Leesburg, VA May 2024

Our Women's Issue

LIFE + CULTURE

DR. KAJAL ROY, HELPING WOMEN ‘DO BETTER’

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

LOUDOUN FIRST RESPONDERS FOUNDATION HELPS HEROES HEAL

ARTS + CULTURE BACK STAGE WITH JULIANNA MACDOWELL

Advice for what matters most, when you need it most

Congratulations to The Eveland Group for being named to the Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” 2024 list, published on January 9, 2024. Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2023.

The Eveland Group

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management

3 South King Street

Leesburg, VA 20175

703.779.2130

fa.ml.com/evelandgroup

Building Beautiful Homes in Hunt Country

Photo by Christy Kosnic Architect: Cawood Architecture, PLLC

Choose a Healthier Future Today

with Loop Wellness Clinic

Discover how Loop Wellness Clinic can revitalize your life by optimizing your hormones, helping you shed excess weight, and rejuvenating your overall health.

scan the code to learn more.

Sleep Disorders Are a Major Problem and

can Help!

In order to be your best, you have to sleep your best. Whether it is consultation regarding lifestyle changes or testing for vitamin D-3 deficiency, we are here for you. We can also assess your need for a CPAP, or another device to help you sleep and fight sleep apnea. A much better approach to treating apnea is the Panthera device. It is made by a dentist and brings your chin forward (just like in doing CPR) to open the airway. It is very effective and easy to wear. For most people it does the job as well as a CPAP and in some cases even better. There are many other ways to deal with apnea- most of these are surgical-but the above ideas are simple and generally quite easy to implement for most people.

An

Dr. Jeffrey L. Brown DENTIST

Dr. Brown understands sleep apnea and how it correlates to TMJ treatment. His knowledge in the combined fields of TMJ, sleep and orthodontics has given him a perspective unlike most other practitioners who perform basic dentistry. In addition, he has also learned the advanced techniques involved in expanding an airway so that both children and adults can breathe better.

Women: Chief Empathy Officers and So Much More

On some level all women are caregivers. They typically are their family’s Chief Empathy Officer, entirely apart from advancing their careers, running a business, and occasionally saving the world (or at least their part of it.) To keep up that pace, though, requires a bit more self-care than women as a group may be taking. We’re reminded of that fact by those around us whenever someone says, “Hey, you look great!”, or when they ask, “Are you ok?”

So, we take a moment this month as we celebrate women to thank groups like WOW for introducing us to powerful women in the community who’ve pioneered a platform for themselves in what too often seems like a man’s world. We’re grateful to the physicians who study aging and healthcare and hormones and nutrition and exercise and... well, you get the idea. We’re also encouraged by those who are willing to bare their souls and share their toughest times through song because, “See! She made it through all that and she’s fine!”

We are, at rock bottom, better because other women “like us” are willing to be vulnerable and transparent and share with us what they’ve learned along the way. Transparency takes true strength, as does asking for help when you need it.

We’re glad the women of Loudoun are willing to stand in that gap and be there for ALL the heroes among us.

MELINDA GIPSON, EDITORIAL COORDINATOR @LEESBURGLIFESTYLE

May 2024

PUBLISHER

Hann Livingston | hann.livingston@citylifestyle.com

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

Melinda Gipson | melinda.gipson@citylifestyle.com

Corporate Team

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Josh Klein

AD DESIGNER Zach Miller

LAYOUT DESIGNER Kirstan Lanier

Learn how to start your own publication at citylifestyle.com/franchise.

city scene

1: Lois Cook, VP of dcdivas.com is excited about the team’s new season 2: The women behind WOW, commanders.com/fans/wow who rocked DC Prime with an inspiring panel in March. 3: GeNienne Samuels, Washington Commanders and Washington Spirit in-game host, and Evening News Anchor moderated 4: Women of Washington’s Powerful Women panel 5: Lis Driscoll, Bank of America Managing Director and Market leader, in Washington DC 6: (R) Chanelle Reynolds, Washington Commanders DEI lead does an inspiring podcast: bit.ly/ChanellePlaybook 7:

Sally Nnamani, Co-Executive director of “PeacePlayers International”, peaceplayers.org

Photography by Melinda Gipson

BeBalanced Celebrates 5-Year Anniversary

BeBalanced Natural Weight Loss Center is celebrating its 5th Anniversary this month. In that time, they've changed the health and lives of nearly 400 women for the better. One writes, “BeBalanced has been the best life-changing experience I've had... I couldn't be happier. I lost 20 pounds, no hot flashes, no tiredness anymore." It's more than just weight loss: gut renewal and a complete line of professional supplements as well available at bit.ly/ LeesburgBeBalanced

Photography by Melinda Gipson

Tree of Life Cuts the Ribbon on Main St. HQ

Loudoun County faith-based nonprofit, Tree of Life Ministries, cut the ribbon on its new headquarters at 115 East Main Street, Purcellville, on March 8. It’s a crucial step in its mission to aid the community's underprivileged with Christian compassion and gives the group greater visibility on Main Street. The center will offer a food pantry, free community dinners, and English classes. Find out more about how you can help here:  Tree of Life (tolministries.org)

Photography by Tree of Life

a stickler for a clean house, orange juice with no pulp, and the thermostat at 67º.

know that, too.

