Chevy Chase, DC November 2026 by City Lifestyle

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LIFESTYLE LETTER

Living a Life of Gratitude Dear Neighbors, As the leaves turn and our tables begin to fill for the season ahead, this November issue is all about gratitude — for the people, places, and small businesses that make Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Potomac, and Northwest DC feel like home. Our Thankful Issue brings you a lineup of stories we're truly proud to share. We sit down with Barbara Guterman, a name our readers know well, for a feature that celebrates her story and her impact on our community. Barbara is one of those people whose fingerprints are on so much of what makes this area special, often in ways you don’t see until you stop and look. It was a privilege to give her story the space it deserves. We’re also spotlighting F&L Construction, a women-owned business building something remarkable in a field where that’s still far too rare. This one is personal for me. Before I ever published a magazine, I earned a degree in construction engineering, worked in the field with Kiewit, and later helped manage the restoration of the U.S. Capitol Dome. I know what it’s like to walk onto a jobsite and be the only woman there, and I know how much it means when someone ahead of you has already cleared a bit of the path. F&L’s story is about grit, craftsmanship, and paving the way for others, and I couldn’t be more grateful to the women doing that work right here in our backyard. Looking ahead to gift season, AJ Mohammadi, owner of Technovate, rounded up the best tech gadgets for holiday giving, so you can check every name off your list without the last-minute scramble. If your household is anything like mine, there’s at least one person who is impossible to shop for. AJ has you covered, and buying from a local expert means your gift supports a neighbor, too. And because gratitude is best practiced outdoors, we’re taking you along on some of our favorite local trails for a little fresh air, quiet, and connection with nature right outside our doors. My husband and I spend a lot of our time training together, and some of my favorite conversations, and my clearest thinking, happen on a trail with nothing but the crunch of leaves underfoot. We’re lucky to live somewhere with so much green woven through it. I hope this feature nudges you to lace up, grab someone you love, and go explore. Gratitude has always been part of how I try to live. My years of service in the Army National Guard taught me that the strongest communities are the ones where people show up for each other, especially when it isn’t convenient. I see that every day in this corridor: in the business owners who sponsor school fundraisers, the readers who send me story ideas, and the neighbors who pack our events and leave knowing a few more names than when they arrived. This is the season to slow down, give thanks, and celebrate the community we get to call our own. From my family to yours, thank you, as always, for reading, for supporting local, and for being part of the Chevy Chase Lifestyle family. Happy Thanksgiving.

BREE KUNZEL, PUBLISHER @ C H E V YC H AS E L I F E S T Y L E

November 2026 PUBLISHER

Bree Kunzel | bree.kunzel@citylifestyle.com E D I TO R I AL C O O R D I N ATO R

Vivian Mammen | vivian.mammen@citylifestyle.com M AN AG I N G E D I TO R

KC Cole | kc.cole@citylifestyle.com S E N I O R AC C O U N T M AN AG E R

Joy Turpin | joy.turpin@citylifestyle.com AR E A D I R E C TO R

Roxy Kaplan | roxy.kaplan@citylifestyle.com INTERN

Shibani Mishra CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Yvonne Siu Turner, Vivian Mammen, Marie Robey Wood, Benjamin Kunzel, Jack Kiyonaga, Hank Dearden, Jessica DeArmond, Ashley Bronczek & Clair Harvey with Collab Collective C O N T R I B U T I N G P H OTO G R AP H E R S

Nate Wolbert with Camley Images, Jose Aspillera, Sarah Rachel Photography, Ceylon Mitchell with M3, Mitchell Media & Marketing, Tony Powell

Corporate Team CEO Steven Schowengerdt President Matthew Perry CRO Jamie Pentz CoS Janeane Thompson AD DESIGNER Zach Miller LAYOUT DESIGNER Rhiannon Coffman QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Brandy Thomas

Learn how to start your own publication at CityLifestyle.com//Franchise. Proverbs 3:5-6 Chevy Chase City Lifestyle™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of the Chevy Chase area’s most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle

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Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Chevy Chase City Lifestyle™ is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed.

inside the issue NOVE M B E R 2 0 2 6 | TH ANK F U L

32 Featured

24 32

Print Prestige Meets Digital Power.

