alumni profile Becoming a city shaper byMelissa Jennings ’12


Only eleven years after graduating from Lynchburg College, AndrewMcKenna ’99 appeared on the February cover ofWashington Life magazine as one of the top 250 opinion makers under the age of forty shaping the city’s social scene and future. Those chosen are voted upon by a com-


Vanessa Kostopoulos ’06 to Ryan Quick ’07


mittee of highly respectedWashingtonians; however, Andrew takes the whole experience with a grain of salt. “Don’t get me wrong, being in the magazine was a huge honor,” he said. “But the best advice I got was from mymentor who always said one should stay out of the limelight — it fades your suit!” Throughout the years, thismentality of


modesty stuck with Andrew. Just a year after earning his degree in political science, he served as deputy political director for the state of Delaware for Bush for President.


VictoriaMoore ’06 to Paul Bauman


Vanessa Kostopoulos ’06 to RyanQuick ’07 on June 21, 2009, at St. VasiliosGreekOrthodoxChurch in Peabody,Mass.,with a reception at the Corinthian YachtClub inMarblehead,Mass. Included in thewedding partywere bridesmaidsCoryWhite ’06,Cory Klanian Greene ’06, LyaZeno Sinclair ’06, andGretchen Sigman ’06. Also includedwere KentonQuick ’05 as bestman and groomsmen AndrewWhite ’06, Steven Scott ’06, Matthew Bravo ’06, ChadDay ’06, and Chad Clark ’06, ’08M.Ed. The couple honeymooned in Antigua and currently resides in Arlington, Va.


VictoriaMoore ’06 to Paul Bauman onNov. 7, 2009 in Laguna Hills, Calif. The couple honeymooned in Europe and currently resides in Los Gatos, Calif.


L.TreyNeighbors ’06 toHillaryRobinson at Sweet Briar CollegeMemorial Chapel onOctober 24, 2009. The couple honeymooned in Myrtle Beach and currently lives in Lynchburg,where heworks forA-Plus Lawn care.


CrystalWilson ’06 to Randy Grubbs in Memorial Chapel at Sweet Briar College on June 6, 2009. The couple honeymooned atWaltDisneyWorld in Florida and lives inMadisonHeights, Va.


Krystle Forlines ’07 to Cameron St. John ’07 at Glencliff Manor in Rustburg, Va., on May 30, 2009. The couple honeymooned at the Greenbrier Resort inWhite Sulphur Springs,W.Va., and lives inMadison Heights, Va. Krystle is an R.N. with Centra in Lynch- burg, and Cameron is a technician with Mid-Atlantic Test and Balance in South Boston.


A year later, in 2001, Andrew earned a presidential appointment to theUnited States Department of Agriculture and served until April 2002. From 2004 to 2005, he assumed the role of finance chair of Progress for the America Voter Fund, an organi- zation which helped raise, coordinate, and execute a $50million budget during the 2004 election cycle in support of GeorgeW. Bush. From then on, Andrew’s accomplishments grew. He became a founding partner


andmanagingmember of GoodSijnManagement, l.l.c. and GoodSijn 1, a private investment fund. For several years, he maintained investor relations and provided active strategic execution of the fund. These skills helped Andrew with his biggest success in 2008, when he became the ceo ofMcKenna & Associates, a strategic management, consulting, and fundraising firm. “Basically, we help big companies that are stuck and in need of more clients to


expand their network and raise their private capital,”McKenna explained. Some of these companies include at&t and Hawkeye Renewables. One of Andrew’s most gratifying experiences was his work with Ford’s Theatre, which was so impressed with Andrew’s service that he was asked to become a member of its board. “I like taking a difficult challenge that a company presents and breaking it down


into a simple solution,” he said. “I’ma very action-driven person, so it feels good at the end of the day knowing that I’mable to help these big companies get the job done.” McKenna&Associates has also helped Andrew’s deep passion for aviation flourish.


Three years ago, he obtained his pilot license and recently restored an oldWorldWar 11 war bird, a t-6Texan, to its full glory. “The company has givenme tremendous flexibility,” Andrew said. “I can be talking to you now, and in a few hours I can be flying!” An avid lacrosse player while at Lynchburg College, Andrew is grateful to his


almamater for pointing himin the right direction. “Lynchburg College was a great opportunity for me,” said Andrew. “It provided a small, supportive environment where I was able to do a little bit of everything. I could have gone to any big college in the country, really, but I wouldn’t have been as successful anywhere else.” Andrew recentlymarried Kathleen Landy and they reside in Arlington, Va., with their black Labrador, Jack.


Fall 2010 LC MAGAZINE 43


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