Two Decades in the Fitting Room

“Tenacity is my superpower. If something doesn’t work, I don’t take it personally. We tweak and hone and try something new.” That’s just one secret Shelley Scheerschmidt, owner of fashion-forward business Madisonbelle in Leesburg, shared with us on her 20-year anniversary. Madisonbelle has evolved with the times offering a Stitch Fix-like service called the “Style Box” for women who can’t make it into the store. See madisonbelle.com for upcoming celebratory events.

Photography by Madisonbelle

Women can ‘Do Better’

ARTICLE BY MELINDA GIPSON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALIMOND STUDIO

Dr. Kajal Roy Helps Women Get & Stay Healthy

At Leesburg Lifestyle, I rarely break the “third wall” between writer and reader. But, for our women’s issue in particular, I must deviate from convention because I have to say thank you, Dr. Kajal Roy, for giving me my life back.

It’s not uncommon for women to end up as their family caregivers. It’s furthermore no stretch to say that we who are thrust into that role for our loved ones rarely find time to take care of ourselves as well as those in our care. In my case, I was tired, fat, hypertensive and anxious. One year after trusting Dr. Kajal Roy with my hormone therapy and weight loss, I’ve lost 70 pounds, dropped all my heart-related medications and gotten back my indefinable “mojo.”

Women’s health care isn’t something we speak that openly about, unless someone says, “My gosh, you look great! What are you doing?” But, in my case, it happens a lot. So, I get to preface this rare story about Dr. Roy with a personal vignette, because her life is also changing. Instead of operating “Niyan Medspa,” she is rebranding her practice as “Niyan Medical,” complete with a new location at 450 Madison Trade Plaza SE Leesburg.

As she explains the shift, “You know the saying, ‘You don’t know what you have until it’s gone?’

Well, that rang true for me in mid-2023. I left all the roles I had in the hospital in December of 2022 and by early summer I thought, ‘Oh no, I miss it. What did I just do?’ What I missed was the art of practicing medicine – trying to figure out what the heck is going on in the bodies of my patients, I enjoy spending time to get to know them and their needs outside of whatever disease or ailment brought them to see me. I want to treat the whole person, not just one thing.”

This switch isn’t as big as you might think, since, as an internist, she was already extremely aware of everything going on in the patients she was treating with weight loss injectables and bioidentical hormone therapy through her frequent scrutiny of detailed blood panels. But semaglutides “only work until they don’t,” unless patients are willing to change their behaviors to reflect a healthier lifestyle, she asserts, and aging

brings with it other symptoms and diseases that require more attention. She wanted it all.

In tandem with this desire, Dr. Roy and her husband bought a homecare agency called Assisting Hands Home Care, covering all of Loudoun County. They provide home care services such as grooming, bathing, companionship and much more to their patients in the community. “I have started to go and see our homecare patients in their homes and I love it when I see our caregivers playing board games or dominoes with the patients. I even had the opportunity to learn about antiques from a patient. Listening to the calls my husband would take regarding his patients and experiencing patient care brought back fond memories I had of connecting with my own patients in the hospital, especially the elderly. I realized that, taking care of people –whether it’s helping them lose weight, treat other medical issues, navigating the healthcare system or coming up with life plans – truly feeds my soul. So, the goal of Niyan Medical is to not only treat our patients in the office, but to also make sure they stay healthy and safe at home.”

Digging a bit deeper, the true “pain point” Dr. Roy hopes to address is, “the lack of education people in the medical field typically provide to patients.” If patients truly understand the relationship between their lifestyles, behaviors and yes, even family history, and their health, she reasons, they’ll all be better off. As for why that happens less and less in medical practice, she says, “I think it's a lot of things. I think it's the lack of time, and maybe the inability of doctors to explain things in a way that a non-medical person would understand. I also think that there are some patients that are afraid to ask questions or maybe feel like they can't. That happens a lot in the older generation; they just take what the doctor says and they don't question it. Then they just follow the directions, not knowing why.”

