“I’ve been doing it for years and years,” Mary explains. “We set it up so we could involve the business community in the airport. It’s black tie. We have it in an area hotel, and the airlines themselves are involved. We give out door prizes. We always have a prominent speaker.”
The event draws hundreds of people and comprises a flurry of details. “It’s a lot of work!” Mary says. “We start working on it when the (prior) one folds up. But it’s always been a big success. It’s something everyone enjoys.”
Tanya Matthews, president of the Committee for Dulles, notes Mary’s singular dedication to the task. “She was in the hospital (one year), and she was selling tables from her hospital bed. She has a unique skill of persuasion. She envisions the way something should be and does what it takes to make it that way. Usually by phone – she’s not an e-mail person. We bought her a laptop, but that’s just not her thing.”
Mary is the first to admit she’s not big on new technology. “A few years ago, I called an office supply store to see about getting my typewriter fixed. The kid at the store said, ‘You’re still using a typewriter?’ Yeah, I said, you wanna make something of it?”
All that doesn’t seem to cramp her style much. In addition to the gala, Mary plans the committee’s monthly luncheon meetings, such as last month’s gathering, which featured presentations about the effort to bring a baseball stadium complex to Loudoun County.
Matthews notes that “Mary has a lot to do with the communication, planning and leadership of the Committee for Dulles. She is a remarkable individual – with respect to relationships, she knows how much a handshake matters … how much a hug matters. Mary’s a wonderful person.”
And who knows where “she’ll go” next?
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