Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman presented the 2020 awards for Distinguished Resident, Friend of Gaithersburg, and Outstanding Organization during the March 6, 2023, Mayor and City Council meeting. The 2020 State of the City event, which serves as a platform for the presentation of the annual awards, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. View the awards presentation here.

Sally and Tom Marchessault were both named the 2020 Distinguished Resident for their years of dedicated service to the Gaithersburg community. Sally served as the Volunteer and Community Resources Coordinator for Montgomery County Public Schools for 24 years and helped implement the Student Service Learning program. She received the Community Collaboration Award in 2002. Sally served on the City’s Ethics Commission from 2006 to 2019, serving nine years as Chair.

Tom has served on the City’s Board of Supervisors of Elections since 2015 and was re-elected Chair for the upcoming election cycle. Sally and Tom are both active in the Kentlands Citizens Assembly. Sally volunteered for six years on the Kentlands Community Foundation, two as its Chair. She was involved in the renovation of the greenhouse and developed the House Tour program that benefitted the Dolores Swoyer Camp Scholarship Fund. Tom coordinated the Neighborhood Watch ListServ and has served on many ad hoc committees. Sally and Tom have lived in the Gaithersburg community for almost four decades, with the last 25 years in Kentlands.

The Gaithersburg Student Union was presented with the 2020 Outstanding Organization award for its impactful and enriching programs. The City-run club provides after and out-of-school activities for high school students, including sports, arts and music, field trips, work readiness programs, and volunteer opportunities. Student Union members also take part in conferences and discussions on important youth topics.

The Student Union’s volunteer efforts have supported numerous community activities throughout the years, including the City’s Holiday Giving Program, coat drives, Oktoberfest, Winter Lights, and more. In the fall of 2022 alone, 179 members volunteered at various events earning an impressive total of 1,654 Student Service Learning hours. Learn more about the Student Union here.

The Distinguished Friend Award was presented to Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus G. Jones for his significant and long-standing contributions to Gaithersburg. A 37-year veteran of the Montgomery County Police Department, Chief Jones was sworn in as Police Chief in 2019. He served the Gaithersburg community when he was assigned to the City after joining the Department in 1985. Working out of the Germantown Station, his beat encompassed the areas of Olde Towne and Girard Street. In 2011, Chief Jones received “Montgomery’s Best Award” for directing the Damascus Gardens Drug Market Initiative to eliminate an open-air drug market.

Chief Jones also volunteered as a coach with the Gaithersburg Sports program. He lived in Gaithersburg in the Saybrooke community for 10 years, raising three children with his wife. His children graduated from Gaithersburg High School, where he also chose to have his swearing-in.

For more information, please contact the Gaithersburg City Manager’s office at 301-258-6310.