“When you do something without knowing why you're doing it,” she explains, “you don't see the importance behind it. And then you kind of fall off the wagon, because you didn't know why

you're doing it in the first place. I want that to stop. I want people to know, number one, what do your lab values mean? What are we trying to achieve? How can basic nutrition, drinking more water and things like garlic and herbs help especially in prevention? Together we’ll set goals. They don't have to be huge goals. They can be little steps in the right direction... I think I want to empower women to just do better.”

At the end of the day, all women are caregivers. Sometimes we forget that care needs to start with ourselves.

Dr. Roy: Relating to patients "feeds my soul"

LOUDOUN COUNTY FIRST RESPONDERS HELPS HEROES HEAL

ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY

BY MELINDA GIPSON

Tina Johnson of LFRF

When a Sterling home fire killed one Loudoun firefighter and sent three others to the hospital in February, Tina Johnson was among the first civilians to find out about it. In part, that’s because she heads the Loudoun First Responders Foundation (LFRF), an all-volunteer organization that helps support first responders in need. The other reason she knew was because her own son Michael is a volunteer firefighter with the Sterling station that was on call that night.

“My phone began ringing that evening,” she recalls. “As president of the foundation I’m the direct liaison with all the first responder agencies from Sheriff to police to fire – all of them know to call me directly when there’s a need.” Shortly after the news of the tragedy broke, both the Loudoun County Government and Loudoun County Fire and Rescue announced that LFRF was the official charity of choice for anyone wishing to support the injured, their families or the family of the fallen firefighter Trevor Brown. “So, within a 48-hour period, I’d say I received more than 100 phone calls and began managing a flood of emails from people wanting to help.”

Then too came the news media. Tina quickly spread the word asking people to refrain from launching their own GoFundMe pages because “there was no way for us to authenticate which were real.” The foundation immediately set up a restricted fund so anyone could direct their giving directly to the Brown family and the other injured firefighters. In practice, Tina made the executive decision that every penny raised in the first 30 days following the incident would be directed towards firefighters and their families who were impacted.

“We wanted to be able to support Trevor Brown’s family but we knew that there were also 10 other first responders injured and that some of them have a long road of recovery ahead of them. We needed to make sure we had resources that would be there to support them in their time of need immediately, but also in the months to come.”

One volunteer firefighter, Brian Diamond, 43, was in the burn unit for more than a month and only returned home March 20. Both he and his wife are schoolteachers supporting four children aged 8 and younger, and need help just to pay bills while Brian heals.

Having the LFRF in place to serve as clearing house and supportive arm for all the local organizations who wanted to hold fundraisers allowed Loudoun Fire and Rescue to redirect their energy and focus to taking care of their own who were injured. “Just being able to channel through our foundation all incoming inquiries was a help,” Tina says. In so doing, the foundation stepped up as a purely voluntary organization. “We have no paid staff or office. We receive no federal or local government funding. We were all juggling running our own businesses!”

Among the organization’s board members are business leaders like Tony Howard, president and CEO of the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce; Eric Retzlaff, managing director of Northwest Mutual in Reston; Lori Reif, owner of Executive Gift Planners; Jennifer Andos, president of Paperfish Creative, LLC;  Kelly Featheringham, president and CEO of Team Leadership Solutions LLC; Bruce Rahmani, president of Falcon Heating and Air Conditioning; Marlo Thomas Watson, president of The Marlo Companies and Julie Shaheen, founder of Stanford Design Consulting. Board member Laura Rinehart is also public information officer of the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue System, and Kris Olson is president of the RHLOC (Real Husbands of Loudoun County) Foundation, which together with ResQ BBQ was hosting a fundraiser as we went to press.

Even under its “100% voluntary” constraints, LFRF was able to cut checks to families within hours of receiving a request, minus any red tape. “I have the checkbook right beside me and once I get the request for financial support, I review it, it goes to the executive board and as soon as three of our executive board members approve it, I write

the check.” First responders need only fill out an application, pass it to their direct report, and then Fire Chief Keith Johnson signs off on it. So, Tina explains, “when the request comes to us, we feel like they’ve done their due diligence, and we’re confident this is someone who really needs the support.” Someone from the fire department will often come pick up a check to deliver it where it’s needed.

Donations have covered mortgage payments, grocery bills, unexpected medical bills and, yes, the cost of Trevor Brown’s funeral, attended by more than 3,000 including first responders from across the country. Beyond the immediate needs, LFRF is committed to help families get back on their feet while their heroes heal.

