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Spirit
of Community Award Recipients
Eric
Schaeffer, 2004
The
Arlington Community Foundation has chosen Eric Schaeffer, co-founder
and creative director of the Signature Theater, as the recipient of
this year’s Spirit of Community Award. Schaeffer was honored at a luncheon
on March 31, 2004, at the Sheraton National Hotel.
The
Signature Theater started as part of the Arlington Arts Incubator program
with just 136 subscribers. Under Schaeffer’s leadership, there are currently
more than 4,000 subscribers. The theater has earned rave reviews for
its work in The New York Times, Variety, The Washington Post
and other world-class publications. The
theater is committed to nurturing emerging talent and expanding audiences.
Signature in the Schools partners artists and technicians
with Arlington County high school students, and Signature in the
Park brings the joys of musical theatre to new audiences during
a week of free summer concerts.
Schaeffer’s
musical productions have received five Helen Hayes Awards for Outstanding
Musical. His artistic leadership has been recognized by the Elizabeth
Campbell Award for Arts in Arlington, the Arlington School Board Honored
Citizen Award, the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Award,
and the Professional Mentor Prize from Duke Ellington School of the
Arts. In January 2003, Eric was named a 2002 Washingtonian of the Year.
In
2002, Schaeffer served as the artistic director for the highly acclaimed
Sondheim Celebration at The Kennedy Center. He holds a B.F.A. from Kutztown
University and has done extended studies at Crewe and Alsager College
of Visual Arts, Crewe, England. He is also the Creative Director of
the Theatrical Group of North America for Clear Channel Entertainment
in New York.
Jean
Berg, 2003
Jean
Berg, a native Arlingtonian, joined Arlington County government in 1978
as Arlington’s Volunteer Coordinator. Ms.Berg helped establish the Corporate
Community Relations Council of Northern Virginia which involves businesses
in volunteer work and philanthropy throughout Northern Virginia; the
Coalition of Metropolitan Volunteer Clearinghouses, a forum for directors
of volunteer centers; and created a partnership between the Coalition
and WAMU-FM radio to host an annual Volunteer Recruitment Day, now in
its 15 th year. She also created with Volunteer Office staff two award-winning
projects, Make a Difference Day volunteer project, and a Family Volunteer
Project.
Before
joining the County, Ms. Berg co-founded the Northern Virginia Association
for the Education of Young Children. She has served as a volunteer for
Meals on Wheels, the Arlington Food Assistance Center, the Arlington
Voter Registration Office, and as a volunteer consultant to the partners
in Education Program of Arlington Public Schools. She also served as
a board member of the Arlington Symphony, on the executive committee
of Arlington United Way , and on the board of trustees of the United
Way of the National Capital Area.
The
recipient of a 1993 Washingtonian of the Year award and 1994 Virginia
Volunteer Administrator of the year award, she was nominated for and
received honorable mention in the 1997 Women Making a Difference Award
sponsored by the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Chevy Chase Bank,
and UPN 20/WDCA. She has received numerous awards from professional
organizations and for her work in the County.
Jennie T. Davis, 2002
Jennie T. Davis was raised in Baltimore, Maryland and moved to Arlington
with her husband James Davis in 1976. Finding good, affordable housing
was disappointing and she saw that as a community weakness. As a result
of that struggle, she was one of the founding members of AHC, Inc. (formerly
Arlington Housing Corporation). Mrs. Davis helped create an organization
that now, 25 years later, has a long list of accomplishments. She has
served on the AHC board longer than anyone in the organization's history.
She continues to serve on that board and has served as president of
the Nauck Community Civic Association for 20 years.
Mrs. Davis has received numerous community awards for her civic, housing,
and neighborhood activities, and is an active member of the Lady Queen
of Peace Church in her community.
Charles L. Overby, 2001 Community Partner Award
Mr. Overby is a former Pulitzer Prize-winning editor, a reporter for
16 years, and editor and corporate executive for the Gannett Company.
As a reporter, he covered the White House, presidential campaigns, Congress,
and the Supreme Court. The Freedom Forum, based in Arlington, is an
independent, nonpartisan foundation dedicated to free press and free
speech. He oversees the Forum’s offices and programs on five continents,
and is also chairman and chief executive officer of The Freedom Forum
First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, and
of the $50 million Newseum located in Arlington.
Judy Connally, 2000
Judy Connally has accomplished a great deal in and for the Arlington
community through her contributions on a local and state level. Ms.
