Tag: Art Walsh

Art Walsh Receives JDRF’s 2016 Rapaport Lifetime Service Award

Posted on by thelandlawyers
Nan and Art Walsh Source: Alfredo Flores Photography
Nan and Art Walsh
Source: Alfredo Flores Photography

November 21, 2016 – Arlington, VA—Martin “Art” Walsh was formally honored and presented JDRF’s 2016 Rapaport Lifetime Service Award at the organization’s 16th annual Hope Gala, held November 5 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. This award recognizes Art’s tireless efforts in raising more than $1.1 million over the years for JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research.

“Art Walsh has quietly and behind the scenes raised more than $1 million for diabetes research through his golf tournaments. He exemplifies the ‘service’ our family would like to honor with this year’s Rapaport Lifetime Service Award.”
Barbara Rapaport

The award comes as no surprise to Art’s many clients, friends, and family. For the past 19 years, Art has organized an annual golf outing to raise money for JDRF and pay tribute to his late brother John, who was diagnosed with T1D at age 11. John passed away in 2000 due to complications from the disease. Art remembers as a child watching his young brother give himself two injections a day and witnessed his lifelong struggle with the disease. Art describes the golf outing as a great way to honor his brother and he credits his friends and clients of the firm for their participation and generosity. This year’s golf event raised $67,585, increasing the total amount raised over the years to more than $1.1 million.

The Rapaport family has supported JDRF for years, serving the organization in countless ways—through fundraising, serving on the Board of Directors, and in other capacities. The Rapaport Lifetime Service Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated a history of service to the T1D community, prior involvement with JDRF, and a willingness to continue to fundraise for JDRF, specifically through the JDRF Hope Gala (or who has already significantly influenced revenue for the Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Chapter). The awardee is an advocate for the T1D community and shares a common goal to support JDRF and create a world without T1D.

From a young age, Art has been an agent of change. His inspiration for community involvement began with his parents, who encouraged him to work hard and be humble. Like his parents, Art leads by example. Before graduating from The College of William & Mary and the Marshall-Wythe School of Law, Art served as an officer in the U.S. Army, where he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal. In 1983, along with two partners, Art established the firm now known as Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh, a real estate law firm with a reputation for excellence and a strong commitment to the communities in which it practices.

Throughout his career, Art has been a mentor and recognized for his contributions to the practice of law. He was voted among the “Legal Elite” by Virginia Business magazine, and consistently named a “Best Lawyer in America” by U.S. News & World Report. In 2015, in recognition of his personal and professional achievements and commitment to his alma mater, The College of William & Mary awarded Art the prestigious Alumni Medallion Award.

Receiving JDRF’s 2016 Rapaport Lifetime Service Award is a testament to Art’s steadfast commitment to finding a cure for T1D. He is already planning the 20th annual JDRF Golf Outing scheduled for September 25, 2017. To learn more about Art, please visit our website. To learn more about JDRF and T1D, please visit www.jdrf.org.

JDRF Presents Art Walsh With Its 2016 Rapaport Lifetime Service Award

Posted on by Antonia Miller

Good Deeds

Nan and Art Walsh Source: Alfredo Flores Photography
Nan and Art Walsh
Source: Alfredo Flores Photography

For the past 19 years, Art Walsh has hosted an annual golf outing to raise money for JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. After each outing, Art has stood in front of his many clients, colleagues, friends, and family and thanked them for their participation and generous contributions. This year’s annual golf outing was held October 17 at Westwood Country Club. During the evening’s reception, the 141 golfers who had played in the tournament that day, and the clients, guests, and family in attendance, stood to applaud Art as JDRF Executive Director Bill Parsons announced that Art was the 2016 Rapaport Lifetime Service Award recipient.

“Art’s extraordinary commitment to finding a cure for T1D is
exactly why we decided he is deserving of this service award.”
JDRF Hope Gala Program

Art was formally honored and presented the award on November 5, at the 16th annual JDRF Hope Gala held at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. This award recognizes Art’s tireless efforts in raising more than $1.1 million over the years for JDRF and comes as no surprise to Art’s many clients, friends, family, and golf outing participants.

Caption: Art Walsh with (from left to right) his daughter Sarah, wife Nan, and daughter Ada-Marie at the 2016 JDRF Hope Gala. Source: Alfredo Flores Photography
Art Walsh with (from left to right) his daughter Sarah, wife Nan, and daughter Ada-Marie.
Source: Alfredo Flores Photography

The firm’s annual golf outing pays tribute to Art’s brother John, who was diagnosed with T1D at age 11 and passed away in 2000 due to complications from the disease. Art, who is both inspired and humbled to be recognized by JDRF, remembers as a child watching his young brother give himself two injections a day and witnessing his lifelong struggle with the disease. Art describes the golf outing as a great way to honor his brother, entertain clients, raise money, and contribute to JDRF. And he credits friends and clients of the firm who have generously contributed to the event over the years.

