Norma Lopez honored for work on the Taste of Annandale

Left to right: Fairfax County Executive Edward Long Jr., Norma Lopez, and Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova.

Norma Lopez, a community developer with the Fairfax County Office of Neighborhood and Community Services, was honored with an Outstanding Performance Award for her work on the Taste of Annandale.

Individual and team awards were presented to more than 150 Fairfax County employees at a ceremony at the Fairfax County Government Center Dec. 9.

“Norma brought the 2016 Taste of Annandale to life,” states the awards booklet. “With over 3,000 attendees, the event featured a variety of ethnic food vendors, a diverse array of performers, and the support of local businesses and civic organizations. One of the initiatives of the Annandale Roundtable, the event was a celebration of diversity and community.”

Lopez, who has been with the county for almost nine years, says her job is all about community engagement. She helps people in the Culmore community in Bailey’s Crossroads access services, engage in volunteering, and become self-sufficient. ”I’m like a broker. I connect people with resources,” she says.

In launching the Taste of Annandale, “we wanted to bring attention to the business community and generate funds for activities that would be developed and carried out by youths,” she said. “The event was bigger than anticipated. People really wanted to come and be engaged with their community.”

Planning is starting this month for the third annual Taste of Annandale.

Other Outstanding Performance Award recipients recognized for their work in the Annandale/Mason District area included:

• Laura Baker of the Office of Community Revitalization, was honored for her work in planning and directing the Urban Land Institute Technical Assistance Panel for the Annandale Commercial Revitalization District; and
• Laylan Salih, an information technology educator, was awarded for her efforts to establish partnerships between the Willston Multicultural Center, schools, parents, businesses, and faith communities in Seven Corners.