WHY CHOOSE BETWEEN PRESTIGE AND PLACEMENT?

Departments

Finding Relief in Midlife Transition

How Dr. Devorah Walder helps women navigate perimenopause and menopause with personalized care

The Build Secrets

You Won't Find on a Mood Board

The Laboratory Of Change

The World Of Dr. Richard Myles

Lifestyle Letter

City Scene

Inspired By LIFE + CULTURE

Local Limelight LIFE + CULTURE

Healthy Lifestyle LIFE + CULTURE

Artist’s Palette FITNESS

Home Update HOME + DESIGN

Giving Back ARTS + CULTURE

Gear Guide HOME + DESIGN

Get Active EDUCATION

Events

On the Cover Maggie O'Neill's painting "Fearless Girl" was inspired by Kristen Visbal's Fearless Girl, a four - foot bronze statue of a young girl in juxtaposition to Arturo DiModica's iconic Wall Street Charging Bull in New York City. Photography: Maggie O'Niell

With City Lifestyle’s co-branded print + digital packages, your business captures attention wherever our community is looking. Build unmatched local credibility on the page, and drive immediate action online. Ready to double your local reach? Contact your local publisher by scanning below.

Meet TJ Morton 3900 Nebraska Ave NW, Washington, DC Sold for $17,300,000

Guided by a client-first philosophy, TJ brings this perspective to every aspect of the residential real estate journey. Whether navigating a complex sale or discovering a hidden gem to call home, his approach is defined by precision, discretion, and a relentless commitment to your vision. With TJ, you aren’t just making a move; you’re securing your future.

TJ MORTON Licensed Realtor® DC & MD m: 202.716.7884 | o: 301.298.1001 tj.morton@compass.com Compass is a licensed real estate brokerage that abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is not guaranteed. Compass is licensed as Compass Real Estate in DC and as Compass in Virginia and Maryland. 5471 Wisconsin Ave Suite 300 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 | 301.298.1001

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NOVEMBER 2026

city scene WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN

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1-7: We celebrated the first graduating cohort of Story Tapestries’ EARN Maryland early childhood workforce program. After 16 weeks of training, all 15 students earned Clock Hours, 13 earned their 90-hour Early Childhood Education Certificate, and 9 have already landed jobs. The evening was full of triumph: Gabriella shared how an out-of-reach opportunity became possible, and Mia reminded classmates that opportunity often arrives “disguised as hard work.” Councilmember Gabe Albornoz called it “chicken noodle soup for the soul.” It’s proof of what government, nonprofits, educators, donors, and businesses can build together. Congratulations, graduates!

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Set your schedule. Make an impact. Build a life you’re proud of. Behind each of our 200+ City Lifestyle magazines is someone who cares deeply about their community. Someone who connects people, celebrates businesses, and shares the stories that matter most. What if that someone was you? Or maybe it’s someone you know. If this isn’t the right time for you, but you know someone who could be the perfect fit, we’d love an introduction.

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C I T Y L I FEST Y L E G I V ES BAC K

GIVING TOGETHER A Community That Shows Up

Every year, City Lifestyle sends checks to hundreds of families in need across the country through our annual Giving Campaign and our non-profit arm, Kingdom Building Foundation. But none of it would be possible without you. We can only help the people we know about, and

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that’s where our readers come in. If you know someone quietly struggling, whether it’s a single parent, a senior citizen, or a family facing something they never saw coming, we want to hear their story. Nominations are what make this whole campaign possible.

We provided a chair lift for a teenager paralyzed in a gymnastics accident so she could move freely through her own home again. We helped a child who lost an eye to cancer get the prosthetic because insurance wouldn’t cover it. We covered dental work for a man who needed his smile back just to walk into a job interview. We got heat turned back on for a family who had spent part of the winter without it. We helped a family keep up with bills while a husband and father fought pancreatic cancer, and we helped another family cover medical expenses after the unimaginable loss of a child. These are just a few examples of some of the hundreds of individuals that have been helped through nominations from readers like you. None of it happens without someone noticing first and speaking up. "We don't just send checks," says Steven Schowengerdt, CEO and founder of City Lifestyle.