“Love this guy. So proud of my dad and all his work on behalf of juvenile diabetes research!”
Ada-Marie Aman

Art’s initial inspiration for community involvement came from his parents, who inspired him from a young age to work hard and be humble. For those wishing to get involved in charity work, Art suggests that you can make a substantial contribution if you focus your efforts and energy on one or two organizations that are particularly meaningful to you. Art demonstrates this principle in his commitment to JDRF and in his years of service to his alma mater, the College of William & Mary.

Caption: Art Walsh with his daughter, Ada-Marie Aman, at the 2016 JDRF Hope Gala. Image courtesy of Ada-Marie Aman
Art Walsh with his daughter, Ada-Marie Aman.
Image courtesy of Ada-Marie Aman

In 2015, Art was one of only four recipients of the College of William & Mary’s prestigious Alumni Medallion Award. The medallion, the highest award the Alumni Association can bestow on a graduate, is awarded to alumni in recognition of their professional accomplishments, leadership, dedication to the community, and commitment to their alma mater. Art was secretly nominated for the award by his twin brother, Pat, and was sure that the phone call he received telling him he had won was a mistake. But Art should not have been surprised. He is a generous contributor to the college and served on the Alumni Association Board for six years, which involved staying connected with the law school and providing summer associate opportunities to law school students at his firm. Art’s commitment to William & Mary is his way of saying thank you for the wonderful education he received during his time as both an undergraduate and law school student.

From a young age, Art has been an agent of change. He has shown his commitment to this ideal in his continued involvement with The College of William & Mary and in his work with JDRF in honor and memory of his brother.

Nan and Art Walsh with Barbara Rapaport (right.)
Nan and Art Walsh with Barbara Rapaport (right.) Image courtesy of JDRF.

 

 

Employee Spotlight

Posted on by thelandlawyers
michelle_art_spotlight
Source: Susan Lynch

Leesburg, Virginia, is a very long drive from Naples, Italy, where Michelle Stapleton was born. Michelle is no stranger to long drives, and short putts, and bogies and birdies. She and her husband, Steve, are avid golfers, which is a good thing. Since 1988, Michelle has been Art Walsh’s assistant and the driving force behind the firm’s annual JDRF golf outing.

The Land Lawyers: How long have you been working for the firm?

Michelle Stapleton: My first day on the job as Art’s assistant was February 1, 1988. The same year my son turned 2. He’ll be 32 next February!

TLL: Working for the founding shareholder, and Nan Walsh, a managing shareholder, must keep you on your toes. What do you enjoy most about working with Art and Nan?

MS: I’m so proud to work for Art and Nan. Over these many years, they have made me feel more like family. I work closely with our clients, coordinating meetings and events and, over the years, have seen the many positive changes in the Northern Virginia landscape as a result of Art and Nan’s diligence and expertise. They lead by example and are the ultimate professionals.

TLL: You have worked closely with Art for the past 19 years coordinating the annual JDRF golf outing. How has it evolved over the years?

MS: The annual golf outing is a special project that I always look forward to. I enjoy coordinating the attendance of our client participants, organizing auction and raffle items, recognizing our hole sponsors and donors, and working with the JDRF team and volunteers who have, over the years, also become our friends. Art’s most challenging task is arranging the golf pairings. We typically have a full field of 144 participants, so I work closely with Art on that assignment. Preparing for the outing is exciting because I get to work with great people. As always, it’s a pleasure to work with the staff at Westwood Country Club, Steve Buckhantz, our client sponsors and donors, and car sponsors. About two months before the outing, we start monitoring the weather hoping for that trifecta of perfect weather, perfect course conditions, and everything going off without a hitch. We have been so lucky to have such generous participants and supporters at this event. Over the past 19 years, our annual event has raised more than $1.1 million for JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research.  We are all so excited about our next outing in September – it will be our firm’s 20th anniversary event!

TLL: What is your most memorable moment in the history of the JDRF golf event?

