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ALEXANDRIA, Va- Six Alexandrians who spend their days teaching preschoolers, building affordable housing, running banquets, caring for nursing home residents, and keeping the water on will be honored next month at The Chamber ALX's Community Champions Honors, with four additional public safety awards still to be announced.
The awards breakfast, presented by Inova Health System, is scheduled for Thursday, May 21, at Belle Haven Country Club, 6023 Fort Hunt Road. Registration opens at 8 a.m., the program begins at 8:30 a.m., and the event concludes at 10 a.m. Tickets are $65 for chamber members and $75 for prospective members. Attire is listed as "your version of business" or uniform.
The chamber said the 2026 program continues a decades-long tradition of recognizing above-and-beyond performance across Alexandria's workforce, spanning healthcare, emergency services, education, transportation and other fields.
Four additional honors — Sheriff's Response of the Year, Police Response of the Year, DECC Response of the Year and Fire Response of the Year — will be announced in the coming weeks.
Mesia Dillard-Warner, director of preschool programs and services at the Campagna Center, was named Educator of the Year. The chamber credited her three decades of work in early childhood and youth development, including leadership of a Head Start program that serves 253 children ages 3 to 5 and their families. Under her direction, Campagna's early childhood program earned an "exceeds expectations" rating, the top mark in Virginia's Quality Birth to Five System.
Helen McIlvaine, director of the City of Alexandria's Office of Housing, was selected as Government Employee of the Year as she prepares to retire after 20 years with the city. The chamber pointed to her work on the 2013 Housing Master Plan and the Housing 2040 initiative, her handling of eviction risks and housing discrimination cases during the COVID-19 pandemic, and her role in closing financing gaps for the Sansé and Maja mixed-income development, which will deliver 474 affordable units. More than 1,600 affordable units are under contract in the city this year, according to the chamber.
Guillermo Ruiz, banquet director at the Westin Alexandria Old Town, was named Hospitality Employee of the Year. He has spent 18 years at the hotel and is a fixture behind many of the city's higher-profile events, the chamber said.
Emma Bland, a certified nursing assistant at Woodbine Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, was selected as Health Professional Employee of the Year. Residents and their families have praised her caring manner, and she was named Woodbine's employee of the year in 2024, according to the chamber.
Charity Ampong, director of clinical services at Goodwin House Alexandria, was named Senior Provider of the Year. She has trained nurses through Northern Virginia Community College and Alexandria City High School and helped shape the Small House Health Care Center, which opened in 2017 and holds a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The chamber said she was the first wound-care-certified living nurse in the region, allowing Goodwin House to treat residents in-house.
Terry Stanley, field operations supervisor at Virginia American Water, was selected as Utility Employee of the Year. The chamber highlighted his transition from peer to supervisor and his community work, including coordinating training between Virginia American Water and the Alexandria Fire Department.
Registration is open through The Chamber ALX.
Businesses interested in sponsoring the event are directed to contact Lovie Patish at lpatish@thechamberalx.com.
Disclosure: The Alexandria Brief is a member of The Chamber ALX.