“We send a message: You are seen, you are loved, and you are not forgotten.” Together with City Lifestyle President Matthew Perry, Steven has helped shape this into a tradition that goes far beyond the holiday season. "This is about community," Matthew says. "We believe we've been blessed, so now we get to be a blessing." Often, the person making the nomination gets just as much out of the experience as the recipient. There's something powerful about being part of the reason someone else's burden got lighter, especially when that need might have otherwise gone unnoticed. The campaign is completely confidential. No names are ever shared or publicized, and nominating someone is as simple as telling us their story. We are looking for those in our communities who fall between the cracks of getting help, and together as a community, we can meet those needs.

Nominations open November 1st and close December 3rd. To nominate someone in your community, follow @CityLifestyle on Instagram and find the form in our bio, or visit KingdomBuildingFoundation.org.

This season, giving starts with you. Let's do it together. Nominate someone in need today.

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Redefining What Healthy Looks Like

ARTICLE BY VIVIAN MAMMEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY M3 - MITCHELL MEDIA & MARKETING, CEYLON MITCHELL

Inside the Extraordinary Life of Barbara Guterman

The Architect of Voice

Some women build careers. Others build companies. A rare few build something that outlasts both: a legacy measured not by what they accomplished, but by the lives they changed along the way. Barbara Guterman belongs to that rare category. Four decades ago, when boardrooms were still overwhelmingly male, Barbara did not wait for an invitation. At just 23, she became a co-founder in the emerging telecommunications industry, raising capital, courting Wall Street, taking a company public and standing at the center of a landmark industry transaction. Her résumé alone would tell the story of a pioneering businesswoman who helped shape an industry. But it would not tell the whole story. For Barbara, the milestones were never the point. The people were.

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Today, Barbara has made that philosophy her life's work. She works with executives preparing for career-defining presentations, nonprofit leaders searching for the story that will make people listen, and individuals who want to stop shrinking when they speak. Yet Barbara does not teach people how to perform. In a culture increasingly focused on polish, perfection and presentation, she teaches something more powerful: authenticity. “People don't connect with perfection,” she says. “They connect with honesty.” She has watched that honesty transform a room. The most moving speech is rarely the most flawless. It is often the one where a voice cracks, a moment becomes vulnerable and the speaker allows the truth to come through. Barbara believes that is where real connection begins. CONTINUED >

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“Success is something you achieve,” she says. “Significance is something you leave behind.” That distinction became personal through motherhood. Barbara raised two sons with early challenges, an experience that demanded a different kind of leadership than anything she encountered in the boardroom. Business taught her strategy, but motherhood taught her patience, resilience and the power of showing up, day after day, for someone else's growth. There were no guarantees and no simple solutions. There were only moments of progress, setbacks and the determination to keep believing in her children's potential. That experience changed the way Barbara understood success. The most meaningful thing she could build was not another company. It was people, opportunity and connection. And ultimately, it was helping others find the courage to tell their own stories. Her philosophy is simple: Find Your Voice. Own the Room. NOVEMB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/C HE V YC HAS E

That same belief inspired her to create Teach Give Inspire Fridays, known simply as TGIF. What began eight years ago as an intimate gathering of women has grown into a community of thousands of entrepreneurs, executives, artists and leaders. They come from different industries and backgrounds, but gather around a common purpose: to listen, learn, share and lift one another. There is no hierarchy in a TGIF room. No competition. No expectation to have all the answers. There is simply connection. And Barbara has seen what can happen when women feel genuinely heard. She has watched women arrive searching for something they could not quite name and leave with a renewed sense of possibility. She has witnessed conversations change careers and women rediscover voices they had silenced for years. That ability to draw out what is already within someone may be Barbara's greatest gift. Those who know her describe a woman who listens with uncommon focus. She asks the question no one else thought to ask. She creates space for people to arrive at truths they may have been circling for years. She does not reinvent the people she works with. She reveals them. Barbara learned the power of a strong voice long before she began teaching others to find theirs. Her mother, a proud and fiercely supportive woman, was her first example. “My mother was a very proud woman who fiercely believed in me,” Barbara recalls. “At 6’2’ in heels, she taught me to stand tall for my beliefs and then to stand tall for the people beside me who hadn't yet found their voice. Not to loom. But to rise.” Her mother taught her to walk into a room with her shoulders back and chin level, to speak even when her voice shook, and to understand the power of her own voice. It is a lesson Barbara has carried throughout her life and now passes forward. What makes her story so compelling is not any single chapter. It is the way every chapter connects. The ambition of the young entrepreneur. The perseverance of a mother. The wisdom gained through decades of work. The community she has created. The countless people she has encouraged to step forward. Every experience has become part of the same purpose: helping others recognize the power they already possess. That purpose extends well beyond her professional work. Barbara currently serves as Chairman of the Foundation Board for Menorah Life, a senior

