Sonya Breehey
Transportation Advisory Commission

Sonya Breehey is the Advocacy Manager for the Coalition for Smarter Growth in Northern Virginia. She brings a wealth of experience and passion to her work. With a focus on sustainable transportation and community development, she advocates for safer streets and inclusive neighborhoods. Some of the campaigns she has worked on include leading the Safe Streets for Bailey’s initiative and championing a safer Richmond Highway. Sonya fosters collaboration by engaging with communities and decision-makers to promote safer street designs. She serves on the Board of Fairfax Families for Safe Streets and is a former President of the Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling.  

Moreover, Sonya has recently been appointed as the Providence District representative on the Transportation Advisory Commission (TAC), which further solidifies her commitment to making meaningful changes in transportation policies and infrastructure. Sonya holds a master's degree in public policy from the University of Albany and resides in Falls Church. Sonya enjoys practicing yoga, gardening, and exploring area trails by bike and foot. Thank you, Sonya, for your commitment to volunteering and working to enhance the livability of our community by making it safer and more fun to walk and bike!

Denver Supinger
Human Rights Commission

Denver Supinger is a proud Providence District resident and a Virginia native. She moved to Fairfax County in 2017 to work for the Hon. Catherine Hudgins, where she covered a transportation and public safety policy portfolio. This exposure made her fall in love with Fairfax County, its services, and its potential to advance others. Since working for the County, Denver has served as a government and community relations specialist for nonprofit organizations. Through these roles, she has identified ways to connect youth and the underserved with the local and state governments to advance progressive change. 

Her passion for elevating the voices of young professionals and keeping talent and skills in Fairfax County led to her appointment to the Young Adult Advisory Commission in 2020. For the past four years, she has served as the Chair of the Commission and has advocated for young adult representation throughout the County. In Chairing the Young Adults Advisory Commission, she and her fellow Commissioners took a major interest in housing affordability and access and employment. Advocacy around these, joined with her dedication to justice, lifting the voices of those unheard, and ensuring equal access, enables her to serve as Providence District’s Human Rights Commissioner. In this role, she not only receives and investigates complaints alleging a violation of the Human Rights Ordinance, but she also cooperates with employers, the housing industry, and other businesses in the County to make sure we all understand our duty to ensure equal opportunity and equal access. Thank you, Denver, for your commitment to our county and the Providence District!

Kelly Ego-Osuala
Chairman's Task Force on Equity and Opportunity
Athletic Council

Kelly Ego-Osuala and her husband relocated to Providence District from “the other side of the bridge” in 2012. They have fallen in love with their community and are blessed to raise two amazing children here. Kelly is an active member of her children’s school and her community.

In August 2020, after my recommendation, Kelly was selected to join the Fairfax County Chairman’s Task Force on Equity and Opportunity. The task force, comprised of residents, institutional leaders, and subject matter experts who represented a diverse range of experiences and perspectives, was established by Chairman McKay to identify equity challenges facing Fairfax County and to develop and present recommendations and insights to the Chairman and Board of Supervisors. Kelly’s contribution to the task force and her eagerness to continue racial equity work in the community led to her appointment as the Providence District Representative to the One Fairfax Community Roundtable.

In addition to her equity work in the county, Kelly serves as the Providence District Representative on the Fairfax County Athletic Council. The council serves in an advisory capacity to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, School Board, and county agencies on matters relating to sports in the county. As a former athlete herself, Kelly is a major advocate for youth sports. Now raising two young athletes of her own, she is grateful to work alongside and collaborate with other athletic enthusiasts to ensure all the county’s youth have access and the ability to freely participate in safe, fun, and equitable sports programs.

Outside the county, Kelly also stays busy as an active member of her church and its various ministries. Professionally, Kelly works for herself as a Corporate Wellness Consultant, in which she designs and facilitates health and wellness programs for companies. She finds that no time is better spent than with her family either traveling, dining out, playing a game, or simply watching a show/movie. Thank you, Kelly, for all you do for our community here in Fairfax County!

Caroline Hockenberry

Caroline Hockenberry has been a devoted resident of Providence District for over three decades and a loving mother of three. Caroline's journey of demonstrating her commitment to the community began when her son with Down Syndrome joined a program at James Lee Community Center for young people with disabilities. Inspired by the staff's compassion and inclusivity, she started working at the community center in 2014. For eight years, Caroline ran afterschool programs and summer camps for youth and teens, providing a nurturing environment for their growth. With her vision for empowerment, Caroline collaborated with the Fairfax Food Council's Urban Agriculture Workgroup to create a community garden at James Lee. This initiative not only offered gardening experience and education to participants but also produced fresh food for the community. During the pandemic, she began working with the Capital Area Food Bank and turned James Lee into a food distribution site, supplying hundreds of families with essential food items every week.