Connally served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates representing
the 48th District for six years (1992-1998) where she was appointed
to a number of legislative committees and commissions.
A long-time Arlington resident, Ms. Connally has served as a member
and chair of the Arlington County School Board, member and chair of
the Arlington County Planning Commission, member of the Arlington Community
Temporary Shelter and chair of the Arlington Community Foundation Scholarship
Program, the Arlington Community Services Board and the Arlington County
Complete Count Committee.
She has received dozen of awards from other organization for her work
in education, health, mental health, early childhood, bicycle safety
and women’s issues.
John McCracken, 1999
John McCracken has enhanced Arlington civic life in countless ways for
more than twenty-five years, and the Arlington Community Foundation
honored his countless hours of volunteer efforts with the 1999 Spirit
of Community Award.
Mr. McCracken initiated and developed the Site Plan Review Committee
while serving on the Arlington Planning Commission, and also served
on the Friends of George Mason University Committee, the Economic Development
Commission, the Arlington Sister City Association, the Arlington Arts
Center, the Arlington Sports Commission, and the Arlington Soccer Association.
He also serves as president of the Rock Spring Civic Association.
J. Walter Tejada, 1998
J. Walter Tejada received the Foundation’s Spirit of Community Award
for his work helping newcomers to Arlington become a viable part of
our community.
Through Mr. Tejada’s leadership as President of LULAC Council #4609,
a local affiliate of the League of United Latin American Citizens, and
as Virginia State Director of LULAC, he has fostered community involvement
and awareness.
Mr. Tejada also founded the American Salvadoran Association of Virginia,
which organizes the annual National Day Festival in Arlington and supports
scholarships with the local Salvadoran community. In 1996 he was honored
with the Jaycees Outstanding Young Arlingtonian of the Year Award.
Elizabeth P. Campbell, 1997
As founder and president of WETA, Mrs. Campbell has been a locally and
nationally recognized leader in her dedication to education. WETA is
now the third largest television production center in public broadcasting
in the United States, and began by producing classroom education programming
for local Arlington schools. She received the Foundation’s Spirit of
Community Award in honor of her commitment to education.
Mrs. Campbell has been a life-long civic activist in promoting early
childhood development programs and the concept of equal access to education
for all students. She helped create the Rock Spring Cooperative Preschool
more than 50 years ago and was the first and only woman elected to serve
on the Arlington County School Board for many years.
Anna S. Barber, 1995
Mrs. Barber was honored with the Foundation’s Spirit of Community Award
for more than 35 years of volunteer community service. Her efforts improved
the quality of life in Arlington by ensuring that people in need were
fed, sheltered, and received the basic needs of life.
Mrs. Barber was instrumental in establishing many human service programs,
She was the founding president of the Arlington-Alexandria Coalition
for the Homeless, the guiding force behind the initiation of Arlingtonians
Ministering to Emergency Needs (AMEN), and helped establish the Arlington
Community Temporary Shelter. Mrs. Barber also assisted in creating the
Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC), served as chairperson of the
Arlington Interfaith Council, and volunteered in many capacities with
For Immediate Sympathetic Help (FISH).
She has served her church, the Rock Spring Congregational Church, as
chairperson of the Social Action Board, taught Sunday School, and chaired
numerous committees of the United Church of Christ’s Potomac Association
and its Central Atlantic Conference.
H. Paul Mount, 1994
In recognition of more than 40 years of community volunteer work, H.
Paul Mount received the Foundation’s Spirit of Community Award.
Mr. Mount served as a Board of Trustees member of the Arlington Hospital
for fifteen years, as a chapter member of the American Cancer Society
for twenty years, and as a volunteer for and Board member of the American
Red Cross for ten years. He has also served on the Board of Directors
of the Optimist Club, and the Salvation Army Advisory Board, where his
work focused on youth programs.
Joan Cooper, 1993
The Foundation honored Ms. Joan Cooper with the Spirit of Community
Award for her work in the Nauck community, where she was born and raised.
Mrs. Cooper dedicated her life to serving the people in her community.
As a human rights activist in the 1960’s and as a neighborhood organizer
and civilian employee of the Arlington County Police Department since
the 1970’s, Ms. Cooper promoted a safe and cohesive community by motivating
and organizing her neighbors.
Her efforts resulted in increased community awareness, as evidenced
in the volunteer clean-up and night watches that have helped eliminate
drug trade from the Nauck neighborhood. Her primary focus is concern
for community youth.
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