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living community in St. Petersburg founded by her mother 40 years ago. She is also President of the Board of Directors for So What Else, LLC, the largest food bank in Montgomery County, and Vice President of KEEN Greater DC, a 35-year-old nonprofit serving young adults with severe intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities throughout Maryland, Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. Her commitment to service will be recognized on November 21, 2026, when Barbara will receive the Greater Washington Bender JCC Dinner of Champions Irene and Abe Pollin Humanitarian Award for all of the aforementioned contributions. Barbara Guterman no longer measures her life by the company she helped take public, the empire she once helped build or the entrepreneurial accomplishments of four decades. She measures it by her three healthy and accomplished sons, her two grandchildren, her loving marriage of nearly three decades and, of course, her sidekick, Shichon Carson. That is the kind of success that cannot be captured on a résumé. It lives in the people whose lives are better because she was part of them. And by that measure, Barbara Guterman is not simply accomplished. She is significant.

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How Dr. Devorah Walder h e lps wom en nav igate per im enopause and m enopause with per sonalized ca re

FINDING RELIEF IN THE MIDLIFE TRANSITION ARTICLE PROVIDED | PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATE WOLBERT WITH CAMLEY IMAGES

“I hear the same thing over and over,” says Dr. Devorah Walder. “Women tell me, ‘I don’t feel like myself anymore.’ They’re sleeping poorly, struggling to focus, feeling anxious or emotionally overwhelmed — and they often don’t realize that these symptoms can all be connected.”

H EA LT H Y LIF E ST Y LE | L IF E + CU LT U RE

They're also often silently dealing with something else no one warned them about: sexual health concerns, urinary urgency, recurrent UTIs, a pelvic floor that suddenly feels weaker, tighter, or simply different. Walder, founder of Spectrum Acupuncture in Bethesda, sees it every day - the hot flashes get talked about, but what's happening underneath them rarely does. That last part — the one nobody wants to bring up — is where Walder does some of her most important work. The symptoms no one names out loud That cluster of symptoms has an actual clinical name — Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause, or GSM — and as estrogen declines, it’s remarkably common. “GSM is real, it’s common, and it’s treatable — but most women have never heard the term,” Walder says. “They think what they’re feeling is just something to live with, or they’re too embarrassed to bring it up with their doctor. By the time they get to me, they’ve often been quietly struggling for years.” It’s a silence Walder is determined to break. In her Bethesda practice, pelvic floor health isn’t an afterthought tucked into a general wellness conversation — it’s often the center of it. Her practice incorporates acupuncture and holistic therapies. Combining the best of cutting edge medicine with time tested traditional medicine techniques. When the body sends signals that seem unconnected Walder’s approach treats the midlife transition as one interconnected system rather than a list of isolated complaints. A patient who came to her exhausted from months of insomnia was also living with chronic shoulder pain she assumed was unrelated. As her sleep improved through treatment, the shoulder pain began to resolve too. “That’s often how the body works,” Walder says. “Sleep disruption worsens anxiety. Hormonal shifts fuel brain fog. Pelvic floor tension can be tied to stress the same way a clenched jaw is. Systems that seem unrelated are actually talking to each other constantly — my job is to listen to the whole conversation, not just the loudest symptom.” A practitioner who has been on the other side of the table Walder’s commitment to this work is personal. In her twenties, a repetitive strain injury left her unable to perform basic daily tasks. Acupuncture was the treatment that finally gave her relief, after nothing else had. “It completely changed my understanding of what the body is capable of,” she says. “That experience is why I do this work — I know what it feels like to be dismissed, and I know what it feels like to finally be heard.”

