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Northern Virginia 40 Under 40

The Leadership Center for Excellence and Leadership Fairfax are proud to partner to recognize young leaders through the Northern Virginia 40 Under 40. This event celebrates emerging leaders who demonstrate exceptional and impactful leadership in their professional and personal spheres within the Northern Virginia region.

We look forward to celebrating the 2024 honorees at our virtual celebration on Tuesday, April 16.

2024 40 Under 40

2024 40 Under 40 Honorees Twitter

2024 Honorees

Tommy Amal, National Association for College Admissions Counseling

Bacilia Angel, Meliora Advisors

Elizabeth Arrazola, Casa Chirilagua

Andrea Avendano, Arlington Consulting Group

Jessica Marie Baxter, Arlington County, Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management

Amber Beichler, BSI Group America

Todd G. Bolick, National Capital Area Council, Boy Scouts of America

Tania Bougebrayel Cohn, Arlington County, Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management

Laahiri Vijaykumar Chalasani, Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation

Eliza Chappell, The SkillSource Group, Inc.

Jasmin Chavez Cruz, White House Hispanic Initiative

Jewelyn Cosgrove, Melwood

Dr. Rand Ghayad, Association for American Railroads

David A. Johnson, Wesley Housing

Dr. Erika Kappes, District Psychiatry and Wellness

Elisabeth Lúa, Arlington Public Schools

Peter D. Lusk, Reston Association

Paul McClure, Focus Data Solutions

Nicholas McCoy, Latham & Watkins LLP

Praveendharan Meyyan, Arlington Economic Development Commission

Dr. Colton Nguyen, 360Healthx

Mariam Nusrat, Breshna.io

Stephen N. Parker, Stantec

Sean Perryman, Uber

Lauren Petersen, CRi

Debbie Peterson, MetroStar

Maria J. Posey, Third Sector Capital Partners

Dr. Heather Pressler, BlueHuki Group

Keome Rowe, U.S. Department of State

Jessica Salvador, Arlington Public Schools

Michael Schindler, HNTB

Emily Siqveland, Arlington County, Human Services

D'Juan D. Thomas, Statesmen College Preparatory Academy for Boys

Amanda Thompson, Booz Allen Hamilton

Karen Vallejos Corrales, The Dream Project

Kate Vasiloff, Untold Research

Ryan Waldron, ASM Research, An Accenture Federal Services Company

Anna Weber, Natural Resources Defense Council

Cicely Whitfield Johnson, Bridges to Independence

Hannah Winant, Arlington County, Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management

Honoree celebration

Join us virtually on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., to celebrate the 2024 Northern Virginia 40 Under 40 honorees at a free virtual event.

Event details

Date: Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Time:

  • 10:45 - 11:00 a.m. Virtual networking
  • 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Virtual celebration
  • 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. Virtual networking

Registration: Free

Lead Sponsor

Reception Sponsor

HNTB

If you are interested in sponsoring the Northern Virginia 40 Under 40 celebration events, please review the sponsorship packages and contact Lisa Fikes at lfikes@leadercenter.org.

How it works

Individuals under 40 years old who are making an impact in Northern Virginia and meet the honoree criteria below are nominated by someone who works with the individual either in a professional or volunteer capacity (you may not nominate yourself). Then nominees are emailed an invitation to complete an application.

Nominations and applications are reviewed by an anonymous selection committee. The committee considers the honoree criteria, below. Selection is confidential.

After the selected honorees are notified, they prepare and submit a personal video statement on leadership (max 30 seconds), answering one of a set of questions.

The honorees are recognized at a free virtual celebration (all are welcome to attend), followed by an in-person reception (for honorees only).

Key dates

  • Friday, January 19, 2024: Deadline for nominations.
  • Wednesday, January 31, 2024: Deadline for applications (must be nominated first).
  • Thursday, February 22, 2024: Applicants are notified (regardless of if they are selected as an honoree).
  • Friday, March 1, 2024: Deadline for honorees to submit a headshot and video statement (instructions to be provided directly to honorees).
  • Thursday, March 7, 2024: Honorees announced.
  • Tuesday, April 16, 2024: Honorees celebrated at a virtual event (11:00 a.m.) and in-person reception (4:30 p.m. for honorees only). Honoree attendance is expected at both events.

Any nominations received after 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, January 19, 2024, or applications received after 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, will not be considered. Self-nominations are not allowed. Incomplete nominations and applications, as well as applications received before or without a nomination, will also not be considered.

