32nd Annual Celebration of Leadership, Service, Success

Nearly 250 filled the Columbus Club at Union Station on October 18 for a breakfast full of inspiration at the Center for Nonprofit Advancement's 32nd Annual Celebration.

Providing the keynote for the 2011 Celebration was Ted Leonsis, author and founder, chairman and majority owner of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which comprises three professional sports teams - the Washington Capitals (NHL), the Washington Wizards (NBA) and the Washington Mystics (WNBA) - as well as Verizon Center.

Sharing insights from his book, "The Business of Happiness: 6 Secrets To Extraordinary Success In Work And Life," Leonsis stressed the value of getting personally involved in many communities, showing gratitude and giving back.

“It's an honor to be amongst all you angels here,” said Leonsis. “The community is better off because of what you do.”

The first 150 guests arriving received a copy of Leonsis' book, which he personally signed.
 
Building on the theme of Connecting the Region, Leonsis joined area corporate, government, philanthropic and nonprofit leaders in celebrating our collective efforts to advance communities.

The Center’s Annual Celebration included announcement of the Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman 2011 EXCEL Award for excellence in chief executive leadership and presentations of the Phyllis Campbell Newsome Public Policy Leadership Awards.

“The Center is proud to celebrate 32 successful years in service to the Greater Washington nonprofit sector,” said Center CEO Glen O’Gilvie. “Our recognition for the 2011 EXCEL Award honorees and the Public Policy Leadership awards to public officials from every jurisdiction was amplified with Ted Leonsis’ perfect message. An inspirational day for all.”

The Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman 2011 EXCEL Award was presented to the following chief executives:

• Wendy Gradison of PRS, Inc.
• George Jones of Bread for the City
• Maya Enista Smith of Mobilize.org

The following executive directors were named Honorable Mention recipients for the Award:

• John Dillow of Living Classrooms of the National Capital Region
• Richard Tagle of Higher Achievement

 
Learn more about the EXCEL Award.

Elected officials from the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia, and Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland were recognized with the 2011 Phyllis Campbell Newsome Public Policy Leadership Awards. Honorees included:

• Bruce Adams, Director, Montgomery County Office of Community Partnerships
• The Fairfax County Office of Public Private Partnerships
• The Honorable Vincent Gray, Mayor, The District of Columbia
• The Honorable Andrea Harrison, Prince George’s County Council

Each public official was recognized for their dedication to the region's nonprofit community.
 
Learn more about the Phyllis Campbell Newsome Public Policy Leadership Award.

Center CEO Glen O’Gilvie closed the celebration with an invitation to the inaugural Board Leadership Showcase on November 2.

Additional Resources:

• Read posts from the Center's nonprofit leadership blog series
• See Twitter updates from the 2011 Celebration with tag #Center11
• Watch the Center's website or subscribe to e-news for photos and video from the Celebration

About the Center for Nonprofit Advancement

The Center for Nonprofit Advancement strengthens the capacity of nonprofit organizations throughout Greater Washington, D.C.  The Center directly partners with nearly 1,000 nonprofits (our members) helping them achieve their missions through training and technical assistance programs, networking, advocacy and group buying power.