“Sleep disruption worsens anxiety. Hormonal shifts fuel brain fog. Pelvic floor tension can be tied to stress the same way a clenched jaw is.”

CONTINUED >

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“I want women to feel heard the moment they walk in,” Walder says. “So many have been carrying this alone, wondering if what they’re feeling is normal, too embarrassed to ask.”

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Today, Walder combines decades of clinical experience with a deeply personal approach to patient care. Rather than focusing on isolated symptoms, she works to understand the broader picture of a woman’s health, lifestyle, stress levels, and hormonal changes. A space built for the conversations women put off At Spectrum, appointments begin with an in-depth conversation — the kind many women say they’ve never had before. Patients describe the space as calm and unhurried, a deliberate contrast to the rush of daily life and the rushed feeling of most medical visits. “I want women to feel heard the moment they walk in,” Walder says. “So many have been carrying this alone, wondering if what they’re feeling is normal, too embarrassed to ask. Sometimes the most powerful part of treatment is simply someone saying: this is real, and we can do something about it.” That combination of clinical expertise and genuine listening has built Spectrum’s reputation in two ways: the old-fashioned way, with patients referring

their sisters, daughters, and closest friends — and through Walder’s growing collaborative relationships with local OB-GYNs, primary care physicians, and pelvic floor specialists, who refer their own patients to Spectrum when they need an integrative approach alongside conventional care. You don’t have to just push through it. Perimenopause and menopause are not conditions to endure quietly for a decade. Vasomotor symptoms, pelvic floor dysfunction, and GSM are common — but common doesn’t mean you have to just live with it. “My goal is for women to feel empowered, informed, and comfortable in their bodies again,” Walder says. “That starts with one conversation.” Spectrum Acupuncture & Wellness is located at 4833 Rugby Ave, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD, serving women throughout Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and greater Montgomery County. To schedule a consultation, visit spectrumacuwell.com or call 301-565-2700.

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You may have driven past Rock Creek Park, Cabin John, or one of the many wooded trails around Chevy Chase and Bethesda hundreds of times without ever wondering what was behind the trees. You are on your way to work, the grocery store, dinner, an appointment. You know the road. You know the traffic light. But turn off that road, walk for five minutes, and suddenly you are beside a creek, under a canopy of trees, and the city feels much farther away than it actually is. That is the part I wish more people knew. We spend so much of our lives going from one indoor place to another. We sit at desks, look at screens, get back in the car, and go home. Even when we want to get outside, there can be enough friction to stop us. Where should I go? Where do I park? Is the trail marked? How hard is it? Do I need hiking boots? And who am I going with? Better Outside Together grew out of my belief that getting outside shouldn’t have to feel complicated. I create outdoor experiences for women and for organizations, and a big part of my job is simply making it easy for you to show up. I find the trail, plan the route, and handle the details. You get to walk. And once you start walking, something changes. You put your phone away. You notice the creek beside you. You talk to the person walking next to you, often in a way that feels different from sitting across a table. On our women’s hikes, those conversations can turn strangers into familiar faces and, over time, friends. The hikes create a regular reason to get outside, move your body, and spend time with other women without having to organize it yourself. The same thing happens with teams. If most of your workday happens in meetings and on screens, imagine spending a few hours walking with colleagues you rarely have time to really talk to. Our facilitated team experiences use movement, nature, and conversation to help people understand each other beyond their roles and job titles. You do not have to drive to Shenandoah or plan a weekend away to feel like you have escaped your routine. There may be a trail ten minutes from your house that you have never noticed. You have probably passed it before. Maybe it is time to see where it goes.