Honoree criteria

  • Live or work in Northern Virginia (Alexandria City, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Falls Church City, Loudoun County, or Prince William County)
  • Under the age of 40 as of April 16, 2024
  • Complete nomination and application by the deadlines (listed above)
  • Individual demonstrates impact in Northern Virginia through (1) professional and personal achievements, (2) civic engagement, (3) personal story

Leadership Center for Excellence and Leadership Fairfax affiliation is not required. Recognition as an honoree is not considered an endorsement.

PAST HONOREES

40 Under 40 Honorees 2023

Read press release and watch celebration

Elena Agaragimova
Kathleen Ambroso
Alyssa Batchelor
Lauren Bealore
Shayna Bergman
Adrian Chadwell
Michael Chiappa
LeVar Crooms
Paul Davis
LaMarcus Davis
Chelsi Dildine
Erika Dyer
Marilyn Dyess
Jamie Ergas
David Farajollahi
Mandi Fisher
Michael Forehand
Myja Gary
Mahwish Hamlani
Mike Hemminger
Stephanie Hopkins
Cara Howard
Arben Istrefi
Claradith Landry
Jake Mages
Diego Mariscal
Eric Miller
Natalie Monkou
Jessica Peters
Anika Rahman
David Schneider
Genaro Stewart
Jennifer Toussaint
Alejandra Underwood
Mawuli Vodi
Phyllis Weech
Kimberly Whipkey
Chelsie White
Spencer Wood
Shane Ziegler

40 Under 40 Honorees 2022

Read press release and watch celebration

Lizzette Arias
Amini Bonane
Miatrai Brown
Daniel Chase
Eva-Elizabeth Chisholm
Christine Dondero Bettwy
Marlon Dubuisson
Andrew Dumont
Obum Egolum
Jeanine Finch
Jess Firshein
Blaine Fitzgerald
Sharonda Futrell
Kelly Garrity
Gresham Harkless
Chris Hassett
Zuleyma Herrera
Ana Hughes
Janae Johnson
Amanda Kastl
Brian Kincaid
Sara Kreitzer
Juliana Lee
Linh Ly
Brian Marroquin
Erica McIntyre
Nicole Merlene
Travis Nembhard
Patrick Phillippi
Ellen Simon Volo
Megan Souza
Krystal Stackhouse
Grelia Steele
Cameron Thomas-Shah
Brandon Thompson
Erika Thompson
Roberta Tinch
Aaron Walsh
Philip Wilkerson
Albert Wu

Learn more about the honorees

Adam Balutis
Brooke Berry
Dwayne Brown
Judith Cabelli
Rachel Casey
Chantée Christian
Jordan Costen-Sumpter
Tony Craddock, Jr.
Hannah Dannenfelser
Walter English,III
Trayonna Floyd Hales
Lisa Fong
Emily Gage
Ashley Gray
Dorothy Hayden
Jordan Kivitz
Daniella Kyei
Ruba Marshood Afzal
Brendan McElroy
Isela Melendez-Carpio
Kelly Myers
Marilyn Nevy Cruz
Jenna O'Steen
Courtney Overton
Scott Reamy
Cate Reich
Adwoa Rey
Sabrina Ricks
Monica Rivera
Christopher Rushing
Adriana Schellhaas
Ujjwal Shakya
Katherine Shirey
Susan Sims
Lilian Tan
Leonard Tengco
Clarence Tong
Meghan Trossen
Jacob Tuber
Emily Ward

40 Under 40 Honorees 2019

Inside Nova article

Tameca Brown
Nicole Cammack
Rachel Coates
Genevieve Concannon
Katie Curiel
Kelly Dalton
William Flagler
Jasmine Gould
Robert Kemp Gouldin
Mathison Hall
Megan Hare
Erik Healey
Nathaniel Hiner
Ben Hogue
Cassie Hurley
Amanda Makulec
Katie McCreary
Clarisse Mendoza Davis
Tiffani Moore
Yolanda Murphy
Maili Neverosky
Whitney Parnell
Scott Pedowitz
Tenley Peterson
LaNail Plummer
Muthuramanan Rameswaran
Mahreen Rashid
Lorenzo Reid
Adriana Rodriguez
Xanthe Scharff
Jeff Schwab
Stephanie Seals
Robin Shultz
Sadija Smiley
Tierra Stewart
Lekeisha Terrell
Irene Walsh
Maranda Ward
Sam Wolbert
Jason Yakencheck