“We want first responders to put all of their energy into getting better, not being stressed out about paying their mortgage and making their car payments and paying their medical bills and all those things we take for granted every day. If it’s helping them to make sure they have enough money coming in to cover their life expenses, that’s going to help them recover quicker, so that’s what we’re here to do,” Tina said.

Beyond the immediate crisis, since its founding in 2005, the foundation has donated more than 85 scholarships to first responders and their children. Applications are open now for up to 12 scholarships of $1,000 each and one

scholarship – the Stu Plitman Memorial Scholarship named for the organization’s founder – in the amount of $5,000, for 2024.

Because of the group’s non-existent overhead, Tina says, every dollar donated is a measure of the appreciation givers have for what first responders do for their community every day. Tina’s own background includes being an emergency room nurse, so she understands the emotional needs of first responders as well.

October is National First Responders Awareness Month, and the foundation has made an annual practice of delivering gift baskets to every crew in every department in Loudoun County in the course of a single day. “People don’t realize that there are people in our county who work a 9-5 job and then report to a station to work 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. We make sure we visit every one of them and say thank you, we appreciate you,” Tina said. The foundation also hosts family nights at local sports arenas and other events to celebrate them. “Some of them can’t even afford to live in our county, so if they’ve got a family of three or four, they may not be able to afford to spend $150 or $200 to go to an activity in the county. That’s why, throughout the year, we always want to hold celebration events to recognize them and just thank them in a fun environment.”

Donating is easy; see lfrf.org/donate

“PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTY WHO WORK A 9-5 JOB AND THEN REPORT TO A STATION TO WORK 6 P.M. TO 6 A.M. WE MAKE SURE WE VISIT EVERY ONE OF THEM AND SAY THANK YOU, WE APPRECIATE YOU.”

To Dance

Alya Salon & Spa Sees Hair, And Women, As Artworks

Which is What Makes This a ‘Hidden Gem’

Natalya Anderson named her Salon Alya after a small star – a hidden gem – in the Theta constellation, which is associated with healing and restoration. That also describes Natalya’s aspirations when she came to the U.S. from Ukraine in 2001.

The salon’s mission is to be true to clients, and kind to the environment. They work with advanced products and follow all the latest trends from high fashion, in the U.S. and abroad. They specialize in corrective color, balayage, creative blonding, fashion color, curly hair cuts and color, hair extensions, wedding and special event styling and makeup.

What appealed to her about becoming a stylist was that she saw hair creations as an art form, a concept shared by other stylists in her salon. Some of her more avant-garde, celebrity and wedding hair

creations landed her in a range of glamour magazines, and her career took off – but not without a lot of hard work and the willingness to learn from others.

Now, as the owner of her own Alya Salon & Spa in Vienna, she regularly brings in experts to share their knowledge about hair color, blonding and balayage, the latest hair styling techniques, new facial and back skin treatments and whatever else she thinks will spark creativity and an atmosphere of learning among her stylists and aestheticians. They appreciate it, one saying that what drew them to work at Alya was the sense of camaraderie and self-improvement.

The upshot is that several Alya stylists say they have mastered multiple techniques, though they may have their specialties, as Natalya herself does for long hair and “stylish up-dos.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATALYA JOHNSON, MELINDA GIPSON

ARTICLE BY MELINDA GIPSON

Circle: Natalya’s Alya is a “hidden gem.” | Next page, top left: Kalpana, from Nepal, says her reward is the customer’s smile | Top right: Mimi loves balayage | Middle left: Ana makes customers feel relaxed | Middle right: Mayra does blonding and loves the team environment | Bottom left: Reagan loves extensions and giving women with thinning hair more volume | Bottom right: NoVa native Tammy chose Alya for its spirit of kindness and helpfulness

— Natalya Anderson “

“We look to Alya to be a place of healing and rejuvenation.”

When war came to Ukraine, Natalya’s emotional turmoil was plain to all her associates, who worked hard to keep her spirits up, and offered whatever assistance they could to Natalya’s family. Natalya responded with characteristic stoicism.

“We look to Alya to be a place of healing and rejuvenation,” Natalya says: “A place where women and men can come and know they will look more beautiful, more handsome and more relaxed when they leave us.” For that reason, she masked her concerns for the most part saying, “I don’t want to bring my sadness to work.”

Her team adds to the Salon’s international flavor, featuring associates and stylists from as far away as Nepal, Azerbaijan and El Salvador, alongside those who grew up and go to school nearby. Natalya also likes to make room for local cosmetology students who appreciate being made part of a team where they can learn alongside others who are further along in their careers.

“We like to help others, you know, the younger generation, to see what their future might be like. It is good for us,” Natalya affirms. Ivanna, one of those students, says she likes being around “hard-working, independent women, it’s really uplifting, plus it’s really helping me figure out what I want to do career-wise and it’s honestly a great place to learn.”

