Sales and Customer Service, known as the worlds’ top sales and customer service honor, for the second consecutive year. Founded over 16 years ago on the mission to “Make IT Simple” for their clients, Network Alliance’s expert team has carved out a niche in a crowded marketplace through its accessible structure, cost-effective, scalable solutions, and dependable, expert client services team that has achieved a 98 percent client retention rate. Recognizing the achievements of sales, business development, customer service, and call/contact center professionals worldwide, this year’s Stevie Awards for Sales and Customer Service included over 1,500 nominations in more than 100 categories, which were judged by hundreds of executives around the world.
Aldrin Elementary, Giant Announce Partnership
Aldrin Elementary and Giant of North Point announced their business partnership with a school assembly, on March 6. This is the first official school partnership for Giant. Aldrin's fifth and sixth grade chorus performed a special song and kindergartners created a video highlighting their recent field trip to Giant. The video showed how they integrated the school curriculum into their own virtual Giant Market. The audience and speakers included Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Karen Garza, local government officials, Aldrin school administrators, the Reston Rotary Club, Giant and PTA representatives. As part of the partnership, Giant is providing volunteers to work with students, money for the Weekend Food Programs and educational field trips. Aldrin will support Giant by supplying student artwork for store display, communicating the partnership throughout the community and inviting Giant staff members to Aldrin school events.
Celebrating Diversity
Reston founder Robert Simon visits Langston Hughes Middle.
Langston Hughes Middle School celebrated Diversity Day in a timely way this year.Themed “The Diversity of Reston: Then and Now,” the school invited Reston founder Robert Simon and local elementary principals to talk about how diversity impacted the growth of their community on Friday.“This is community,” said Simon. “Community is the most important word I want to leave with you. It always struck me that the best way to be happy is to be surrounded by good friends and relatives.”He told the students that he built the community based on the best parts of other communities he had seen during his travels. The most important part of Reston - and indeed the first part - was to create a plaza that would serve as the community center.
Journey of Discovery Continues
Third Women’s Collaborative to be held on April 17-20 in Middleburg.
Mary Jo Smrekar of Reston and Sue Ries Lamb of Alexandria are preparing to facilitate their third Women’s Collaborative at the Meadowkirk Retreat in Middleburg. What the two describe as a “journey of discovery” for up to twelve women takes place in three four-day sessions. The first gathering will be held from April 17 through April 20. The second retreat will be held on Oct. 9 – 12, and the third Nov. 13 – 16. Smrekar and Lamb met in 1972, and with a shared interest in exploring their own spirituality and their place in the world as women, they remained friends, and occasionally colleagues, throughout the years since. From 2006 to 2009 they participated in the first Hope Springs Leadership Collaborative and in 2010 they were part of the 35th and last Women’s Way Program, garnering experiences that led them to create their own local version of the collaborative in 2011.
Network Alliance, Inc. Wins Stevie Award
Network Alliance, Inc. (Network Alliance), Reston-based leading IT management solutions provider, has been recognized by the international Stevie Awards program for Sales and Customer Service, known as the worlds’ top sales and customer service honor, for the second consecutive year. Founded over 16 years ago on the mission to “Make IT Simple” for their clients, Network Alliance’s expert team has carved out a niche in a crowded marketplace through its accessible structure, cost-effective, scalable solutions, and dependable, expert client services team that has achieved a 98 percent client retention rate.
‘Another Way of Living’ Celebrates Reston
Documentary screened at community center on Founder’s Day.
When Rebekah Wingert-Jabi began to piece together a film about Reston’s history to date, she realized each member of the community created the web that shaped it.Her film, “Another Way of Living - The Story of Reston, VA,” was screened at the Reston Community Center on Saturday night as a part of the Reston Founder’s Day celebrations.“It wasn’t until I left Reston that I realized what a special place it was,” she said.The film, which took two years to create, weaves back and forth through Reston’s history and founder Robert Simon Jr.’s life. It showed how a place that once headlined as “An unlikely success story” is now the community for 75,000 people and counting.