40 Under 40 Honorees 2018

Inside Nova article

Bismah Ahmed
Allison Alt
Lucy Beadnell
Miranda Bozeman
Clare Bresnahan English
Kendra Brown
Ryan Brown
Ashley Brush
Gillian Burgess
Benjamin Burgin
Sean Burke
Keren Charles
Kezia Charles
Thomas Gibson
Phil Harper
Alex Held
Caitlin Hutchison
Miranda Kogon
Mary Little
Andrew Malay
James Meenan
Shawn Mitchell
Laura Morder
Atima Omara
Skye Perryman
Heather Pritchett
Michael Proctor
Lauren Pryor
David Reynolds
Kristen Riemenschneider
Emily Roberts
Vernecia Smith
David Sterling
Charles Sumpter
Fa Sy
Jeanette Tervonen
Michael Torres
Anita Wadhwani
Kiely Wilkerson
Kevin Yam

40 Under 40 Honorees 2017

Arlington Magazine article

Robert Blake
Wilmer Castro
Hector Cendejas
China Dickerson
Maribel Duran
Nikki Ferraro
Jennifer Fioretti
Lynsi Garvin
Amina Gilyard James
Phillip Green
Karim Guirguis
Katharine Hale
Molly Haines
Katie Hickey
Francis Homer
Megan Jordan
Alex Karkeek
Mercedes Kirkland-Doyle
Paul Kohlenberger
Patrick Kunze
Roy Lee
Nicole Lewis
Jacqueline Malkes
Molly McIntosh
Alison McNeil
Jennifer Mellon
Adele Nelson
Liz Norton
Yadira Sanchez
Michael Spotts
Aubreana Stephenson Holder
Camille Stewart
Chris Sundlof
Elinor Tesfamariam
Charles Thomas
Danielle Vogel
Andrew Watson
Zuberi Williams
Shanta Whitaker
Slavomir Zapata

40 Under 40 Honorees 2016

Inside Nova article

Margarita Benavides
Jonathan Beninson
Alexandra Bocian
Paul Bui
Nicole Callahan
Brett Cooper
Tim Denning
Traci DeShazor
Jeremy Ferrara
Jennifer Galloway
Mary Goldsmith
Ashley Hammond
Angela Kasey
David Kinney
Courtney Kissell
John Kusturiss
Anette Levano
Robert Mandle
Amanda Martin
Nathaniel Mauer
Garrett McGuire
John Meehan
Michael Mesmer
Joy Myers
Vivek Nakarmi
Kathryn Oberg
Taryn Overman
Harold Pettigrew
Meg Rapelye
Jomanda Richards
Annie Rinker
Tim Riordan
Margarita Rozenfeld
Cameron Snyder
Lauren Stovall
Lori Ann Terjesen
Darren Tully
Matisa Ullrich
Christine Wilson
Tim Winter

40 Under 40 Honorees 2015

Tom Bartlett
Jessamyn Berniker
Gabrielle Bosche'
Eric Brescia
Steven Brown
Alayna Buckner
Sheyna Burt
Emmanuel Caudillo
Charles Clancy
Danielle Craddock
Katie Cristol
Lyndsey DePalma
Kristina Dorville
Sara Duke
Beatriz Duque Long
Moley Evans
Mark Fedorchak
John Goldener
John Grant
Brodie Gregory
Julie Huang Tucker
Sara Jaffe
Jennifer Meder
Courtney Mesmer
Maureen Nesselrode
Koube Ngaaje
Kyriakos Pagonis
Shy Pahlevani
Devanshi Patel
Veronica Perez-Perea
Evan Pritchard
Courtney Reeve
Angela Rose
Jane Rudolph
Kevin Shooshan
Eugene St. Clair
Alex Tremble, Jr.
Zach Wahl
Megan Wheeler
Sheila Yosufy

40 Under 40 Honorees 2014

Arlington Magazine article

Salim Adofo
Nyambo Anuluoha
John Ayers
Mike Barnes
Sindy Benavides
Katherine Bianco
Scott Brodbeck
Ginger Brown
Billy Buck
Nadia Conyers
Jeffrey DiLisi
Laura Gamse
Erikka Gleckel
Scott Gold
Nick Gregorios
Chris Hamm
Julia Hamm
Sarah Hillware
Paul Holland
Jennifer Hovis
Melissa Impastato
Krysta Jones
Elizabeth Jones Valderrama
Kim Klingler
Matthew Kulkin
Dania Matos
Ann McCarty
Ron Novak
Joseph Petty
Mike Richardson
Kate (Roche) Bates
Andrew Schneider
Kelly Shooshan
Marcio Silveira
Terron Sims, II
Paul Singh
Elaine Turville
Andy VanHorn
Kedrick Whitmore
Steven Yates