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THE ARTICLE BY JESSICA DEARMOND PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATE WOLBERT WITH CAMLEY IMAGES

Build

SECRETS You Won't Find on a Mood Board

There's a question every renovation eventually forces a homeowner to answer: what happens when the house you love says no to the vision you've been dreaming about for months? For one Chevy Chase-area client, that vision was specific. An open-concept kitchen with clear sightlines into the living room, built for a live cooking show she was planning to launch from her own home. It was the kind of bold, camera-ready renovation that fills Pinterest boards across our neighborhoods every fall. Then F&L Design Builders got a look at the bones of the house. The wall standing between her and that vision wasn't just drywall. It was load-bearing, with structural consequences no one wants to discover mid-demolition. Rerouting the plumbing to the far side of the kitchen would have unraveled the budget and the timeline in one move. By most measures, this was the moment a contractor says the word every homeowner dreads: no. F&L doesn't work that way. Instead of shutting the vision down, the team asked a sharper question: how do we deliver the experience she's after, even if the blueprint has to change? What followed was a redesign few clients would have thought to ask for — strategic openings connecting the two rooms instead of one dramatic void, and an island engineered to double as both a working kitchen and a stage. The final space didn't match the original sketch. It matched something better: the

H OM E U P DAT E | HO M E + D E SIGN

feeling she'd been chasing all along. She loved it so much, she sent F&L three more clients before the paint had fully dried. Ask the founders how they pulled that off, and you won't hear the word "design" first. You'll hear "Personality Intelligence" — a term F&L coined for something most firms never bother to formalize: reading a client's decision-making style, their pace, their tolerance for uncertainty, before a single material is chosen. Some homeowners want every detail laid out on paper. Others want to hand over the keys, mentally, and trust the team to lead. Knowing which client is sitting across the table, F&L says, changes everything about how smoothly — and how successfully — a project unfolds. It's also how the firm chooses which projects to fall in love with. Ask which renovations still make the team proud when they drive past, and the answer isn't the biggest budget or the flashiest finish. It's the house nobody else looked twice at — the one with good bones and no personality — quietly transformed into somewhere its owners can't imagine having lived without. "Good design isn't simply about following trends," the founders say. "It is about understanding the character of the property, the people who will live in it, and the long-term purpose of the space." The Women Behind the Vision That philosophy traces back to the two women who built F&L Design Builders from the ground up: Felicity Tchoufa and Lorena Goodfellow.

“It is about understanding the character of the property, the people who will live in it, and the long-term purpose of the space.” CONTINUED >

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It's a philosophy that raises an obvious question for anyone eyeing their own kitchen, primary suite, or that one stubborn Felicity is a global entrepreneur and real estate investor with more than three decades of experience across real estate and hospitality, in the U.S. and abroad. As Co-Founder of F&L, she brings a strategic eye for creating sustainable, elegant, value-driven properties, along with a belief that every project should tell the story of the people who own it. With degrees in Business Law and Real Estate, and training as a Value-Based Intelligence Coach, she blends analytical rigor with human-centered design, recently expanding her approach to include Feng Shui principles for harmony and flow. She's also the force behind F&L's Paint of Hope initiative, which channels a portion of every painting project to local nonprofits, and behind The Sheroe Mindshift and Sheroes Connect MD, platforms supporting women entrepreneurs. Lorena grew up immersed in design. Born in Colombia to an architect father and an artist mother, she watched her family build their own homes from the ground up, sparking a lifelong fascination with space and architecture. She later earned a degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Maryland and built a career in public accounting before returning to her creative roots, co-founding Goodfellow Construction in 2012 and later F&L Design Builders. That dual background, part financial strategist, part visionary designer, is what allows her to walk a project from concept to final walkthrough with equal parts artistic instinct and fiscal discipline. Together, Felicity and Lorena built a firm that treats every renovation less like a transaction and more like a relationship. It's a philosophy that raises an obvious question for anyone eyeing their own kitchen, primary suite, or that one stubborn wall standing between them and the home they've been imagining: what would F&L Design Builders see in your house that you haven't yet?

H OM E U P DAT E | HO M E + D E SIGN

wall standing between them and the home they've been imagining: what would F&L Design Builders see in your house that you haven't yet?