As is also often characteristic of women-owned businesses, Alya takes every opportunity to deflect the spotlight that falls on her to her associates, preferring to let others meet her crew. So, here they are. We hope you take the opportunity to get to know them too. See alyasalon.com .

Top left: Nelly, from Baku, says she views hair as art, and herself as an artist | Bottom left: Cayla the Esthetician is from Virginia Beach | Right: Jadyn and Ivanna. Jadyn loves “the girl vibe” at Alya

“We like to help others, you know, the younger generation, to see what their future might be like. It is good for us.” “

Mary E. Nealy

Stitching the Pieces Together

How a Man, a Quilt and a Poem Cracked a 160-Year-Old Riddle

ARTICLE BY MELINDA GIPSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHAD HAMEL

In 2005, Dr. Chad Hamel, veterinarian, author, The Coder School co-owner and incidentally a huge history buff, read a book about the Civil War, called “Team of Rivals,” by Doris Kearns Goodwin. He became captivated by the role of so-called border states like Maryland in securing the future of the then-fractured Union. An amateur collector, he set out to buy a period artifact to commemorate his intellectual journey. He thus found and bought in 2006 what he thought was a signal flag that included the signatures of all the members of Abraham Lincoln’s first cabinet.

After 17 years of off-and-on research on the “flag”, he learned it wasn’t a flag at all, but rather a quilt. At first disappointed, he began to pull at the threads of the quilt’s history and wound up weaving a tale of intrigue and political machination so intertwined with the viability of the United States itself that the story could have been ripped, as they say, from the pages of The Washington Post

At the heart of the story, and possibly the quilt’s own seamstress, was Mary E. Nealy, who it must be said was a woman after my own heart. Mary hailed from Indiana, and is known best by history as a famous poet whose works often paid tribute to women during the war.

Then, in the Spring of 1864, she found herself a correspondent for The National Republican , a newspaper founded upon the election of Lincoln in 1860 by abolitionist William J. Murtagh. With only two intervening owners, what had been a blatantly pro-administration read ultimately was merged into The Washington Post in June of 1888.

It was rare for a woman in the 1860’s to take her place alongside men in the tough crucible of Civil War-era politics. But, belying popular perceptions, women were active in the conflict, as detailed in an Indiana school lesson plan Chad found online that attested women on both sides disguised themselves as men and enlisted to fight for their respective sides.

While filling the shoes of enlisted relatives in farming and business, they also sent letters, food, and blankets to the troops and made their pitch for public sentiment through speeches and published articles, songs, and poems. They also held what came to be known as Sanitary Fairs to raise money for the care of wounded soldiers – gatherings that became a precursor to both the Nurse Naval Corps and the Red Cross.

In the lead up to the Baltimore Sanitary Fair, planned from April 18 to April 30th, 1864, Unionists were anxious

“Though many more questions remain, there is no question in my mind that Mary E. Nealy is worth celebrating. Thanks to all the archivists and historians who painstakingly take the time to preserve history and digitize so many historical documents to provide amazing access to historical research and knowledge.”

Abraham Lincoln and his 1860 Cabinet All Signed "Mary's quilt"

to see Lincoln attend and give a speech, in part to sway the sentiment of local politicians whose constituents were literally on the fence about the war on the eve of Maryland’s upcoming State Constitutional Convention. Lincoln’s reluctance came because Baltimore was then a nest of spies for both the North and the South, and Maryland’s alliances strayed to both sides of the line in the conflict. Finally, everyone was tired enough of bloodshed to consider appeasement over holding the line for emancipation.

It’s at such a time that, under the alias “Polly Peachblossom,” Mary wrote a letter to the president. The letter, as legibly transcribed by the Library of Congress here https://bit.ly/Peachblossom, encloses a poem called “The Maul,” an encomium to Lincoln’s efforts to end slavery, and asks in return for two of Lincoln’s autographs, one of these on silk to be used on an alleged “wedding quilt.”

Mary was herself married and her daughter not of marriageable age, so for Chad’s research to attribute this letter to Mary E. Nealy calls for reading a bit between the lines. In a further act of Internet sleuthing, he also equates the quilt mentioned in Polly Peachblossom’s letter to the one given to the wife of the then Governor of Maryland, Augustus Bradford, at the Baltimore Sanitary Fair.

