Montgomery Serves Awards 2020
Neal Potter Path of Achievement Award Honorees
Honoring lifetime service by those age 60 and up
Robert Marques
As a devoted volunteer with the Montgomery County Community Emergency Response Team and the Washington Grove Volunteer Fire Department, Robert Marques has served on CERT's Go-Team, performed community outreach, instructed classes, worked with teens, and served in various administrative capacities. In addition to serving public safety organizations, this Germantown resident volunteers with the Gaithersburg Help food bank, local churches, and the American Red Cross. Read more.
Wolfgang Mergner
Among the many accomplishments of long-time community activist and Takoma Park resident Wolfgang Mergner is the development of the Village of Takoma Park, an all-volunteer organization that provides an array of support services to hundreds of seniors and persons with disabilities who wish to live actively in the community. As president of the village's board, he remains actively involved in pursuing ways to increase capacity to serve residents in ways that are meaningful to them. Read more.
Volunteer of the Year Awards
Recognizing outstanding volunteer service performed the previous calendar year
John Frizzell
Volunteer of the Year
John Frizzell, a Rockville resident, has served as president of Rockville Meals on Wheels since 2016, and volunteered more than 1,000 hours to the organization in 2019. His dedication, approachable leadership style, and technical know-how have enabled the group to build its volunteer corps, improve efficiencies, and raise critical funds to complete its mission of delivering meals to Rockville community members in need every week. Read more.
Nick Casertano
Youth Volunteer of the Year
In 2019, Nick Casertano—a Gaithersburg resident and junior at St. Anselm’s Abbey School in Washington, DC—developed and led an outreach program for the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless, giving children an opportunity to use their imaginations and STEM skills to build LEGO creations. In addition to this program, Nick regularly volunteers at Maryvale Elementary School, Carroll Manor Nursing Home, and KID Museum. Read more.
Montgomery County Students for Change
Volunteer Group of the Year
Montgomery County Students for Change—comprised of teens from 15 chapters at public and private high schools throughout the county—provides local youth with an opportunity to tackle some of the most challenging issues of their generation, including gun violence prevention, climate reform, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. By organizing nonviolent demonstrations, lobbying, campaigning, and voter registration drives, this group is helping to change the way complex issues are addressed. Read more.
GEICO
Business Volunteer of the Year
GEICO, based in Chevy Chase, has a corporate culture that encourages and supports employee volunteerism. Locally, this includes a partnership with Shepherd’s Table—a Silver Spring nonprofit serving some of the county's neediest residents—to provide reliable monthly meal services, passionate volunteer support for events, grassroots employee fundraising, and pro bono assistance with special projects. Read more.
Congratulations and Thank You to All
Choosing our winners was not at all easy. We are grateful for the many impressive nominations and appreciate those who volunteer to make Montgomery County an even better place to live, work, play, raise a family and retire!
2020 Montgomery Serves Awards Nominees
