Summit emcee Rebecca Cooper of ABC7/WJLA-TV and U.S. Rep. Jim Moran congratulate 2014 Veteran of the Year Brendan O’Toole. Photo by Louise Krafft.
The 16th annual Alexandria Business Philanthropy Summit was held May 7 as Volunteer Alexandria honored five individuals for their service to the community.
Held at the First Baptist Church of Alexandria, more than 250 people turned out for the event that featured former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina as the keynote speaker.
“Leadership is not about position or title,” said Fiorina, now president of the Alexandria-based nonprofit Good360. “It is about unlocking the potential in each other and lifting up those around us.”
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Alexandria Business Philanthropy Summit
The 16th annual Alexandria Business Philanthropy Summit was held May 7 as Volunteer Alexandria honored five individuals for their service to the community.
Click Photo for FlashThe 2014 award winners included restaurateur “Mango” Mike Anderson as Business Philanthropist of the Year; Hopkins House president and CEO J. Glenn Hopkins as Nonprofit Leader of the Year; and longtime Inova Alexandria Hospital supporter Joseph F. Viar, Jr. as Nonprofit Board Leader of the Year.
U.S. Rep. Jim Moran was on hand to present U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Run for Veterans founder Brendan O'Toole with the inaugural Veteran of the Year award. In 2013, O'Toole ran 3,600 miles through 21 states to raise awareness and funds in support of troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The late Thomas J. “T.J.” Fannon was posthumously honored with the Business Philanthropy Legacy Award.
“We miss our dad every day,” said Tom Fannon in accepting the award on behalf of his father. “But he left a legacy that we can see and feel around us everywhere in Alexandria. To have this recognition come from his friends and colleagues is truly wonderful.”
The summit was co-chaired by Val Hawkins, CEO of the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, and John Marshall senior vice president Pam De Candio.
Fiorina, who spoke of the challenges she faced in her rise from secretary to one of the world's most recognizable and influential business leaders, closed the summit with praise for Alexandria's nonprofit community leaders.
“I am not here because I'm so special,” Fiorina said. “I am here because this nation is special. We have generous hearts and know that any one of us can fall on hard times. But because of the individuals in this room, we are able to lift each other up. So thank you for the leadership you provide to our community and to our Commonwealth.”
“Leadership is not about position or titles. It is about unlocking the potential in each other.”
— Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina
The next Spring for Alexandria event, Volunteer Alexandria's Community Service Day in partnership with the City of Alexandria, will be held May 16. For more information, visit www.VolunteerAlexandria.org.