Marshall Center Releases 2023 Impact Report

“The Inspiration of Great Principles”

The George C. Marshall International Center today released The Inspiration of Great Principles: 2023 Impact Report of the George C. Marshall International Center, which highlights the organization’s work in telling the story of George C. Marshall, preserving historic Dodona Manor and inspiring leaders of today and tomorrow to live up to his example.

Highlights from last year include:

• Continued the restoration of Dodona Manor and announced plan to build new museum and visitor center.
• Advanced national park affiliate status for Dodona Manor, with legislative support from Rep. Jennifer Wexton and Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.
• Celebrated the 70th anniversary of Marshall Receiving Nobel Peace Prize.
• Conducted 4 Five-Star Character Ethical Leadership Conferences (free high school program).
• Presented George C. Marshall Award in Ethical Leadership to Former Secretary of Defense Dr. Robert M. Gates.
• Continued strong membership growth with dues income increasing by 25%.
• The Center’s 60 volunteer docents and greeters conducted 540 tours, and its 7 volunteer gardeners grew 748 lbs. of vegetables for Loudoun Hunger Relief, a local food bank in Leesburg.

Young Leaders Step Up!

Students Embrace Marshall’s Life and Example at Winter ELC Program

Join Us for the George C. Marshall Award Gala on April 12!

The 2024 George C. Marshall Award Gala is right around the corner. The gala will take place on Friday, April 12, 2024, at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, VA.

Don’t miss out – learn more and join us for this special event by becoming a sponsor today. Attendees will enjoy dinner, exciting live and silent auctions and entertainment, all while networking and supporting the Marshall Center, including our ethical leadership conferences for high school students.



The evening will also feature the presentation of the third annual George C. Marshall Award in Ethical Leadership to Jen Easterly, the Director of the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), followed by remarks from the awardee.

Marshall Center Donates to Boulder Crest Foundation

Board Member Paul Michaels Presents $2,500 Check to Leading Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) Organization

The Marshall Center recently presented a $2,500 check to Boulder Crest Foundation as a result of generous support for our 2023 Veterans Day Commemoration. On hand for the presentation were Marshall Center board member Paul Michaels and Boulder Crest Director of Philanthropy Janet Reid.

Boulder Crest Foundation is a nationally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on ensuring the military, veteran and first responder communities can live great lives in the aftermath of trauma.

Give Choose Campaign Starts March 5

Early giving for our Give Choose campaign starts Tuesday, March 5!

Give Choose is a 24-hour day of giving organized by the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties to benefit local nonprofits serving our community. It officially begins on March 19, but you can help us get a head start on our goals today!

Your support helps us continue to offer free Ethical Leadership Programs for high school students in the spirit of George C. Marshall. Join us in making our community stronger – give early and make a difference!

March 6 Book Club: The Age of AI

Zoom Discussion of “The Age of AI: And Our Human Future”

Wednesday, March 6 at Noon

Join us on Wednesday, March 6 from Noon-1p.m. ET for a Zoom discussion of The Age of AI by Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt and Daniel Huttenlocher.

In The Age of AI, three of the world’s most accomplished thinkers – the late statesman Henry Kissinger, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and MIT’s Daniel Huttenlocher – come together to explore artificial intelligence (AI), how it is transforming human society and what this technology means for us all.

Generative AI is filling the internet with false information. Artists, writers and many other professionals fear for their jobs. AI is discovering new medicines, running military drones and transforming the world around us—yet we do not understand the decisions it makes, and we worry about how to control them.

The Age of AI presents a roadmap to our present and our future, an era unlike any other.

March 21 Foreign Policy Forum with James Jeffrey

Turkey: Regional Powerhouse Astride the Middle East and Ukrainian Conflicts

Volunteer Profile: Tom Watson

Come Garden with Tom! Saturday Morning Sessions Start This Year

Avid vegetable gardener Tom Watson, who grew up on a farm outside of Leesburg, has generously volunteered his time tending to Dodona’s gardens since 2020.

What attracted you to volunteer at Dodona? 

With the onset of the pandemic, I had a lot less work to do and a lot of time on my hands. I had been on the tour of Dodona Manor several years before and while there saw a picture of General Marshall working in his garden. This picture reminded me of my grandfather, who greatly enjoyed growing tomatoes and was a colonel in the U.S. Army. 

How would you describe your role at Dodona Manor? 

Each year around mid-March I start a couple dozen tomatoes indoors in grow tents. I also started a variety of cucumbers, squash and pepper plants. During the growing season I work closely on the tomato plants using organic growing methods and employ a method of training and pruning the plants to maximize plant size and tomato production. It is not unusual for the plants to get to 10 feet high. Through this process, we have had yellow pear tomato plants produce well over 1,000 small, delicious tomatoes in a season, as well as beefsteak tomato plants producing dozens of large fruit.

Why do you think it is important to preserve and share the legacy of General Marshall? 

General Marshall represents to me a life of service, discipline, compassion and nurturing. Gardening fits very well into living a life that meets those goals. 

Which part of General Marshall’s life history resonates with you the most? Why? 

He was a very busy person and gave so much of himself to others and this country. That he also made sure to spend time doing what he personally loved in the garden speaks to the importance of balance and finding healthy hobbies. I think his way of approaching life and service is a model many should follow. 

Please share a story from your time volunteering. 

I thought I would just come out and help out a bit and do some work. I had no idea it would result in such great relationships with others and give me a new community to be a part of. I am excited that we are trying to attract more volunteers to work in the garden and we will have a Saturday morning work session starting this year. I plan to be there each Saturday and encourage anyone who enjoys gardening or wants to learn about it to join us. 

Thank you, Tom. We are grateful for all you do!