Dr. Kathleen "Kitty" Saylor, CEO of REHAU North America, Inc., will serve as the new Chair of the four-year-old non-profit Loudoun Laurels. A founding member of the program, she succeeds former Inova Loudoun Hospital CEO, Randy Kelley, as Chair.

Dr. Saylor has lived in Loudoun County since 1994 when she joined the global German polymer company that is one of the largest employers in Loudoun County. She was born and raised in Choteau, Montana, and took her Ph.D. in Communication and Organizational Development from the University of Maryland.

"Among the many Loudoun County business, academic and not-for-profit organizations I have been pleased to serve, The Loudoun Laurels is definitely one of my favorites," explained Saylor. "I believe that by giving credit where credit is due, we recognize and honor individuals who make incalculable contributions to our community, and we highlight examples of stewardship and citizenship that can serve as models for many others.

"By contributing their life stories to The Loudoun Laurels Archive at The Thomas Balch Library, we ensure that future generations will understand how diligently, although quietly, our Laureates work to protect and promulgate the traditions that make Loudoun such an exceptional place to live."

The Thomas Balch Archive includes videotaped oral histories of G. Kimball Hart, Childs E. Burden and Gene Scheel, honored in 2008; Paul Ziluca and Karen H. Russell, honored in 2009; Lang & Judy Washburn, and Delegate Joe May, honored in 2010; and James P. Roberts and Robert E. Sevila, honored in 2011.

Established in 2008 by Inova Loudoun Hospital under the direction of CEO Randall Kelley to elevate outstanding individuals and organizations whose service to Loudoun County deserves recognition and emulation, The Loudoun Laurels seeks to help establish and preserve a powerful sense of community that enriches the life of every citizen of greater Loudoun.

Widely regarded as a stunningly beautiful county lying at the Northern extremity of the Virginia Piedmont and in close proximity to the Nation's capital, Loudoun, in the words of one historian, "forms the apex of one of the most picturesquely diversified regions on the American continent."

The program's simple yet valuable goal is to re-kindle a special sense of community among all citizens of Greater Loudoun and introduce community leaders, whatever their age or occupation, to each other, their peers and the larger public.

"As The Loudoun Laurels program evolves, we hope to engage and inspire the citizens of Greater Loudoun," said Dr. Saylor. "We believe in leadership by example, and we want to be certain the true leaders who contribute so much to our lives are known and remembered."

Dr. Saylor also serves the President of Montana State University's "Leadership in the 21st Century" panel. She has received the Washington Business Journal's 'Women Who Mean Business' award and is a member of Loudoun County's CEO Cabinet. Her many community commitments include George Washington University' Virginia Science & Technology Campus Advisory Board; Vice Chairman and Acting Secretary/Treasurer of the Center for the Arts, and Loudoun County 'Good Scout' Steering Committee.

"With the help of Joe Boling of Middleburg Bank, Daniel Morrow, our executive director, the Laureates we have honored, our Founders' Committee and my leadership committee, I hope to ensure that, through The Loudoun Laurels, we will set standards of citizenship for many generations to come.

"It takes an extraordinary level of commitment, stewardship and dedication to ensure that the traditions and history of this exceptional place remain alive and vibrant as we move successfully into the 21st Century."

To learn more about The Loudoun Laurels, please visit www.loudounlaurels.org.