In October 2021, Caroline's contributions led to her appointment as the Providence District Representative to the Community Action Advisory Board. In this role, she actively advised the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on issues concerning limited-income individuals, striving to bring about meaningful change. In April 2022, Caroline's passion for sustainable practices and community engagement led her to join the Fairfax County Park Authority as the Farmers Market Coordinator for the 10 county farmers markets. Caroline's commitment to sustainability was further evident through securing funding from the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination. With this support, she introduced food scrap collection, canvas market bags, countertop compost bins, and washable produce bags, reducing plastic waste and promoting eco-friendly practices at the markets. Her efforts to improve access to fresh produce for all members of the community materialized with the addition of the Wakefield Farmers Market, which now accepts SNAP/EBT benefits.

Caroline's unwavering dedication to her community and the many positive changes she’s made has left a wonderful mark on Fairfax County. Thank you, Caroline, for your commitment to our community!  

 Ken Quincy

In 1972, Ken Quincy and his family made the Providence District their home. Ken has dedicated much of his time over the years to his community. Ken taught English as a second language (ESOL) at Pimmit Hills in adult education and participated in the AARP tax aide program. Since 1998, he's been the President of the Dunn Loring Woods Civic Association. Ken joined the Park Authority Board in 2007 as the Providence District representative and is currently chairing the Budget Committee and the Planning and Development Committee. Additionally, he serves as a liaison to the Fairfax County School Board. He's a strong advocate for green spaces, open space preservation, and the development of outdoor recreational amenities in Fairfax County. Ken's commitment to his community shines through in every role he takes on. Thank you, Ken, for all you do for our community and for your dedication and unwavering commitment to Providence! 

Jeremy Hancock

Jeremy Hancock lives in the Providence District with his wife and his daughter. He recently stepped into the role as the Providence District’s representative on the Planning Commission in October.

Jeremy possesses a deep passion for civic engagement and connected communities. He most recently worked with neighborhoods across the district while being the President of the Providence District Council and President of his neighborhood civic association. Jeremy is an advocate for diverse transportation solutions, striving to cater to the varied needs of Fairfax County's residents. His impactful work includes spearheading initiatives to enhance pedestrian and bicycle pathways and ensuring safer access to public transportation and schools. Jeremy has also dedicated his time to Fairfax Families for Safe Streets and held pivotal roles on the Fairfax County Transportation Advisory Commission.

Professionally, Jeremy works in government relations and public policy with expertise in legislative and regulatory issues impacting financial services, housing, and small businesses. Jeremy has shown his deep dedication to community involvement and to ensuring the safety of our residents. Thank you, Jeremy, for your commitment and unwavering support to the Providence District!

Helen Catchings

Meet Helen Catchings, a passionate registered nurse, who started a business where she could provide quality home health care for those in need over 30 years ago. She energetically developed a plan which resulted in the founding of Caring Nurses Advocate for Patients (CNAP), which has been in service for 30 years in the state of Virginia. Helen has worked at the INOVA Urgent Care Center in Vienna, Fairfax Hospital, and later at the Home Care Agency. After working in these centers, her passion turned into spending quality time with her patients. She did this by providing quality home care and finding services, a few being physicians, dentists, and ministers that could come to her home bound patients. In addition, she recruited volunteers to help with maintenance and up-keeping their homes. She believes she was put on this earth to serve others, and has demonstrated that calling in her work. Giving back is who she is

CNAP has provided quality health care as well as employment for many women over the past 30 years. In 1991, CNAP started out with 6 nurses and has since employed 45 employees. It is the oldest existing Black owned and operated home care agency in VA and is still run by the same founding owner. In 2001, Helen opened a CNA training school, allowing her to train her own staff, many of which have been with her since the beginning. Helen realizes that the pandemic has caused a lot of stress, heartache and strain for many families leaving people in difficult situations. In effort to help, Helen will be offering a virtual (Zoom) Personal Care Attendant training course beginning in April 2021 to teach home care skills to those who are care givers, caring for themselves and/or who wish to be employed as a home care provider with a PCA certificate. The class will be taught on Zoom, studied at home, and practiced in a two-hour face to face session with Helen, which will adhere to CDC guidelines, social distance specifications, masks, and will limit to two people at a time with the instructor. The registration fee is $75, which covers the cost of the course. If you are interested in taking this course, please call CNAP at 571-432-0230 for more information.

