Meet the 2017 Hope Blossoms Honorees

Cathy Lanier
Senior Vice President of Security, National Football League (NFL) & Former Chief of the Metropolitan Police Dept., Washington, D.C.

The Mary McGrory Advocacy Award
The Mary McGrory Advocacy Award was inaugurated at our 150th Anniversary Gala in honor of its namesake, a passionate advocate and dear friend to St. Ann’s, whom our children lovingly called “Mary Gloria.” This award recognizes individuals whose work brings attention to the needs of our community’s voiceless: homeless and vulnerable youth and young mothers.

The Honoree
Cathy Lanier was hired as the Senior Vice President of Security for the National Football League (NFL) in September 2016.

Prior to joining the League, she spent 27 years with the Metropolitan Police Department, beginning in 1990.  Her police experience ranged from uniformed patrol where she served as a Commanding Officer in different districts throughout the city, as well as Commanding Officer of Narcotics and Vehicular Homicide Units.  She was also Commanding Officer of the Special Operations Division where she managed Emergency Response team, Aviation and Harbor Units, Horse Mounted and Canine Units, Special Events / Dignitary Protection Branch and Civil Disturbance Units.  Ms. Lanier was also tapped as the first Commanding Officer of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Office of Homeland Security and Counter-Terrorism.

After assuming the leadership of the Metropolitan Police Department in January of 2007, she was confirmed as the Chief of Police in April, 2007 and held that position for 10 years.
Ms. Lanier is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration’s Drug Unit Commanders Academy.  She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Management from Johns Hopkins University, and a Master’s Degree in National Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.  She is certified at the technician level in Hazardous Materials Operations.

Tommy McFly
Morning Show Host, CBS Radio Washington

The Michele Heidenberger Volunteer Award
The Michele Heidenberger Volunteer Award is named in honor of a long-serving and devoted St. Ann’s volunteer. Michele, an American Airlines flight attendant, was tragically taken from us in the crash at the Pentagon on September 11th, 2001. We honor her memory and years of dedicated service by presenting this award to an individual or group whose volunteerism has had a significant impact on vulnerable women and children.

The Honoree
If the Washington Post is right – and Tommy McFly is the “local Ryan Seacrest” – then he’s the multi-platform voice, anchor, and host for the world’s most powerful city and its media ambassador to the rest of the nation. An only child Gemini, rescue dog-loving millennial, originally from Scranton, PA, Tommy is always on the move around Maryland, Virginia, and Washington.

Tommy McFLY’s unique blend of social responsibility and community engagement – and peerless ability to connect with people – has even received the notice of the White House. Aside from daily morning radio on CBS’s 94.7 FRESH FM and WUSA9-TV duties McFLY is the only person in history to emcee the White House Easter Egg Roll.

He is, as Cathy Alter of The Washington Post Magazine called him, “a prince of DC media.” But the better title might just be DC’s most sought after, trusted friend. 

The Lattice Group
Desktop, Mobile, & Web-based Solutions

Outstanding Corporate Partner Award
The Outstanding Corporate Partner Award is presented to a corporate entity that has made a significant, ongoing contribution to the programs or operations of St. Ann’s Center for Children, Youth and Families. These corporate partners make it possible for St. Ann’s staff to provide young families with comprehensive life skills support, educational advancement opportunities, workforce skills development, and much more.

The Honoree
Lattice Group is a complete provider of desktop and mobile applications, web-based solutions and software engineering services. The company was founded in 1997 by a team of highly experienced IT professionals who wanted to bring the best solutions that technology has to offer— solutions that fit our clients’ vision as well as their budgets.

Since then they’ve grown, but the mission has stayed the same — Lattice Group develops solutions that make sense.

Lattice Group’s focus is to bring exceptional, high end technical know-how to the table to solve information management problems of all types, efficiently and effectively. They are a complete provider of web development solutions, leading edge client/server technologies and software engineering services.