Alexandria land use attorney Cathy Puskar was named business leader of the year by the Chamber ALX, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
(Left to right) Chamber ALX CEO Joe Haggerty, Inova Alexandria Hospital President Dr. Rina Bansal, Chadwicks owner Trae Lamond, and Chadwicks Executive Chef Sean Hall, at the Chamber ALX’s Best In Business awards, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Chadwicks owner Trae Lamond (speaking), and Chadwicks Executive Chef Sean Hall, after getting the Alexandria Business Of The Year award by the Chamber ALX, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Alexandria land use attorney Cathy Puskar and her family at the Chamber ALX’s Best in Business awards. Puskar was named business leader of the year, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Laura Machanic speaks about her friend, Cathy Puskar, winner of the Alexandria business leader of the year award by the Chamber ALX, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Alexandria land use attorney Cathy Puskar and her family at the Chamber ALX’s Best in Business awards. Puskar was named business leader of the year, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Alexandria land use attorney Cathy Puskar claps at the Chamber ALX Best In Business awards, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Cathy Puskar, winner of the Alexandria business leader of the year award
(on right( with her friend, Laura Machanic, at the Chamber ALX’s Best In Business Awards, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Walter C. Clarke, principal vice president at Burke & Herbert Bank, speaks at the Chamber ALX Best In Business awards, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Joe Collum, executive vice president and director of branch and business banking at Burke & Herbert Bank, speaks at the Chamber ALX Best In Business awards, October 27, 2022. The bank is an event sponsor. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Courtney Gray, marketing and business development manager at Spectra Credit Union, speaks at the Chamber ALX Best in Business awards, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Jim Zalewski, managing partner of Everly-Wheatley Funeral speaks after his company won Small Business of the Year at the Chamber ALX Best in Business awards, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Arthur Greene, vice president of marketing at the U. Senate Federal Credit Union, speaks at the Chamber ALX’s Best In Business awards, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Greg Marks, co-owner and director of Business Development Marks-Woods Construction Services, after receiving the Medium Business of the Year award from the Chamber ALX, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Nicole McGrew, owner of Threadleaf and incoming Chair of the Chamber ALX Board, speaks at the Chamber’s Best In Business awards, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Diane Jackson, director of human resources at Kearney & Company, receives the Large Business of the Year award by the Chamber ALX, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Harrison Lee, a partner with Cotton, a Sickich Company, announces the Nonprofit Association of the Year award by the Chamber ALX, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Theresa Thomas, associate executive director of Goodwin House, accepts her organization’s award for Nonprofit/Associaiton of the Year by the Chamber ALX, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Michael Wilson of NerdToGo announces the Rising Star of the Year award at the Chamber ALX’s Best In Business awards, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Scott Eshom, director of programs at The Critical Mass, receives his company’s award for the Rising Star of the Year by the Chamber ALX, OCtober 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson sits with the audience at the Chamber ALX’s Best In Business awards, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Alexandria land use attorney Cathy Puskar was named the 2022 Business Leader of the Year by the Chamber ALX at its annual Best In Business awards on Thursday night (Oct. 27), and restaurant Chadwicks (203 Strand Street) was named Overall Business of the Year.
“I don’t just ‘Remember the Titans,'” said Puskar, a 1985 graduate of T.C. Williams High School (now Alexandria City High School). “I am a Titan.”
Alexandria land use attorney Cathy Puskar was named business leader of the year by the Chamber ALX, October 27, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Puskar frequently represents landowners in major development projects, like Inova Alexandria Hospital’s massive redevelopment of Landmark Mall.
She added, “I love living in a vibrant progressive city where I’m surrounded every day and tonight by family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances and ‘YIMBYs’ who share a vision for moving our city forward, championing economic development, supporting our public schools, celebrating our diversity, helping others, and bringing the fun back to Alexandria.”
Chadwicks owner Trae Lamond accepted the Overall Business of the Year award.
“Anyone that’s told you that a business starts from the top down is wrong,” Lamond said after receiving the award. “We’ve got dishwashers, busboys, servers — they’ve been there for 25 years. They’re the reason Chadwicks is standing here now.”
Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.
