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Cowal's nomination by Cassandra

Sally has spent her life exploring, traveling the world, achieving significant goals, and shining her light everywhere she goes. She is a dedicated wife, mother, and business partner. Sally has worked hard her entire life and has made a positive impact on thousands of people along the way. She is an intelligent woman who provides wisdom and a helping hand wherever she can. Her kindness, smiling face, wisdom and positivity shine bright during conversations with anyone. Her achievements and personality are those of a role model to anyone that is looking for someone to strive to be like. I'm honored to know her and to receive her advice & support daily.

Cowal's Inspiring Professional Career

Ambassador Sally G. Cowal is Senior Vice President, Global Cancer Control, for the American Cancer Society. She leads efforts in cancer prevention and strategies to increase access to screening, treatment, pain relief, and patient services. Her work offers development support for nonprofits around the globe. She coordinates efforts to secure adequate funding for cancer prevention and control in low- and middle-income countries.

Cowal helped found the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), serving as director for external relations to raise awareness of AIDS as a public health and economic issue. She served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, appointed by former Presidents George H.W. Bush and William J. Clinton.

Cowal now is co-owner of Muse Vineyards, an estate vineyard and winery in Woodstock, Virginia. https://musevineyards.com/

Rebecca Lane Reed, modest and soft-spoken, has provided five decades of exemplary public service to the Fredericksburg region. Her commitment to civic engagement began while a student; she has worked on every election since Adlai Stevenson ran for U.S. President in 1956.

In 1965, she joined the Fredericksburg Council on Human Relations and researched housing discrimination. In the 1970's, Reed served on the Stafford County School Board, helping establish the Chaplin Group Home for Teenagers.

In 1980, Reed earned a law degree from American University and began work as a staff attorney for Rappahannock Legal Services, where she served low income clients for 12 years.

Reed served two four-year terms as Falmouth District supervisor, beginning in 1982. She was elected first female chair of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, in 1987.

Active in Virginia's effort to pass the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970's, Reed was a founding member of the Rappahannock Council on Domestic Violence (now Empowerhouse) and a charter member of the Fredericksburg Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW).

Reed has been a board member of the Friends of the Rappahannock and the Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Board. From a young age, growing up in North Carolina, Reed loved the outdoors and participated in sports. She is known as a tennis enthusiast.

Most recently, Reed was recognized by the Mary Washington Hospital Foundation for her work on the Hazel Hill Healthcare Project and was honored by the Women's Club of Fredericksburg as the 2018 Woman of the Year.

Ivy Burnham is an unsung hero. She is so kind, compassionate and beyond words...loving. 

I'm am only child and my mother was my best friend; to put it plainly, she was my entire world. We lived together and did everything together. My mother was/is the "queen of my heart." 

Approximately a year ago, my mother suddenly became unresponsive and was rushed to a hospital's ICU, put on a breathing machine and died a few days later. 

Mrs. Burnham was with me every day. She would not allow me to stay in our apartment and insisted that I stay with her family. She was instrumental in helping me with life insurance issues. I do not drive, but she drove me everywhere. I call her my second Mom because she treats me like her daughter and has unconditional love for me.  

She made history at my church in 2005, when she was the first woman to be ordained as a minister of the Gospel. At the time my church was 115 years old. She was even featured in our local newspaper. Ivy Burnham is an unsung hero who is a noteworthy woman of Virginia. I hope that you agree. Thank you.