Washington
DDC Recognizes First Annual Ambassador Circle Award Winners | Washington DC
Washington, DC – Destination DC (DDC), the official destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital, today announced its inaugural Ambassador Circle Award recipients. Honorees include some of the leading medical experts in the region, and one of the city’s leading venues.
The awards recognize distinguished leaders, innovators and researchers who position Washington, DC as a premier destination for global excellence and innovation. These ambassadors have helped to attract and shape prestigious international conferences, meetings and business events in the greater Washington, DC region with an impact of $51 million (includes forecast for meetings booked through 2029). The recipients were recognized during a luncheon at the Riggs Hotel in downtown Washington.
“We know how important it is to compete for global market share and in doing so, we rely on the advocacy and intellectual capital of our Ambassador Circle members who champion the city as a destination for meetings and events,” said Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO, DDC. “By engaging the academic community, medical community, universities and research centers to attract investments in innovative and knowledge sectors, we’re able to sustain our city’s reputation for advocacy, excellence and global standing. These ambassadors help connect Destination DC to the networks for their organizations and associations. The result is more international conferences in the nation’s capital, significantly impacting the local economy.”
Founded in 2010, the Ambassador Circle program partners with local experts, top innovators, researchers and scholars in a variety of sectors (medical, biotech/pharma, technology, sustainability, education, transportation, financial and tech) to target international meetings. The network is a noteworthy group of professionals in the region who are experts in their respective fields and share a common goal of showcasing the city as a business hub for the international community.
“We are grateful to have a strong network of private and public partners who are championing DC as a great place to visit and do business,” said Nina Albert, Acting Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. “Together, we will tell our story about why there’s Only One DC and ensure we continue to build a vibrant and diverse economic ecosystem here in the District.”
The 2024 awards and awardees:
Business Attraction Ambassador Award
Awarded in partnership with the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Recognizes the contributions and support of an ambassador for the District’s business attraction, retention, and expansion activities. Serves as a champion for promoting DC as a place to do business.
• JLL
Partner Award
Recognizes a DDC member business (or team of businesses) that has leveraged resources, reach and credibility to support international meetings sales and attract visitation to DC from around the world.
• Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
Impact Award
Recognizes an ambassador leading a bid or program associated with a recent or upcoming conference that will have a positive economic and social impact on the city.
• Andrew B. Wolff, MD | Orthopedic Surgeon | Washington Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, Chairman of the Annual Scientific Meeting for ISHA-The International Hip Preservation Society
Connector Award
Recognizes an individual in the community who eagerly helps DDC make connections through their existing networks. A champion of DDC’s work and a steadfast supporter of the Ambassador Circle program.
• Cattleya Wongkongkatap, CMP, M.B.A. | Director, University Events | The George Washington University
Leadership Award
Recognizes an ambassador who has demonstrated outstanding guidance, strategic vision and impactful leadership in the organization of a conference.
• Mitchell Cohen, MD, FACC, FHRS | Co-Director of the Heart Center and Chief of Pediatric Cardiology | Inova Children’s Hospital Clinical Professor of Pediatrics | University of Virginia School of Medicine Chair Scientific Committee, 8th World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery
Ambassador of the Year
Recognizes an ambassador who has excelled in chairing a major conference and passionately represented our destination, significantly enhancing its profile and appeal.
• Gil Wernovsky, MD, FAAP, FACC | Cardiac Critical Care Physician and Pediatric Cardiologist | Children’s National Hospital, Professor of Pediatrics | George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Co-Chair, 8th World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery
About Destination DC: Destination DC, the official destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital, is a private, non-profit membership organization committed to marketing the area as a premier global convention, tourism and special events destination with a special emphasis on the arts, cultural and historic communities.
Washington
19-Year-Old Transgender University of Washington Student Fatally Stabbed
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This story contains descriptions of fatal violence against a transgender person.
The Seattle Police Department are searching for a suspect after a 19-year-old University of Washington student was stabbed to death in an off-campus student apartment complex on May 10.
Seattle Police Department Detective Eric Muñoz told NBC News that the victim is “believed to be a 19-year-old transgender female” who was enrolled at the university. The victim has not yet been publicly identified by name. She was found in the housing complex laundry room shortly after 10 p.m. on Sunday night.
The housing complex, Nordheim Court, is privately managed but affiliated with the university, located near an upscale shopping center in Seattle’s U-Village neighborhood. According to NBC News, residents received an official alert from UW to stay inside their homes and lock all windows and doors — an alert that was lifted around 1 a.m. with the acknowledgment that “a death investigation remains ongoing.”
According to SPD detective Eric Muñoz, police and the fire department attempted lifesaving measures but ultimately “pronounced the victim deceased at the scene.”
“Officers are actively searching for the suspect, believed to be a black male with a beard, 5’6-8” tall, wearing a vest with button up shirt, and blue jeans,” Muñoz wrote in a blotter report.
Muñoz noted that the victim would be identified by the medical examiner’s office in “the coming days.” The SPD did not immediately respond to Them’s request for comment.
This is the seventh known trans person to be violently killed in 2026. In mid-April, 39-year-old transmasculine farmer Luca RedBeard was fatally shot in rural New Mexico. Last week, police in Marion County, Florida opened a homicide investigation into the shooting death of a 29-year-old who went by multiple names and referred to “transitioning” on social media. In Kentucky, an investigation into the disappearance of 22-year-old trans college student Murry Foust remains ongoing.
