Leisure World of Maryland awarded “Charitable Community of the Year”

Three residents accepted the “2024 Charitable Community of the Year” award from the Washington Metropolitan Chapter of the Community Associations Institute (WMCCAI) on March 8 at its annual conference and expo in Washington, D.C.

Candice Wessling, Fredda Shere-Valenti and Barbara Cronin participated in a panel discussion on community best practices before an awards ceremony honoring community associations in the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. region.

When announcing the award, WMCCAI board chair Christa Brady stated: “This is perhaps the most meaningful award, as it represents the true meaning of community: caring for each other. Leading by example with its culture of compassion, [Leisure World] has a deep desire to help others.”

In the panel discussion, Wessling and Shere-Valenti described how many Leisure World clubs and groups serve organizations in Montgomery County and beyond, both nationally and internationally.

In 2020 the WMCCAI also named Leisure World of Maryland its “Communicator of the Year” community association. For that award, judges evaluated the means and methods community association applicants used to communicate with their membership.