Floris United to Host Empty Bowls Fundraiser
Local potters give their time and talent to support Empty Bowls and help fight hunger in our area. The Reston and Herndon pottery classes at their respective Community Centers have been busy making hundreds and hundreds of ceramic bowls for an Empty Bowls fundraiser to benefit Food for Others, the largest distributor of free food in Northern Virginia and hosted by The Giving Circle of HOPE. Open to the public, the event will be held on Friday, April 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Floris United Methodist Church, 13600 Frying Pan Rd, Herndon. Pre-event tickets are $25 and will be $30 at the door. Guests will receive a simple supper of soup, bread, a beverage, dessert and a handmade bowl, which they may keep to remind them that there are those in our community that are empty. For more information go to www.givingcircleofhope.org.
Fairfax Arts Programs Receive Federal Grants
Seven local organizations involved in the arts and literature are receiving a total of $230,000 in federal grants from the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) said.
Reston Celebrates History and Founder’s Birthday
Reston Celebrates History and Founder’s Birthday
Reston founder Robert Simon Jr.’s birthday bash was the biggest party in town.With cake, music performances, proclamations and even a quick visit from the governor, Saturday’s Founder’s Day festivities at Washington Plaza attracted hundreds of spectators and a big smile from Simon himself.The event, an early 100th birthday celebration for Simon and Reston’s 50th anniversary, was held from noon until nearly 3 p.m.“Bob Simon, here we had an idea guy that followed through, and out of that idea flourished a place that had extraordinary values,” said U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11).
CATS Puts Special Needs Kids First
Children’s Adaptive Team Sports reinforces and praises with soccer and trophies.
Children with special needs can sometimes feel like they are not a part of a community. CATS - which stands for Children’s Adaptive Team Sports - helps these kids feel like real winners by putting them on their own basketball and soccer teams. “We’ve had some parents who were emotional and said they thought they’d never see their son play on a soccer team,” said founder and CEO Margarita Benavides. “Eighty percent of parents said there were improvements on motor skills or attention.”
Aldrin Elementary, Giant Announce Partnership
Aldrin Elementary and Giant of North Point announced their business partnership with a school assembly, on March 6. This is the first official school partnership for Giant. Aldrin's fifth and sixth grade chorus performed a special song and kindergartners created a video highlighting their recent field trip to Giant.
Lake Anne Presents ‘Annie’
Lake Anne Elementary School presented “Annie,” the first Musical Drama Club production. The double casted show allowed all 46 children in the club to have higher profile roles and multiple parts as lead actors and background dancers/singers. The cast was made up of fourth through sixth graders at Lake Anne Elementary. Starring roles were performed by Claire Callaway and Olivia Bryant (Annie), Mikhail Goldenberg (Oliver Warbucks), and Christina Alegre and Alyssa Spar (Ms. Hannigan).
Reston Hospital Center Recognized for Excellence in Lactation Care
The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) and International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) have recognized Reston Hospital Center for excellence in lactation care. Reston Hospital Center has received the IBCLC Care Award in recognition of staffing professionals who hold the prestigious International Board Certified Lactation Consultant certification (IBCLC) and providing a lactation program that is available 5-7 days a week for breastfeeding families. In addition, Reston Hospital demonstrated that it has provided recent breastfeeding training for medical staff that care for new families, and have recently completed activities that help protect, promote, and support breastfeeding.
Happy Birthday, Reston and R.E.S.
Independent Progressive
Reston is a special place. It is the product of a remarkable vision which has been largely realized despite obstacles, even opposition. Robert E. Simon, Jr. inherited well from his New York developer father. He owned Carnegie Hall and sold it. With the proceeds, he bought 6,750 acres of land in Fairfax County. While arranging financing for his planned community, he was turned down by a large corporation which was and still is a household name.
Reston Celebrates 50/100
A historic year: 50th anniversary of Reston and 100th birthday of its founder, Robert E. Simon, Jr.
This landmark year of 2014 will honor two very special events in the history of Reston, the innovative, award-winning, planned community and New Town that was brought to life in 1964 by the vision of its founder, Robert E. Simon, Jr. (Bob Simon). The first Reston residents moved into their homes at Lake Anne that year, and 50 years later, Bob Simon is celebrating his 100th birthday in the community he created.