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THE MARYLAND GALA: CELEBRATING THE PEOPLE AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT SHAPE MARYLAND ARTICLE BY JESSICA WALLACH PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED Maryland is built through connection: people sharing knowledge, organizations solving problems together, businesses investing locally, educators opening doors, artists shaping culture, and communities carrying stories forward. The Maryland Gala brings those threads together - celebrating Maryland and the people, organizations, and partnerships that shape it. It celebrates Maryland’s history and the accomplishments of her people while connecting work happening across the region with state and national changemakers. More than an evening of recognition, the Gala is a chance to see the relationships and skills that help communities thrive. That idea reflects how Story Tapestries works every day. Story Tapestries begins by listening. It works with schools, libraries, nonprofits, businesses, cultural institutions, artists, educators, families, and community leaders to understand local priorities and build programs around them. The arts become practical tools for communication, education, well-being, workforce development, storytelling, and connection. The result is a network of partnerships embedded in the places where people already live, learn, work, and gather. Across Maryland, people and organizations are teaching, building, creating, preserving history, caring for neighbors, developing businesses, solving problems, sharing stories, and imagining what their communities can become. Their work creates the cultural and civic infrastructure of our state. The arts are deeply woven into that infrastructure. According to the Maryland State Arts Council, arts and cultural production contributed nearly $13.7 billion to Maryland’s economy and supported more than 86,000 jobs. But its value is not economic alone. Artists and cultural organizations teach, preserve memory, tell stories, create experiences, build relationships, and weave together the threads of community identity. Much of that work happens through a larger network of nonprofit and community organizations, schools, libraries, businesses, public institutions, and individual creative workers. The Maryland Gala brings those worlds together and recognizes the many kinds of contributions that move a community forward. Story Tapestries’ own impact shows what can happen when those skills and partnerships meet. In 2025, the organization reached more than 1.55 million people through direct services and digital engagement. Its work included arts-integrated education, mental health initiatives, workforce development,

G IV IN G BAC K | ARTS + C U LT U RE

Montgomery County Council members Gabe Albornoz and Marilyn Balcombe with Maryland State Delegate Lily Qi at The Maryland Gala.

storytelling, professional learning, and community-based programs designed not just for, but collaboratively with partners. The Maryland Gala makes that larger ecosystem visible. Last year, more than 300 people gathered to celebrate Maryland and recognize people whose influence reaches from local communities to the national stage. At the 2025 Gala, National Award of Distinction honoree Sean McLeod reflected on the opportunity created when people gather and on the everyday work people do for their families, communities, state, and country. On November 20, the 2026 Maryland Gala will continue that tradition with a cocktail soirée, dinner, world-class performances, The Maryland Gala Awards, and a silent auction. The performances are not simply decoration around the evening; they are part of a larger celebration of the voices, stories, skills, and cultural life that help shape Maryland. The Maryland Gala celebrates Maryland while supporting Story Tapestries’ ability to bring free programs and services into communities through partnerships across the region. Purchasing a ticket or becoming a sponsor helps sustain that work, expanding access, building skills, strengthening relationships, and creating opportunities for people and communities. Maryland’s story is not created by one person, one profession, or one sector. It is created through the people and partnerships that choose, every day, to build something together. That is the tapestry The Maryland Gala celebrates. The Maryland Gala takes place on November 20, 2026, from 6-9:30 PM at the Hilton Washington DC/Rockville Hotel & Executive Meeting Center. To buy tickets, explore sponsorship opportunities, and join this movement, visit marylandgala.com. The arts are deeply woven into that infrastructure. According to the Maryland State Arts Council, arts and cultural production contributed nearly $13.7 billion to Maryland’s economy and supported more than 86,000 jobs. But its value is not economic alone. Artists and cultural organizations teach, preserve memory, tell stories, create experiences, build relationships, and weave together the threads of community identity.

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THE HEAD SCIENTIST OF T H E ' L a b o ra t o r y OF C H A NG E ’

– THE WORLD OF DR. RICHARD MYLES

G E T ACT IV E | EDUCATI O N

ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

Beyond the Field: Dr. Richard Myles and the League Built for the Other 90% Dr. Richard Myles has always been searching for his “why”, a purpose, a reason to exist, a way to leave something behind that outlasts him. As a proud Washingtonian who has worn more hats than most, including; chaplain, entrepreneur, and businessman across industries as varied as nightclubs and cleaning services- that “why” has always circled back to one thing: making a difference in the communities that raised him. The recognition has followed. He's been named one of America's Best and Brightest Businessmen, among other honors. But ask him what he's most proud of, and the answer isn't an award. It's a league. Building the Laboratory of Change In 1993, Dr. Myles founded the Minor Football League, a venture he calls the "laboratory of change" and the only consistent professional minor football league in the country. Over three decades, it has produced NFL alumni like Barry Word and Eric Swann. But the MFL was never really built for the stars. It was built for the other 90 percent, the players who fall through the cracks between college ball and the pros, the ones who look a lot like Dr. Myles once did.

