The Loudoun Convention and Visitors Association held its 13th Annual Meeting and 2008 Tourism Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at the Holiday Inn Washington-Dulles.

The LCVA Annual Meeting and Tourism Awards Luncheon is a popular event for tourism industry professionals, elected officials and local business owners to get together, network and most importantly, recognize and celebrate key individuals and programs for their valuable contributions to tourism promotion in Loudoun County. This year's Annual Meeting was attended by more than 220 people.

The following award nominees and winners were honored during the awards presentation for their contributions to tourism promotion in Loudoun County:

Tourism Employee of the Year
Front-Line Employee
Jason Reaves
Pastry Chef, Market Salamander

Management Employee
Vaughn Skaggs
Executive Sous Chef, Market Salamander

Tourism Volunteer of the Year
Mary Kay Garwood
Docent, The Pink Box Visitor's Center, The Town of Middleburg

Tourism Event of the Year
Event of the Year with Attendance Under 3,000
Chrysalis Vineyards 8th Annual Norton Wine & Bluegrass Festival

Event of the Year with Attendance Over 3,000
Upperville Colt and Horse Show

Judy Patterson Award
The LCVA's highest honor was awarded to Cate Magennis Wyatt for her contributions to tourism through the historic preservation of the village of Waterford, her coordination and involvement with the Northern Virginia Visitors Consortium, and currently in her role as the President of The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership. All of these tourism programs have had and will continue to have a significant impact on visitation to Loudoun County. The national heritage area designation for The Journey Through Hallowed Ground will be a large part of Cate's legacy, but her overall understanding of the economic rewards from visitor spending are appreciated and will be remembered.