Police are asking anyone with information about the University of Washington case to call the Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000, emphasizing that anonymous tips are accepted.
This is a developing story.
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Washington
How the Sea Mar Museum Is Preserving Latino History in Washington
On a quiet stretch of Des Moines Memorial Drive in South Seattle, the Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a/Latino/a Culture rises like a long‑overdue acknowledgment. Its brick exterior doesn’t shout; it invites. Inside, the rooms hum with the stories of families who crossed borders, harvested fields, organized classrooms, and built communities across Washington state—often without seeing their histories reflected anywhere on a museum wall.
For Rogelio Riojas, founder and CEO of Sea Mar Community Health Centers, the museum is a promise kept. “We wanted to make sure the contributions of Latinos in Washington state are recognized and preserved for future generations,” he told The Seattle Times when the museum opened in 2019. It was a simple statement, but one that captured decades of work—both visible and invisible—by the region’s Latino communities.
Walking through the galleries feels like stepping into a living archive. One of the most arresting sights is a pair of original farmworker cabins, transported from Eastern Washington. Their narrow wooden frames and sparse interiors speak volumes about the migrant families who once slept inside after long days in the fields. The cabins are not replicas or artistic interpretations; they are the real thing, weathered by sun, dust, and time. They anchor the museum’s narrative in the physical realities of labor that shaped the state’s agricultural economy.
Sea Mar describes the museum as “dedicated to sharing the history, struggles, and successes of the Latino community in Washington state,” a mission that plays out in photographs, letters, student newspapers, and oral histories contributed by community members themselves. These aren’t artifacts chosen from afar—they’re family treasures, personal archives, and memories entrusted to the museum so they can live beyond the kitchen tables and shoeboxes where they were once kept.
The story extends beyond the museum walls. Just steps away is the Sea Mar Community Center, a sweeping, light‑filled gathering space designed for celebrations, performances, workshops, and community events. With room for nearly 500 people, a full stage, a movie‑theater‑sized screen, and a catering kitchen, the center was built with one purpose: to give the community a place to see itself, gather, and grow. Sea Mar describes it as “a welcoming space for families, organizations, and community groups to gather, celebrate, and learn,” and on any given weekend, it lives up to that promise.
Together, the museum and community center form a cultural campus—part historical archive, part living room for the region’s Latino communities. Students come to learn about the Chicano activists who reshaped the University of Washington in the late 1960s. Families come to see their own histories reflected in the exhibits. Visitors come to understand a story that has long been present in Washington, even if it wasn’t always visible.
The Sea Mar Museum is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., offering free admission to anyone who walks through its doors. For many, it’s more than a museum—it’s a recognition, a gathering place, and a testament to the people who helped shape the Pacific Northwest.
Preserving Latino History and Community Life in Washington was first published on Washington Latino News (WALN) and republished with permission.
Washington
Mother’s Day Bunch at Lady Madison | Washington DC
Celebrate Mothers Day with à la carte brunch at Lady Madison featuring seafood, entrées, desserts, and premium beverage options.
Celebrate Mothers Day in sophisticated style at Lady Madison, located inside Le Méridien Washington, DC, The Madison. Join us on Sunday, May 10, 2026, from 12:003:00 PM for an elevated à la carte brunch experience in downtown Washington, DC.
Enjoy a refined selection of chef-driven brunch classics, fresh seafood, seasonal salads, and elegant entrées. Highlights include a Build Your Own Omelette, Crab Benedict with lime hollandaise, Chilled Seafood Trio, and signature mains such as Roasted Rack of Lamb, Cedar Plank Sea Bass, and Marinated New York Strip Loin.
End on a sweet note with classic desserts including Crème Brûlée Cheesecake, Fruit Tart, Strawberry Shortcake, and Passion Fruit Cake.
Enhance your experience with beverage offerings, including bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Marys for $30 with house selections. Piper-Heidsieck Champagne is also available by the glass for $16 or by the bottle for $49.
Reserve on OpenTable:
https://www.opentable.com/booking/experiences-availability?rid=1426987&restref=1426987&experienceId=695240&utm_source=external&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=shared
À La Carte Menu
Les ufs & Brunch
Egg White Frittata $24
spinach, tomato, mushrooms, green onion
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit
Build Your Own Omelette $24
ham, smoked salmon, vegetables, cheeses (choose up to 3)
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit
Crab Benedict $24
lime hollandaise, salsa cruda
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit
Brioche French Toast $17
berry compote, whipped butter, maple syrup
Les Froids & Salades
Chilled Seafood Trio $28
Jonah crab claws, shrimp, cocktail sauce
Spring Berry Salad $17
brie, berries, champagne vinaigrette
Golden & Crimson Beet Salad $18
red wine vinaigrette
Add protein: shrimp, salmon, skirt steak +18 | chicken +16
Les Plats Principaux
Roasted Rack of Lamb $42
mint sauce, huckleberry reduction, sweet potato purée, asparagus
Cedar Plank Sea Bass $49
saffron rice, spring vegetables
New York Strip Loin $42
mushroom sauce, truffle croquette potatoes, haricots verts
Les Desserts $14
Crème Brûlée Cheesecake
Fruit Tart
Strawberry Shortcake
Passion Fruit Cake
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