Recognizing greatness in others is a rewarding experience. It’s educates others how to excel and hopefully inspires. The Lake Anna Business Partnership had this in mind at its recent, annual Persons of the Year recognition ceremony held at Callie Opie’s in February.

  “As part of the committee that reviews nominations for these recognitions I can say we certainly had many options around this lake. There are plenty of folks working hard to promote the lake and their businesses. But it’s a select few that attain the level that our awardees have each year and in bringing attention to their stories, we hope to inspire others and show how standard setters operate,” LABP President Jacob Conley told L&T recently.

   “Remember, these Person of the Year recognitions are more ‘thank you’s’ than official awards, but they are certainly meaningful, well-deserved and highlight some of the lake’s best business peopple,” he explained. “And the Business of the Year award is voted on by our attendees from three finalists.”

  This year’s finalists included John Pope of Cooling Pond Brewery, Lucretia Wolfcale of Village Motorsports and Steve McCormick of Luxury Lawns of Lake Anna.

  McCormick received the most votes and was proclaimed Business Person of the Year. 

  McCormick is the owner and Agronomist behind Luxury Lawns at Lake Anna, bringing decades of turfgrass management expertise to homeowners who care deeply about both their outdoor spaces and the health of the lake. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Plant and Soil Science from Southern Illinois University and spent more than 30 years in the golf course industry. 

  Steve and his wife, Jen relocated to Lake Anna full-time in 2022 after more than 15 years of making memories here with their children. A committed LABP member, Steve joined in 2023, became a board member in 2024, and assumed leadership of the Lake Anna Lighted Boat Parade in 2025 — continuing to give back to the community he proudly calls home.

  Also receiving honors were Rappahannock Electric Cooperative for the Richard Binns Community Service Award, Jason Atkinson of Red Door Lighting was recognized as LABP’s Best New Member and Jeff and Jean Martin of Southern Image Design & Build were given the LABP Legacy Award for their years of devoted service to LABP and the Lake Anna Community.

   For more information about joining LABP, log on to visitlakeanna.org.