McLean Chamber Awards 'Restaurant of the Year'
The Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce honored local business people and community members Oct. 6 at the organization’s annual “Suits and Sneakers Celebration,” held at the Pavilions of Turkey Run at Claude Moore Colonial Farm.
Chamber members, local officials and awardees – many wearing the event’s standard uniform of business suits combined with tennis shoes – sampled cuisine and libations from restaurants and vendors, pored over pamphlets and displays set out by community organizations, and bid on silent-auction items.
Award winners received a glass trophy, a letter from U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and cheers from onlookers.
This year’s honorees were:
• Former Del. Robert Brink (D-48th), Community Leadership Award.
• John Alford, Police Officer of the Year.
• James Davison, Auxiliary Police Officer of the Year.
• McLean Square Associates (Georges Tawil), Corporate Partner.
• Food Bus Inc. (Kathleen Weil) and board members Melani Spiegel and Stacy Leff, Community Volunteers of the Year.
• Mo Jebali of Pulcinella The Italian Host, Outstanding Business Citizen.
• Fuad Sahouri of Sahouri Insurance, Hometown Hero.
• Dal Grano Restaurant (Jozef Valko), New Business of the Year.
• Derek Blain, principal owner of Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls, Community Impact Award.
• El Tio Tex-Mex Grill, Restaurant of the Year.
• Katie Simmons Hickey of George Mason Mortgage, Community Champion.
• Brian Trompeter of the Sun Gazette Newspapers, Media Partner of the Year.
• Mike Hoffman, Firefighter of the Year.
• Ramsey Kysia, EMT Firefighter of the Year.
• Operation Turbo (Dyan Zurick Smith), Non-Profit of the Year.
• Flowers & Plants, Etc. (Chip Frederick), Small Business of the Year.