As backdrop, a vote on delegates for the Maryland Constitutional Convention that was to consider a provision ending slavery in the state also was to occur that Spring, and Gov. Bradford supported the effort to make the voting conditions more favorable for delegates who supported emancipation. “So,” reasons Chad, “the quilt given to the Governor’s wife (Mrs. Elizabeth Bradford) at the Fair, and mentioned in a newspaper article on Lincoln’s speech, could have been a public recognition and thank you to the Bradford’s for their political support.”

He adds, “I think the marriage discussed in the letter is actually related to a political marriage, which would make sense. According to Lew Wallace’s papers, Lincoln at the time was putting on a full court press to win the support of Governor Bradford.”

So, why the subterfuge? We can only speculate that it was to mask as innocuous what was in fact a political favor being solicited by a member of the press. As to why Mary would have chosen the name, “Polly Peachblossom,” Baltimore was the U.S. Peach Capital in 1864 and its debutantes were known as Peach Blossoms, so the use of the name would have related her request to

Maryland. The mask would have been all too transparent to Lincoln, though, given that the mailing address “Polly” used was that of The National Republican office.

But the guessing turned moot once Chad found another letter online signed by Mary that matches the handwriting of the two missives, and when he found that later books of the period attributed the poem “The Maul” to her hand.

What turns the saga from a historical curiosity into something much more momentous was the timing of the speech Lincoln ended up giving at the Baltimore Sanitary Fair. It followed the execution of several hundred Black Union troops who had surrendered after the Battle of Fort Pillow in Henning Tennessee by Confederate soldiers on April 12, 1864.

What came to be called Lincoln’s “Lecture on Liberty,” bit.ly/LincolnSanitaryFair, was interpreted as likening Confederate generals to wolves among the sheep. Lincoln vowed a full investigation of the incident. Subsequent outrage over Congress’ findings breathed new life into the Union war effort and prevailing northern sentiment that nothing less than complete victory was an acceptable outcome.

Chad draws his own lessons from what he calls his “little passion project.” First, he says, “Though many more questions remain, there is no question in my mind that Mary E. Nealy is worth celebrating.” He also wants to shine a light on “all the archivists and historians who painstakingly take the time to preserve history and digitize so many historical documents to provide amazing access to historical research and knowledge.” Without this work, his would have ceased before it began. He considers inspiring others to become proficient at Internet search of historical records a bonus.

Chad also would welcome the assistance of anyone who’d like to continue the journey to learn more about Mary E. Nealy and the impact of other abolitionists who worked to eradicate slavery. (If you’re interested, please email him at chamel@thecoderschool.com.)

And, he offers thanks to the following for their help: Gary Eyler, the Old Colony Shop in Alexandria; Michelle Krowl, Civil War and Reconstruction specialist in the Manuscript Division at the Library of Congress; Micah Connors, Maryland Center for History and Culture; Steven Raab, the Raab Collection; Patricia D. Anderson and Rob Schoeberlien of the Maryland State Archives; and, of course, Jeff R. Bridgman of American Antiques, who broke the news to Chad that his flag was really a quilt, part of the patchwork of American history.

Back Stage With Juliana Macdowell

ARTICLE BY BY MICHAEL GAUVREAU PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL GAUVREAU, RALPH DE PALMA PHOTOGRAPHY, MELINDA GIPSON

Julia MacDowell at The Barns of Rose Hill

Loudoun County’s rich and active music scene continues to grow in volume. Over the last 10 years, the number of local venues has increased considerably, resulting in new stages for just about anyone who has a polished act ready to share. The unique camaraderie that exists between members of the area’s music community is welcoming, tangible and includes many seasoned players who have been performing music together here for decades.

Loudoun also has produced several singer-songwriters who have taken their music to a higher level professionally by entering the studio and issuing albums, including Juliana MacDowell, a Leesburger who in a few short years has created an extraordinary body of work of “national” caliber.

Her third album,  Big Old Yellow Moon , kept us mesmerized and intrigued as she

celebrated life and bared her soul to us as if we were all her lifelong friends. For this album, Juliana enlisted the immense talent and experience of Bil VornDick, a legendary Nashville music veteran who produced artists like Allison Krause and Bela Fleck, at the renowned Ocean Way studio.  Big Old Yellow Moon ended up being Bil’s last effort before passing away unexpectedly last summer  before the album was completed. Juliana was chosen to perform at Bil’s memorial, which was attended by some of Nashville’s Music Row royalty.

Knowing it would require someone very special to finish the album, Juliana turned to long-time producer and close friend, Ian Shaw,

with whom she worked on her 2019 album , Leaving Home.

