Living Legends of Alexandria is pleased to announce the selection of Living Legends for 2020. The 2020 Living Legends were vetted from an array of nominations that were submitted by the public and received through fall of last year.
These community leaders were chosen based on their having met one or both of two selection criteria as evidence of having improved the quality of life in the City of Alexandria by having led the creation or redevelopment of something which wouldn’t have existed without their involvement or demonstrated substantial and sustained contributions over a significant period of time.
2020 Living Legends of Alexandria
Carol Bailey and Ryan Bailey – As the mother of a son with special needs, Carol Bailey has worked for over 25 years with various organizations supporting individuals with disabilities. She and her son Ryan have been longtime volunteers in the Del Ray community.
Frank Fannon – A lifelong Alexandrian, former City Councilman Frank Fannon has served on numerous nonprofit boards and commissions and established the annual Alexandrians Have Heart food drive for ALIVE!
Magaly and Tom Hirst – Philanthropists Tom and Magaly Hirst have been generous supporters of various Alexandria nonprofits through ACT for Alexandria. They have awarded more than $685,500 to support local nonprofits, who in turn have been able to double that amount through Spring2Action’s matching grants.
Rosa Landeros – As parent liaison at Mount Vernon Community School, Rosa Landeros has advocated for students, provided food and clothing for students in need and arranged gatherings to bring together families in the Spanish- and English-speaking communities of Del Ray and Chirilagua.
McArthur Myers - McArthur Myers has worked to preserve the historical contributions of the city’s African American citizens through his efforts to identify historical sites and in obtaining historical markers for those sites.
Virginia and Richard Obranovich – Under the leadership of Virginia and Richard Obranovich, the Alexandria Police Foundation has made great and lasting strides, most notably with the funding and creation of the Fallen Officers Memorial among the many APF successes.
Bill Reagan – Bill Reagan is the founder and current Executive Director of the Alexandria Small Business Development Center. As founder, Reagan worked with City Council to fund and establish the Alexandria agency as a part of the Virginia SBDC network in 1996.
Donald Simpson Jr. – A third-generation Alexandrian, Donald Simpson Jr. has continued the legacy of his father and grandfather with a commitment to the youth of Alexandria through support of numerous educational and athletic programs and local nonprofits.
Linsday Swanson and Katy Swanson – Lindsay, Katy and the Swanson family formed the Kelley Cares Foundation in the wake of the tragic loss of Kelley Swanson in 2005. The foundation has continued Kelley’s passion to help the special needs community with numerous projects, including the building of the Kelley Cares Miracle Field.
The 2020 Legends will be formally recognized and introduced to the public at the 13th annual Meet the Legends reception on March 19 at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial.
The mission of Living Legends of Alexandria, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is to identify, honor and chronicle the lives of individuals who have made significant contributions to improve the quality of life in Alexandria.
For information, to volunteer, become a sponsor or nominate a future Legend, visit www.AlexandriaLegends.org or contact AlexandriaLegends@outlook.com.