In its most recent Strategic Plan update, adopted last fall, the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization (CPRO) set a goal to expand it’s Board of Directors to “more accurately represent the community we serve and better provide the needed skills and expertise to fulfill our mission.”
In furtherance of this goal, the board welcomed three new women this winter: Vanessa Aguayo, an area resident with expertise in transportation engineering; Nina Chawla, a commercial property owner on Columbia Pike; and Diana Nakarmi, co-owner of a mixed martial arts studio on S. Edgewood St.
Vanessa Aguayo is a transportation planner for Fairfax County and resident of the Green Valley neighborhood, just a short drive down S. Walter Reed Dr. or Glebe Rd. from Columbia Pike. Aguayo holds a degree in Civil Engineering from California Polytechnic State University and has worked for the Fairfax County Department of Transportation for nearly nine years.
“I love living off Columbia Pike,” says Aguayo. “And I am thrilled to be able to use my expertise to give back to the community and help CPRO bring businesses and people together.”
Nina Chawla is the Managing Director of Sonina Properties. While the family-run company is based in Maryland, it is the owner and property manager of the Barcroft Shopping Mall at Columbia Pike and S. Four Mile Run Dr. As the Managing Director, Chawla regularly communicates with the various businesses in the mall and stays up to date on the challenges facing the Columbia Pike business community. She is particularly active in CPRO’s advocacy for updates to the Form Based Code and support of the Pike’s small, service-based businesses.
“I am really excited to see how Columbia Pike develops and grows in the coming years, “ says Chawla. “And I’m glad that I can be on the CPRO board and involved in the community as such an exciting time.”
Diana Nakarmi is the co-owner of Pentagon MMA, a mixed martial arts studio she runs with her husband on S. Edgewood St. in Arlington’s first fire station. She has been an active supporter of CPRO’s programs and events in the past and has professional expertise and education in Marketing, Business Administration, and Law that she is excited to use to support the community.
” I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to have a positive impact on our much-loved community,” says Nakarmi. “The CPRO team has truly stepped up this past year during COVID-19, and I look forward to continuing to build the amazing community support system that is CPRO.”