Judith Schneider-Fletcher

The Providence District is home to many passionate individuals who are always willing to lend a helping hand for the betterment of the community. As a way to celebrate these outstanding individuals, we will be featuring them and their work in our monthly Providence Spotlight. This month, we are shining the spotlight on our 2021 Providence Community Champion, Judith Schneider-Fletcher.

Due to COVID-19, food insecurity is on the rise and families have relied on Food for Others three times more to feed their households. Judith organized the Miller Heights food drive and made a positive impact on our most vulnerable population in the County. She brought her community together and donated over a thousand pounds of food to Food for Others. With her dedication, she has inspired and encouraged her neighbors to be involved in tackling the food insecurity within the Providence District.

Judith is the kind of woman who does it all. As the President of the Miller Heights Neighborhood Association, she makes sure her neighbors are always heard and prioritizes the neighborhood’s best interest. She has stepped up in a time of need and brought her community together to tackle this pressing issue. Her unwavering dedication to serving the community is admirable and continues to inspire those around her.

Eli Edwards

Eli Edwards, a Scout in BSA Troop 987, worked towards receiving his Hornaday Badge by leading a project that consisted of pulling invasive plants, primarily, pachysandra, from a section of the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail off Miller Heights Road in Oakton. The BSA Hornaday Badge is a prestigious award created by conservationist Dr. William T. Hornaday that requires a scout to lead a conservation project, complete several merit badges, and meet rank requirements. 

With support from Hornaday advisor Sara Holtz and sponsor Fairfax County Park Authority’s Invasive Management Area (IMA) program, he was able to get the job done. The goal was to replace the pachysandra with native plants and trees. During this project there were 164 volunteers who removed 124 bags of invasive plants from the parkland and 170 native plants were planted. Volunteers planted a wide variety of new plants to replace the invasive plants. Eli set the goal of removing the entire area of invasive plants to stop the plants from spreading, to prevent seeds from entering the watershed, to minimize erosion, and to grant native plants space to grow and spread. Native plants increase biodiversity by providing habitat and food to a variety of wildlife, insects, and birds that the surrounding community can enjoy viewing.  

Eli is a determined and hardworking individual who has significantly given back to his community. Thanks to his dedication, the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail is a step closer to being free of invasive plants.

Phylicia Woods

Phylicia L. Woods, JD, MSW is an active member of the Providence community. She represents the Providence District as a Vice Chair on the Fairfax County Commission for Women (CFW). The CFW is charged with supporting and promoting policies and initiatives to promote gender equality, eliminate violence against women, and honor women and girls in Fairfax County.  In her work as Vice Chair, Ms. Woods works to advance the mission of the CFW by being an advocate for women and girls, and increasing diversity and equity in the Fairfax Community.  

Ms. Woods is the Executive Director of the Cancer Policy Institute (CPI) at the Cancer Support Community, focusing on legislative, regulatory, policy, and research priorities that are important to cancer patients, survivors, and those impacted by cancer. Prior to this role, she was the Director of Federal Relations at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) where she worked on policy initiatives related to cancer prevention and early detection, and affordable health care for people living with cancer, survivors and  at risk of cancer. 

Kelly Schlageter

Kelly Schlageter is a Providence District resident who has spent years serving and advocating in the local community. She works as Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer at Client Network Services, Inc. (CNSI), a Tysons company that provides Medicaid management information systems to states. Kelly was one of The Washington Business Journal’s 2021 Business of Pride honorees. 

Kelly is the co-founder and executive sponsor of CNSI’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council, and founded their Lean-In Circle groups, creating an opportunity for women to build organic relationships where mentoring could happen more readily. She believes that creating an environment where people can feel safe, where they are valued and where they feel like they can live their truth is extremely important. She also leads CNSI's Corporate Social Responsibility program. The Tysons-headquartered company has worked with schools, food banks, and healthcare workers in the Providence District.

Kelly has served as PTA President and has volunteered with the National LGBTQ Task Force, Equality Virginia, PFLAG and the Human Rights Campaign.  

Kelly has also volunteered with Food for Neighbors Red Bag Program for food collection and distribution. Her wife, Paula, leads this program at Luther Jackson MS and Falls Church HS.

*Photo from: www.FoodForNeighbors.org