MS: I have many fond memories, but the ones I remember most are the year one of the golfers got a hole in one and won a car, when sports psychologist Dr. Bob Rotella attended and gave a golf clinic, and the years we got rained out and had to reschedule and were blessed with spectacular weather. But even those few drizzly years when we didn’t cancel, everyone still came together for the cause. There’s also the excitement of our clients arriving for registration, hearing Art’s welcoming remarks, and the roar of 70 or more golf cart engines kicking into gear after the shotgun start. But the most memorable moment happens every year during the reception when all the participants stand to give Art heartfelt applause in appreciation and, this year, for receiving the Rapaport Lifetime Service Award representing all he has done to make this event the success it is. It’s all very memorable.

TLL: You not only know how to co-host a successful golf event, you also know what a birdie, bogie, and bunker is. How long have you been playing golf?

MS: I learned to play golf as a teen, and Steve and I have played for years. But just in the past 15 years we’ve been able to play regularly at River Creek, where we live. We really enjoy traveling to play golf and have taken long weekends to travel down to Williamsburg and the Carolinas to play.

TLL: Have you ever gotten a hole in one?

MS: I’ve never gotten a hole in one, but I think about it before I tee it up on the par 3s! I’m going to keep trying!

TLL: Why do you think Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh is a great place to work?

MS: Everyone here makes this a great place to work. We strive to work cohesively and efficiently because we care about our clients and each other.

TLL: Thank you, Michelle!

Splendid Weather Welcomes 140 Players to the 19th Annual JDRF Golf Outing at Westwood Country Club.

Posted on by thelandlawyers

This year’s JDRF Golf Outing went off without a hitch or drop of rain. After having to reschedule the September event due to heavy rains, Art Walsh couldn’t have asked for better course conditions or a brighter day to raise money for type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. October 17 turned out to be a splendid day. 140 golfers, playing in sixsomes, maintained a record pace and finished their rounds just as guests began to arrive for the reception, raffle, and silent auction that evening. When it was all over, the golf event raised $67,585, increasing the total amount raised for T1D over the past 19 years to more than $1.1 million.

On behalf of Art Walsh, we’d like to thank our clients, friends, and family who participated in this year’s event and donated generously to JDRF. Online donations to JDRF can still be made through the end of the year by visiting the firm’s fundraising webpage. Contributions are 100% tax-deductible. To learn more about T1D, please visit JDRF’s website.

Scroll down to view team pictures (you can save them by right-clicking on the image and saving to your desktop) and be sure to visit our Twitter and Facebook pages for additional images taken during the event.

141 Golfers Tee Up for the 18th Annual JDRF Golf Outing

Posted on by thelandlawyers

PictureFor the past 18 years, rain or shine, Art Walsh has hosted a golf outing dedicated to the memory of his late brother, John Walsh, who was diagnosed with type 1 juvenile diabetes at the age of 5. This year, along with emcee Steve Buckhantz, Art welcomed golfers to Westwood Country Club in Vienna to remember John and close family friend Jean Marie Wenk, and to raise money for T1D research. JDRF is the leading global funder of T1D research whose mission is to find a cure for the disease.

The course was in great shape as the golfers hit the links to play the best-ball tournament. Prizes were set for men’s and women’s longest drives, closest to the pin, and the team with the overall lowest score. Jack Taylor’s Alexandria Toyota was at the ready to give away a new Camry to any player who aced the 6th hole. Storm clouds threatened rain for most of the day but even when the skies made good on their promise, no one walked off the course. Or won the car. The event ended in a downpour but the atmosphere inside, at the reception and dinner that followed in the Club’s ballroom overlooking the 18th hole, was warm and dry.

Washington Wizards play-by-play TV announcer Steve Buckhantz was the evening’s emcee and auctioneer. Art and Steve awarded prizes that ranged from an iPad and Nats tickets to restaurant gift cards and rounds of golf at local private courses. Thereafter, Steve put the first auction item up for bid. The competition was friendly, if not fierce, as players and guests in the room bid against colleagues, tablemates, and teammates. Among the auction items was a three-night stay in a golf villa at The Homestead, a Masters flag signed by Fred Couples, and six tickets to the Washington vs. Dallas football game (including limo transportation). With the raffle prizes awarded and auction items sold, there was one last gift to present and that was to JDRF. This year, the event raised $75,500 for T1D research bringing the total the outing has raised over the past 18 years to more than $1.1 million.

On Art’s behalf we’d like to thank our clients, friends, and family who participated in this year’s event and donated generously to JDRF. Online donations to JDRF can be made through the end of this year via the Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh fundraising webpage. Contributions are 100% tax-deductible. To learn more about T1D, visit jdrf.org. To view and download team pictures, scroll down to view the images below and right-click on the image. You can also visit our Twitter page to view more pictures taken during the event.