Leslie Concha
Photo: Jim Tetro Photography
As the special events coordinator for the National Rehabilitation Hospital in D.C., Leslie Concha plans around 25 events a year, ranging from black-tie galas and donor appreciation dinners to golf tournaments and medical conferences. She is currently working on the hospital’s November annual Gala Victory Awards, which recognizes individuals who overcome physical adversity (past honorees have included Stevie Wonder, Bob Woodruff, and Senator Tim Johnson). Concha has been with the NRH for five years, before which she worked for the Sister to Sister: Everyone Has a Heart Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to heart disease prevention in women.
Catering: “Cynthia and Mario Andrade at Windows Catering Company are a great team and always expand our ideas for creative menu selections, table linens, and venue selection. Windows is great for corporate lunches or large events. For our annual gala, we work with an embassy and tie the theme around the country’s heritage; a few years ago, the [wife of the ambassador we were working with] was very specific about every detail and sent her personal chef to Windows to teach their chefs to cook the traditional dishes. Windows made every accommodation the embassy requested, and the ambassador and his wife were very pleased.”Decor: "J.R. Randels of Hargrove has worked with the hospital since its opening and knows what we need before we ask. At one venue, we had to use a wheelchair elevator to the side of the stage (which was covered by draping). At the last minute, the venue manager told us the elevator and draping were too close to an exit and could be a hazard. It was too late to rearrange the stage, so to accommodate the venue manager’s concerns, J.R. sat by the exit all evening to make sure guests knew where the exit was.”
Venue: “I like to develop relationships with a venue’s staff. I had worked with Annie Bouton-King at the Omni Shoreham and have followed her to the Ritz-Carlton Washington, D.C. Annie is very knowledgeable and goes out of her way to provide great customer service.”
Lighting: “Lighting is always part of our event budget, and we try to use Frost Lighting whenever possible. Fred Elting and his team do a wonderful job of making a plain venue look amazing.”
Flowers: “I worked with Ken Rosen of Encore Decor for the first time at our last gala. I sent him a picture of a centerpiece that I liked but that was too costly for my budget. Ken designed two arrangements that were more beautiful than I expected and still within our budget.”
Catering: “Cynthia and Mario Andrade at Windows Catering Company are a great team and always expand our ideas for creative menu selections, table linens, and venue selection. Windows is great for corporate lunches or large events. For our annual gala, we work with an embassy and tie the theme around the country’s heritage; a few years ago, the [wife of the ambassador we were working with] was very specific about every detail and sent her personal chef to Windows to teach their chefs to cook the traditional dishes. Windows made every accommodation the embassy requested, and the ambassador and his wife were very pleased.”Decor: "J.R. Randels of Hargrove has worked with the hospital since its opening and knows what we need before we ask. At one venue, we had to use a wheelchair elevator to the side of the stage (which was covered by draping). At the last minute, the venue manager told us the elevator and draping were too close to an exit and could be a hazard. It was too late to rearrange the stage, so to accommodate the venue manager’s concerns, J.R. sat by the exit all evening to make sure guests knew where the exit was.”
Venue: “I like to develop relationships with a venue’s staff. I had worked with Annie Bouton-King at the Omni Shoreham and have followed her to the Ritz-Carlton Washington, D.C. Annie is very knowledgeable and goes out of her way to provide great customer service.”
Lighting: “Lighting is always part of our event budget, and we try to use Frost Lighting whenever possible. Fred Elting and his team do a wonderful job of making a plain venue look amazing.”
Flowers: “I worked with Ken Rosen of Encore Decor for the first time at our last gala. I sent him a picture of a centerpiece that I liked but that was too costly for my budget. Ken designed two arrangements that were more beautiful than I expected and still within our budget.”
