On September 20, in formal ceremonies at the National Conference Center, three of Loudoun's most respected citizens will be honored for their contributions to the life, leadership, past, present and future of the County.

The Honorees

Middleburg's Childs Burden is a Director of the Security Storage Company of Washington and the Middleburg Financial Corporation, and a partner with the Secor Group. He will be recognized for his long-standing, active, early and personal dedication to historic preservation. Locally, he has been a moving force in the John Singleton Mosby Heritage Area Association, the Loudoun Historical Society, Oatlands; the Mont Zion Church Preservation Association; and the Unison Preservation Society. Nationally, he is known for his active support and work with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Frick Art and Historical Center in Pittsburgh.

Kim Hart, also from Middleburg, is the owner of Hart, McMurphy & Parks, a consultancy serving both commercial and residential builders. An author and well-known authority on strategic planning, energy management, and technology assessment, Hart has been tireless in his work to make affordable housing available to County residents who, otherwise, simply would not be able to live or work here. His untiring efforts as a contributor, volunteer, and working director of the Windy Hill Foundation have transformed Middleburg. Indeed, more than one in ten of Middleburg's 600+ citizens now live in houses or apartments subsidized, built or transformed by Windy Hill.

Mapmaker and historian Eugene Scheel, of Waterford, has spent a lifetime chronicling the history of greater Loudoun County, seeking out, researching, preserving and protecting its history, writing the stories of people and places that otherwise would, surely, have been forgotten or, worse, lost forever. His books on Loudoun and its surrounding counties are invaluable sources for both professional historians and those who simply love the land. His maps, hand-drawn and exquisitely detailed, are the perfect combination of the mapmakers craft and high art.

The Laurels

The Loudoun Laurels program emerged as a result of an initiative by Inova Loudoun Hospital CEO Randy Kelley. Supported by Inova, Kelley and a Founders' Committee of distinguished citizens of Greater Loudoun established the program to "... elevate outstanding individuals and organizations whose service to Loudoun County deserves emulation and special recognition."

"We all benefit enormously from the work of individuals in every walk of life whose often unsung commitment and perseverance make a valuable contribution to our community," Kelley explained. "In a time when our county is all too often defined by population growth, development and economic up- and down-swings, the spirit and sense of community that is so vital here is often overlooked."

Emphasizing the danger of isolation and loss of community support and spirit in a time of rapid change, Kelley said the Inova Loudoun Hospital team understood fully the importance of creating a world with less cancer and establishing recognition for individuals and organizations whose service to Loudoun County deserves emulation and special recognition.