Boulder Crest Retreat for Military and Veteran Wellness, a free program that offers combat stress recovery programming, is expanding into the west coast. They announce the addition of Braden Edwards and Will Walker, who will join the board of directors.

“Although located in Bluemont, Virginia, Boulder Crest Retreat is a nationwide program, serving our nation’s combat veterans and their family members from all 50 states,” says Ken Falke, chairman and founder of Boulder Crest Retreat.  “Braden and Will bring a new dimension to our board’s fiduciary and fundraising mission and adding a west coast presence is exactly what we need at this time period of growth.”

Braden Edwards is a managing director of equity sales and trading with the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC).  He held similar positions over the past fifteen years at Evercore, Credit Suisse, Robertson Stephens, Volpe Brown and Whelan, and the Capital Group.

Students of the Metropolitan School of the Arts (MSA) Performing Arts Academy of Alexandria, Va. will see a lot of new changes at the newly, expanded MSA Academy headquarters in Kingstowne (Alexandria, Va.). With more than 40 students, the Academy now offers more space with 14,500 square feet, including seven dance studios, four music studios and a new black box theater that will be complete in January, 2017. They’re also building a new Early Childhood dance studio and waiting area for their youngest students and families with small children. For information, go to www.metropolitanarts.org.

“We’re so excited about this new school year in Kingstowne, for new students and returning students, our new Academy space is twice the size of our original space, with additional space for up and coming Black Box theatre,” said Melissa Dobbs, founder and executive director of Metropolitan School of the Arts Alexandria, Va.

Mexico isn’t just known for its beautiful beaches. Cook in Mexico is now taking guests to the heart of Mexico and the heart of Mexican cuisine. Cook in Tuscany, a Tuscan culinary tour, recently named one of the top 15 Foodie Destinations by USA Today, just launched its second culinary tour, Cook in Mexico in central Mexico, San Miguel de Allende. Cook in Mexico was created by Haymarket, Va.-based owners, George and Linda Meyers, a Northern Virginia couple that hosts their worldwide guests on cooking tours in Cook in Tuscany in authentic Tuscan kitchens, and guides guests on personalized Tuscan historic tours and truffle hunts. Now guests, can experience the traditional flavors and storytelling from the Mexican cooks, visit historic sites, dance to Mariachi and climb the ruins of Cañada de la Virgin. For more information, go to www.cookinmexico.kitchen or  www.cookintuscany.com.