Young Professional Of The Year Crowned By Chamber of Commerce

GAITHERSBURG, MD — Heather Madison, a property manager in Gaithersburg, has been named the Young Professional of the Year by the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce.

She manages RIO, a shopping destination in Gaithersburg, with the Peterson Company.

"The past year and a half-challenged Madison’s commitment to her field in ways that she never imagined," the Chamber said in a news release. "With an ongoing pandemic, work in the retail field meant that she had an obligation to be on-site for those restaurants & essential businesses that remain opened. Madison thought of creative ways to support her tenants with curbside pickup, outdoor amenities, and focused on making her properties a safe and comfortable place for all."

In order to be chosen for the award, professionals need to be involved in the Chamber's Young Professional’s group, which accepts people from ages 21 to 40. The point is to give people an opportunity to learn new things, network, or make friends.

“Heather Madison is a super star," said Marilyn Balcombe, GGCC President / CEO in the release. "We are so lucky to have her on our Board and in our Chamber."

The Chamber said that Madison is a leader who creates a welcoming atmosphere for her coworkers, and is still thinking about the evolving nature of what is coming next for RIO.

"Even today, she continues to face the ongoing challenges the pandemic places upon her and her team," the news release says. "She continues to work with multiple forces & inventive minds to bring in new businesses for patrons. They are rethinking the tenant mix at the shopping centers as vacancies become available and paying attention to the evolving community and demographics around them."