He knows that gap firsthand. A standout at Cardozo High School, he earned a football scholarship to Arizona State, only to have an injury derail his shot at going pro. That experience, the realization that there was nowhere for players like him to land, became the reason the MFL exists. Three decades later, the league is expanding again, with teams across the United States and, in Dr. Myles' latest ambition, into Africa. Still, its roots remain close to home, anchored by a Mid-Atlantic division that includes the eight-time champion Washington Chiefs, along with teams throughout Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Delaware, and Florida. More Than a Game The MFL's reach extends well beyond the field through its nonprofit arm, the Minor Football League Foundation, which pairs players and staff with community leaders to help athletes grow to their fullest potential, on and off the field. For Dr. Myles, this is the legacy that matters most: mentorship and outreach that guide young men away from negative cycles and toward becoming the best versions of themselves. That mission carries particular weight in Maryland, where the MFL's Colts call Montgomery County home. As the league works to become a true pillar of the community, expect to see a growing Colts presence throughout the county, not as a distant franchise, but as neighbors invested in the people around them. "It's about being role models, and taking responsibility to become role models and give back to our community," Dr. Myles says. That responsibility shows up in entrepreneurship programs, financial literacy courses, and personal development initiatives for players and administrators alike. It shows up in award-winning community programs like No Thugs, No Drugs and Away for a Day, and in the league's participation in Washington, D.C.'s Adopt a Block campaign. Recent partnerships, including one with the Take the Lead Foundation, reflect where the MFL is headed next:

“IT’S ABOUT BEING ROLE MODELS, AND TAKING RESPONSIBILITY TO BECOME ROLE MODELS AND GIVE BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY,” DR. MYLES SAYS. breaking down barriers not just around race and education, but disability and gender as well. Even off the field, the league is building futures. Its internship program gives aspiring professionals, from graphic designers to football operations staff, a first step into their industries, and has quietly launched careers both inside and outside of sports. Three decades in, the Minor Football League is still living up to its name: a laboratory, always changing, always building something new. Home Is Where the Heart Is When he isn't shaping the future of young athletes, Dr. Myles is out in the community, recently spotted at the Black Sports Business Symposium and the Diggs Day Football Camp. Saturdays between 11 and 11:30 a.m., you can catch him on DC Radio 96.3, hosting the league's official program, Inside the MFL. And at home, there's no slowing down either. He's a proud father of five and grandfather of more than twenty-one. Busy, chaotic, ever-shifting, and exactly how he likes it. If there's a chance to make something better, Dr. Myles will be there. He wouldn't have it any other way. NOVEMB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/C HE V YC HAS E

NOVEMBER 2026

events A SELECTION OF UPCOMING LO C A L E V E N T S

NOVEMBER 7TH

KEENFest 2026: Beyond What You See Ritz-Carlton, 1700 Tysons Blvd McLean (Tysons Corner) | 6:00 PM Join us for KEENFest 2026: Beyond What You See, an evening of wonder, perception, and possibility at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner. Illusionist and storyteller Tom Pesce emcees a night of food, silent and live auctions, music, and dancing, all in support of KEEN Greater DC-Baltimore's free programs for young athletes with disabilities. NOVEMBER 20 TH – DECEMBER 27T H

Enchant Christmas Nationals Park Nationals Park transforms into a dazzling winter wonderland anchored by the world’s largest Christmas light maze when Enchant Christmas comes to town. Guests can expect breathtaking larger-than-life light sculptures, millions of twinkling lights, festive experiences around every corner, and an all-new holiday adventure: Night of the Nutcrackers. There’s also an ice skating trail, experiences with Santa and Mrs. Claus, a snow slide, live entertainment, a village marketplace and seasonal food and beverages.

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