Buzz McClain

1 week ago | bethesdamagazine.com | Buzz McClain

Illustration credit: Gel JamlangSilver Spring’s Lori Gardner has spent her career managing large and small nonprofits.Since July 2024, the energetic 69-year-old has been president of the Washington, D.C., chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International. She has served the nonprofit, which is led by women in the culinary industry (Julia Child is among Les Dames’ notable alumnae), in various roles since 2016.

1 week ago | gmu.edu | Buzz McClain

It’s going to be a whirlwind week for graduating senior Anna Garren. On May 10, she moves into her first apartment. Five days later, she’ll don cap and gown at George Mason University’s EagleBank Arena to receive her bachelor of science degrees in public administration, from the Schar School of Policy and Government, and computational and data science from the College of Science.

2 weeks ago | gmu.edu | Buzz McClain

As the rows of soon-to-be graduates fill EagleBank Arena in a sea of green and gold at the May 15 commencement ceremony, all eyes will turn to senior Duy Vu, who will take the podium as the student commencement speaker. For Duy, the honor to represent the graduating George Mason University student body is the culmination of a seven-year journey that began half a world away. His story—and his advice to his graduating classmates—is worth listening to.

3 weeks ago | bethesdamagazine.com | Buzz McClain

Bruce Case, 56, is president and CEO of Case Architects & Remodelers, the Bethesda-based home improvement firm founded in 1961 by his father, Fred (the namesake for the handyman division of the company), who passed away in December. The company has six locations, with about 170 employees, Bruce says, and some 800 renovation projects on the books each year—ranging from two-hour repair jobs to $1.5 million overhauls. But making the company bigger isn’t necessarily the goal.

1 month ago | gmu.edu | Buzz McClain

Christine Peretik is no stranger to hard work and unexpected opportunities. A senior at George Mason University in the Schar School of Policy and Government, she is majoring in government and international politics with minors in both history and criminology, law and society. But it was her passion for the past that landed her a fascinating internship at the Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center in Fairfax, Virginia, a role she initially applied for on a whim.