The GGCC Annual Gala Celebration & Awards Dinner
December 17, 2025, Gaithersburg, MD: The Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce (GGCC) Annual Celebration & Awards Dinner brought together 170 leaders, visionaries, and changemakers from the Upcounty together on December 11, 2025 to celebrate business excellence and leadership, and to recognize students who were awarded scholarships through GGCC’s scholarship funds at Montgomery College.
Emceed by GGCC President & CEO Paula Ross, the event recognized the outstanding achievements of GGCC members in several categories. Featuring a dynamic lineup of speakers and honorees, the evening was filled with inspiration, recognition, and a shared commitment to advancing growth and success for businesses and individuals in the region.
The Germantown Town Center was also featured as a key GGCC initiative, a county-grant funded program to explore feasibility of a BID in Germantown.
Key elected leaders participated in the event, including:
- City of Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman
- Montgomery County Councilmember Andrew Friedson (D1)
Awards conferred:
- Young Professional of the Year Award: John Teel, Supporting Strategies, presented by Sharon Anthony, Montgomery College
- Small Business of the Year Award: Tortacos, presented by AJ Nwoga and Fernando Fuentes, M&T Bank.
- Mid-Size Business of the Year Award: Douglas and Son Services, presented by Richie Vicente, PNC Bank.
- Nonprofit of the Year Award: (previously conferred): Comfort Cases and BlackRock Center for the Arts, recognized by Steve Barber, Supporting Strategies
- Inaugural GGCC Community Foundation Building Bridges Award: Kempes Jean, The Kempes Group of Homespire Mortgage, presented by Heather Madison, Peterson Companies – Rio, and Chair of the GGCC Community Foundation Board of Directors
- You Made a Difference Award: Michele Potter, Asbury Methodist Village, presented by Steve Barber, Supporting Strategies, Chair of the GGCC Board of Directors
- President’s Award: Justin Volman, Volman HR Strategy, presented by Paula Ross
During the event, Lynne Rusnak and Liva Tievy from Hughes Network Systems, also recognized four outstanding scholars from Montgomery College who are receiving scholarship funding through the GGCC Scholarship Funds at Montgomery College. They further pledged Hughes will make a generous donation of $5,000 for additional scholarship support. Attendees heard remarks from current MC student/GGCC scholarship recipient Leyli Valladares (nursing) and MC alumnus/former GGCC scholarship recipient Adrian Johnston, who now has earned a PhD from Johns Hopkins, where he invented a new cancer therapy for which he filed IP, and founded DUA, a Hopkins-born cancer biotech startup developing next-gen cell therapies. Leyli and Adrian both spoke about the importance of scholarship support for deserving students.
Mayor Jud Ashman installed the 2026 GGCC Board of Directors, the 2026 GGCC Community Foundation Board of Directors, and the 2026 Annual Corporate Sponsor Advisory Board. A full list of the members of the Boards of Directors is below.
During his remarks, Steve Barber also conferred a 2025 GGCC Challenge Coin to President & CEO Paula Ross. 42 coins are in circulation for 2025 and are presented by Board members throughout the year to individuals who go above and beyond for the Chamber and the Upcounty.
The GGCC extends their gratitude to all those who attended and contributed to the success of this year’s Gala. The Gala allowed the Chamber to celebrate the achievements of exceptional leaders in the Upcounty and spotlight the businesses and leaders that are shaping the future of the Upcounty economy.
Photos by Hilary Schwab Photography.
John Teel, Young Professional of the Year Award recipient, and Sharon Anthony, Montgomery College
(l-r) Fernando Fuentes, M&T Bank; Small Business of the Year awardees John España and Gabriella Behzadi, Tortacos; AJ Nwoga, M&T Bank.
Owner Lori Douglas (center) and Teriann Melendez (left), Douglas and Son Services, Mid-Size Business of the Year Awardee, with Richie Vicente (right), PNC Bank
Michele Potter (right), Asbury Methodist Village, You Made a Difference Award recipient, with Steve Barber (left), Supporting Strategies, GGCC 2025-2026 Chair of the Board of Directors
Justin Volman, Volman HR Strategy, President’s Award recipient, with Paula Ross, GGCC President & CEO
Rob Scheer (left), Comfort Cases; Katie Hecklinger, BlackRock Center for the Arts: Nonprofit of the Year awardees, with Steve Barber (right), Supporting Strategies
Heather Madison, Peterson Companies-Rio and Chair of the GGCC Community Foundation Board of Directors; Building Bridges Award recipient Kempes Jean, Homespire Mortgage; and Paula Ross, GGCC President & CEO
Montgomery College student, and recipient of a GGCC scholarship, Leyli Valladares, with Lisa Tievy and Lynne Rusnak (Hughes Network Systems)
Adrian Johnston, 2024 GGCC Scholarship recipient and MC alumnus, providing remarks about the importance of scholarship funding. Dr. Johnston has recently founded DUA, a Hopkins-born cancer biotech startup developing next-gen cell therapies.
Members of the 2026 GGCC Board of Directors
Members of the 2026 GGCC Community Foundation Board of Directors
Members of the 2026 Annual Corporate Sponsor Advisory Board
Steve Barber (l), and Paula Ross (r). Paula Ross, President & CEO, was presented a 2025 Chair’s Challenge Coin. 42 coins are in circulation for 2025 and are presented by Board members throughout the year to individuals who go above and beyond for the Chamber and the Upcounty.
City of Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman provided the keynote address, on behalf of long-time Title Sponsor the City of Gaithersburg