Says Ian, “Juliana has such a unique and wonderful voice, and it is quite rare that someone not in their 20s comes forward with her innate songwriting and vocal talent to compose such an advanced level of music right out of the gate. She is so terrific to work with and is open to all ideas and trying different musicians.” Of  Big Old Yellow Moon , Ian says, “This album is a collection of very sophisticated and beautifully arranged adult songs that I would describe as ‘Country Americana,’ as it is obvious that the record was recorded in Nashville. It is also a very transitional album for Juliana, as it concisely concludes one chapter of her life and prepares us all for an exciting new one.”

“NOTHING’S GETTINGCLEARER, IN MY REA MIRROR, YESTERDAY’SAMEMORY ON THE

Juliana’s passion for music was triggered when she was three years old by her great-grandfather, Otis Beall Kent, who was a successful attorney and investor in Maryland. “He had a music room in his house that included several different organs, and a Steinway piano. In a large closet, he had a collection of what was then state-of-the-art recording equipment. We would sit together on that piano bench and he would play and we would sing together for hours at a time. That Steinway piano now sits in my foyer.”

Juliana says.

To deliver her music to live audiences, Juliana brought together The Agreeables, an elite ensemble of the area’s finest players that includes her musical partner and collaborator, local Guitar Hero Mike Ault. Mike has been a fixture in several successful NOVA bands and supported many of our area’s most celebrated artists for decades. He has toured

the world as a member of famed luthier Paul Reed Smith’s band and is on the short list of preferred players at the area’s busiest studios. When you add the veteran rhythm section of Andy Hamburger on drums and Sonny Petrosky playing bass, you are in for an extraordinary musical experience as Juliana guides you through her considerable catalogue during her live shows.

She describes her live performances as “transcendence. When you’re performing and connecting with people, you’re having a great show, and the audience is having a fun experience, time seems to stop and the music blocks every other distraction out. I treat every show as a special place in time.”

Jules and the Agreeables made their performance at The Barns of Rose Hill in Berryville special in February by unveiling a music video of Never Say Goodbye from an upcoming album to be released later this year. The video was a treat to the audience because it was shot entirely in Loudoun County, beginning with the jewelry counter at Ketterman’s Jewelers. (Watch it at bit.ly/MacDowellGoodbye.) For more videos, and to learn more about Juliana, her music and her upcoming performances, visit her website at: julianamacdowell.com

And, last but not least, on Sunday, May 19th, Jules and the Agreeables will be performing again at the Big, Bad Brass Party 2024 with their friends Jumptown in the Pavilion at Creek’s Edge Winery in Taylorstown. In a follow-up to their sold-out Big, Bad Brass Party last Spring, the bands will be alternating sets throughout the night, and will feature a combined band jam before the festivities end at 10:00 p.m. Tickets for the event are on sale at: bit.ly/ BigBadBrass2024

– Juliana MacDowell

AR-VIEW

RUN...”

Rejuvenated From Head to Toe...

AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MELINDA GIPSON

“There is one life; one just has to live it to the fullest,”

— Dr. Arora

Nearly everyone who looks in a mirror sees something they’d like to improve. At the Institute of Facial & Oral Surgery in Leesburg you can find not one or two but three world-class experts who not only will listen to you, they’ll tell you exactly what’s possible.

Given their combined 60+ years of surgical training and experience, that turns out to be quite a lot. Facial and body contours can be lifted or enhanced in defiance of gravity or in the wake of trauma. You don’t have to be stuck with droopy eyelids or your dad’s nose. Whether it’s breast reconstruction after cancer, or slack skin after weight loss, these guys have fixed it literally hundreds of times, and done it for those to whom it meant not just restoring their confidence, but offering them a normal life.

Dr. David K. Moose, M.D., D.D.S., has not only studied with the best, but has himself served years as medical director of the Northern Virginia Wellness Center and as a volunteer member of the Western Maryland Cleft Lip and Palate team. His co-founder, Suketu I. Patel, M.D., D.M.D., went to med school with Dr. Moose. Dr. Patel then completed an internship year in General Surgery, and did a full residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at USC.

During internship and residency, Dr. Patel did surgical rotations with multiple plastic surgeons and oculoplastic surgeons to round out his cosmetic surgery experience, then completed a Cosmetic Surgery Fellowship accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. This fellowship allowed Dr. Patel to train exclusively

and intensely in cosmetic surgery where he performed more than 600 cosmetic procedures with board-certified Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, Facial Plastic Surgeons, and Cosmetic Surgeons.

Together they share the philosophy that whatever enhancements their patients seek should appear “natural.” Says Dr. Moose, “Most people don’t want to look different, really. And, if they do, a lot of times, I’m not comfortable with that. That’s what we mean by natural. We share that and a commitment to excellence whether it’s surgical or non-surgical care. And we all think it starts with good patient communication.”

