A blacksmith at Colvin Run Mill, a swim instructor at Spring Hill Rec Center and a trail monitor honored posthumously at Riverbend Park are among 21 Fairfax County volunteers recognized for outstanding service to the park system.
The Fairfax County Park Authority Board approved a resolution in June, honoring the peer-nominated group for their contributions during Fiscal Year 2026. Across the county, more than 10,770 volunteers logged 115,718 hours of service valued at over $3.98 million, according to the Park Authority.
Three of the honorees serve parks in or adjacent to the Dranesville District:
Chip Leonard, a blacksmith volunteer at Colvin Run Mill Historic Site in Great Falls, a historic gristmill on the National Register of Historic Places.
Susan Ju, an adapted aquatics assistant at Spring Hill Rec Center on Spring Hill Road in McLean.
Christine Reynolds (posthumously), a roving trail monitor at Riverbend Park in Great Falls. Reynolds spent more than a decade as a natural resources volunteer at the 400-acre park along the Potomac Heritage Trail. She was also recognized as a 2023 Outstanding Volunteer for her work as a roving naturalist and trail monitor, according to Park Authority board records.
Park Authority Executive Director Jai Cole said the volunteers' work "creates a community where nature thrives and neighbors feel connected."
The resolution was introduced by Board Chairman Timothy B. Hackman, the Dranesville District representative and a Great Falls resident. Hackman has served on the 12-member board since June 2016 and was unanimously elected chair in February.
All 21 honorees
The full list spans parks and recreation centers countywide: Sue Albright (Ellanor C. Lawrence Park), Nancy Bond (Franconia Rec Center), Michael Bufano (Mount Vernon Rec Center), Deborah Burk (Providence Rec Center), Bryan Campbell (Long Branch Stream Valley Park), Dave Eckhardt (Laurel Hill Golf Club), Avril Garland (Accotink Stream Valley Park), Nisha Jain (Oakmont Rec Center), Jean Johnson (Frying Pan Farm Park), Jerome Johnson (Twin Lakes Golf Course), Susan Ju (Spring Hill Rec Center), Chip Leonard (Colvin Run Mill), Bill Masker (Audrey Moore Rec Center), Patrick McCormack (Archaeology and Collections Branch), Vivian Morgan-Mendez (Nottoway Park), Kim Nguyen (Cub Run Rec Center), Jerry Nissley (Huntley Meadows Park), Christine Reynolds (Riverbend Park), Carol Tretkoff (Hidden Oaks Nature Center), Naomi Yilma (Hidden Pond Nature Center) and Mary Zook (Green Spring Gardens).
Volunteer Appreciation Night
The honorees will be celebrated at Volunteer Appreciation Night on Thursday, July 16, as part of the Evenings on the Ellipse Summer Concert Series. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. at 12000 Government Center Parkway in Fairfax, on the lawn behind the Government Center. Hackman will deliver welcome remarks, followed by a performance by Signature Live!
Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or folding chairs. For weather updates, call the Park Authority hotline at 571-202-SHOW (7469) one hour before the event.
