For 26 years, Carla Besosa has helped tell the story of Cameron Station, and along the way, she has become an important part of that story herself.
From sharing restaurant recommendations and local entertainment ideas to bringing humor and personality to The Compass, Carla has contributed her time, creativity, and enthusiasm to our community since its earliest days.
But her involvement extends far beyond the written word. Whether supporting neighborhood retailers, participating in community celebrations, helping bring live music to Cameron Café, or welcoming new residents, Carla has a remarkable way of bringing people together.
Established in 2016, the Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes residents who make a significant and positive impact on Cameron Station through their volunteer service.
We are delighted to announce Carla Besosa as Cameron Station’s 2026 Volunteer of the Year.
The following nomination celebrates Carla’s many contributions and the enthusiasm she has brought to our neighborhood for more than two decades.
The Nomination
It is our privilege to nominate Carla Besosa as 2026 Volunteer of the Year Award recipient.
You won’t find anyone who loves our community more, or who works harder to promote and support it.
When Carla moved into Cameron Station in 2000, much of our community was a construction site. Those living here then knew we had to band together and work together to turn it into the vibrant community it is today. One of the early steps was to create a newsletter to keep neighbors apprised of the actions and activities that were happening in our neighborhood. Carla joined The Compass Newsletter Subcommittee and has been an active participant for 24 years. Affectionately known as our “Cameron Station Foodie,” Carla began writing restaurant reviews, not as a critic, but rather sharing her favorite local eateries with us, and all on her own dime!
A woman of many interests and cultural tastes, Carla expanded from culinary recommendations to theaters and musical venues in the greater DMV, creating the newsletter’s “Carla’s Picks.” Then she developed “Days to Celebrate,” where her writing skills not only provide fun information, but give us all a chuckle at the same time.
Carla spends much of her time supporting events and activities that take place within our community. Whether it’s parties or parades sponsored by the Activities and Events Committee, spearheading the decorating of her condo lobby for the holidays, joining in game nights at the Cameron Club or in the Cameron Café, supporting Martini Mondays in neighbors’ homes and Wine Wednesdays at the Café, Carla is front and center. In fact, she not only attends the musical events at Cameron Café, but she has now volunteered to help find the musical performers!
Carla has been a strong supporter of every retail establishment we have ever had in Cameron Station and is again working with all of them to tell their stories in the annual End of the Year Compass. And Carla is still working on The Compass, turning her popular Days to Celebrate feature into a monthly blog post.
No matter what you ask Carla to do to volunteer her time to help support and promote our wonderful community, she is not only always willing, but you know that it will be better and more fun because she is involved.
If you’re new to Cameron Station, or if you’ve lived here from the start, chances are you know Carla, or at least know of her as she goes out of her way to make everyone feel welcome. We owe Carla our thanks for devoting so much of her time and talents to help make Cameron Station the wonderful community it started out as, and continues to be. Let’s honor her with the 2026 Volunteer of the Year Award. Thank you.
Thank You, Carla!
For more than a quarter century, you have shared your talents, creativity, humor, and love for Cameron Station. Your contributions have helped keep our neighbors informed, introduced us to new experiences, and brought people together. Congratulations on being named our 2026 Volunteer of the Year!
This article was written by a volunteer for The Compass. Our writers work collaboratively to share community stories and information throughout Cameron Station. To learn how to contribute, email thecompass@cameronstation.org or communications@cameronstation.org.
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