Recently, they’ve been joined by Balvant Arora, M.D., MBA, a Board-Certified Plastic, Reconstructive, and Cosmetic Surgeon as well as a Hair Transplant Surgeon and Anti-Aging Physician. Dr. Arora is passionate about comprehensive and holistic treatments that go above and beyond regular “one-size-fits-all” solutions. He continues to expand his plastic surgery repertoire by learning the latest cosmetic procedures. He is also, by the way, a very dry wit and has even written a book on words, wit and wisdom titled “Decoding Power of Words.”

In the latter work, he shares how his habit of forming mental mnemonics and acronyms not only got him through med school, but imbued him with a knack for decoding the world at large and infusing every single word with meaning. Just one example: he sees DESTINY as “Driving Energetically Systematically Towards Intended New You.” That level of mindfulness tends to make every conversation with Dr. Arora enlightening.

Top: Doctors Arora, Patel and Moose

Bottom left: Drs. Arora and Patel | Bottom right: Dr. Arora

Certainly, he’s a good fit with the practice because, “They cover the head and neck and I do everything else, thus we cover the whole body,” Dr. Arora says. “I also lift everything that falls with age.” More seriously, he says the Institute drew him because, “it is one of the finest practices where patient safety and priority is of utmost concern in meeting standards of care. We listen to our patients, evaluate them and customize the treatment plan that meets their expectations. In a nutshell, we try to do everything right from the moment of the first consultation through the rest of the patient’s journey, including surgery, and thereafter. I’m pretty sure that during our conversation, you must see that we are passionate about what we do.”

“All of us want to look better and feel better. All these surgical procedures, they help individuals have more confidence and have increased self-esteem. See, there is one life; one just has to live it

to the fullest,” Dr. Arora added. And, said Dr. Patel, “The three of us are now in a position to provide every service that an individual is looking for, in terms of rejuvenation and aesthetics. Once you enter our door, you don’t need to go anywhere else.”

If you’re wondering what rejuvenation entails, we recommend you start with the Institute’s exceptional blog: facial-oralsurgeryva.com/blog. There you’ll learn everything you ever wanted to know about treatments from Botox to rhinoplasty, what exactly is involved in a facelift, non-surgical techniques to look younger and how you might benefit from dental implants, among a host of other topics.

And, if there’s something else you want to explore, don’t be afraid to ask. You’ll come away, as we did, appreciating how satisfied these doctors feel, “to change people’s lives in terms of how they look and feel about themselves. You couldn’t ask for more,” says Dr. Arora.

strong & BEATUTIFUL

SECOND ANNUAL GALLERY OPENS SOON

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARY LANAGHAN, MJL STUDIOS

Mary Lanaghan of MJLStudios

Photographic Portraiture (mjl studios.com ), regularly contributes extraordinary photos to Leesburg Lifestyle. She also annually celebrates strong women with portrait sessions in her Leesburg Studio. The project invites 30 local women to be celebrated in a deluxe portrait session with the goal of showing each how strong and beautiful she is in the eyes of others. A common trait for all, and key to their selection, is their generosity to their communities.

Nicole Wright, Wright Accounting Solutions, served on the Board and donates

a percentage of her profits to Dandelion Meadow, a group providing long-term recovery support for women survivors of substance use.

Ravinder Sidhu, R&R Bookkeeping Services, is active in fundraising for local non-profits with the Loudoun County Social Collectives. The Christmas Tea this past December raised needed funds for A Place to Be.

Kristin MacDonald, Arboria Technical Solutions, offers complimentary guidance and training sessions for small businesses on topics like how to protect their businesses from cyber threats.

Sally Crosen and Misti LoRusso of Maid Brigade provide free cleaning services for households that are undergoing a major medical challenge.

Debra Leben, DL Coaching, provides complimentary events to non-profits and schools helping people with career decisions and leadership development.

Debbie Rogers, Ironwood Coaching Solutions, volunteers coaching services to veterans who are transitioning back into their communities.

Donna Thomas, Mountainside Gals, provides emotional support to women struggling with their body image and their confidence.

To wrap up the project, Mary will host a gallery reception soon displaying portraits of all 30 women. Check her website or our Facebook page for details.

Left page, left: Nicole Wright | Top right: Ravinder Sidhu | Bottom right: Kristin MacDonald | This page, top left: Donna Thomas | Top middle: Debra Rogers Top right: Debbie Leben | Bottom left: Sally Crosen and Misti LoRusso | Bottom right: Mary Lanaghan

Upper School students recently traveled to the Galapagos to engage in giant African snail removal, tortoise monitoring, and microplastics surveying.

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