Bruce Adams, Ann “Nancy” Aldous, Zeinab Alshinawi, Dean Arnold, Aspire International Football Academy, Associated General Contractors of America, Lou August, Addison Barrett, Todd Bauer, Cavanaugh Bell, Zoë Bell, Pavan Bhat, Birthday Cakes 4 Free, Gina Bonazelli, Laurie Bright, Amber Briscoe, Kaniria Brunner-Scott, Stephen Bull, Darryl Burton, Mary Canapary, Nick Casertano, Faith Cheung, Dr. Alan Cheung, Lisa Cline, Delores Cole, Companions of Paradise, Morton (Morty) Davis, Debunking Homelessness/Bullis School, Jonina Duker, Jenny Sue Dunner, Rosie Engman, Robert Fagan, Fairytale Brides on a Shoestring Budget, Fashion Bootcamp, Jaden Faunteroy, Mark Fine, Carol Fivozinsky, 480 Club LLC, John Frizzell, GEICO, Gretchen Gilmore, GlaxoSmithKline, Margo Goldman, Catalina Gomez, GWGVF Junior Fire Brigade, Chris Hakenkamp, Peter Han, ICCP Hunger Van, JCA Village Riders, Audrey Johnson, Justice Arts Coalition, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity/Gaithersburg-Rockville Alumni Chapter, John “Jay” Kenney, Holly Lam, Charles "Chuck" Lee, Agnes Leshner, James Leslie Linde, Little Falls Village Volunteer Team, Love Link, Madeline Lyon, Pratyusha Mandal, Robert Marques, Oscar Martinez, Kathleen McGaun, Wolfgang Mergner, Matthew (Matt) Molot, Montgomery County Muslim Foundation, Montgomery County Students for Change, Montgomery County Thrift Shop Association Inc., Christina Montgomery, Jack Morton, Raha Murtaza, National Philharmonic Chorale Volunteers, NEST4US, John Noble, Rita Noble, Ijeoma Okoro, Hakan Onel, Veronica Ostrega, Doreen Cantor Paster, Patuxent River (MD) Chapter/The Links Inc., Politics and Prose, Lauren Poteat, JaLynn Prince, Silas Ramos, Cristiana Reid-Thompson, Judy Joy (JJ) Rein, Diego Reyes, Rockville Volunteer Fire Department, Olivia Rosemond, Ariel Ruiz, Madyann Saidi, Mahendra Sapa, Greta Schumacher, Elizabeth Scott, Joyce Seamens, Shepherd’s Table, Sigma Sigma Sigma Chapter/Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., Barbara Skelly, Jeff Smith, Sebastien Sviatyi, Charlyn Tanner, Ashley Thommana, Carolyn Thompson, Kennedy Torres, Toys for Tots Germantown/Gaithersburg, Danielle Veith, Robert Wachen, Brady Wales, Lisa Weed, Kristen Weinberg, Cathy Wiss, Angela Woo, Emily Woo, Joe Wynn, Cindy Yi, Berwin Yuan
2020 Montgomery Serves Awards Nominators
Sagri Acharya, Bruce Adams, Eitan Amster, Mark Anders, Jennifer Arapoff, Pazit Aviv, Suzanne Bagheri, Jeffrey Baker, Sarah Barrett, Natasha Bastien, Bernardine Beall, Linda Berg-Cross, Nazaret Berhane, Barbara Boney, Mike Bowman, Heather Boyle, Carolyn Brandon, Touré Breaker, Rachael Buck, Opal Burgess, Janaan Cary, Markia Chambers, Madhumita Chavan, Grace Cheung, Tracey Clay, Glenn Coleman, Ronna Cook, Mark Cottrell, Lissa Cunningham, Marco D'Ottavi, Corrado Dal Forno, Indrani Dial-Maraj, Tiffany Durden, Pam Eckerstrom, Rita Estiphanos, Dilshad Fakroddin, Amy Fier, Jamal Fox, Delphine Gardiner, Christopher Gates, Lynn Gertzog, Marie Gignilliat, Jonathon Gordon, Rebecca Grant, Rachel Greene, Marla Grossman, Paul R. Gunther, Lee (Yovita) Hadisurya, Kerry Harding, Kathleen Henning, Charlotte Holliday, Christine Hong, Tom Huppmann, Anne James, Laura Johnson, Patricia Johnson, Queen Jones, Betsey Katiti, Charles Kauffman, Andrea Kempner-Wink, Jilna Kothary, Catherine Land, Vita Larkin, Alan D. Lichtman, Ricardo Loaiza, Suzanne Lofhjelm, Johanna Lopez, Debra Loube, Chikkathur Madhavarao, David Magill, Sherri Malone, Yafeu Marston, Olivia Martindill, Jennifer McKenzie, Yvonne McKinney, Clarence McNeary, Edna Merida, Sandra Miller, Carissa Montier, Joe Mornini, Barbara Mulitz, Amy Neugebauer, Janet Neumann, Maggie O'Neill, Chimaobi Okoro, Nwakamma Okororie, Sarah Olson, Michaela Onel, Sheelagh Ortega, Shane Owens, Jennifer Peppe, Michelle Perera, Molly Peter, Jayasri Rajesh, Angela Rakis, Daniela Ramos, Elsa Reid, Tiffany Richardson, Lynn Rose, Sharon Rosemond, Lisa Rosenthal, Carol Ross, James Ruspi, Madyann Saidi, Rebecca San Sebastian, Nishtha Sanghani, Cate Sauri, Rebecca Schmaus, Elizabeth Scott, Nancy Scull, Llacey Simmons, Shivaram Sitaram, Jim Stowe, Robin Tacchetti, Elizabeth Tham, Lynette Tomlinson, Paul Tyser, Tracy Vandenbroek, Rhetta Vinson, Ellen Virden, Graham Walsh, Claudia Warren-Taylor, Gary Weinberg, Andrea Weisenthal, Melane Whelan, Stephanie Williams, Stella Woo, Amy Yontef-McGrath, Ellen Zavian, Lili Zhou, Tova Zimm
See previous years' honorees by clicking on the annual award links on the left toolbar!
Thank you to Fund for Montgomery for sponsoring this event!
