Senior Services of Alexandria (SSA) announced that this year’s annual Generation to Generation Gala will recognize two Alexandria families for their long-term commitment to giving back in the local community. The families to be honored are: Sue Goodhart and her daughter Allison Goodhart DuShuttle, and Kitty Porterfield and her son Mike Porterfield and his daughters Keely and Kirby Porterfield. SSA will also present its first-ever special Service Award to Arthur Sauer in recognition of his commitment to service and leadership in Alexandria. SSA’s Gala will take place on Saturday, March 12, from 6-11 p.m. at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center, 5000 Seminary Road.
“We are honored to pay tribute to this year’s Generation to Generation honorees,” said Mary Lee Anderson, SSA’s executive director. “They epitomize the Alexandria spirit of giving back and the importance of making a difference in the local community.”
Sue Goodhart and her husband Marty have been long-time Alexandria residents, former business owners and a mainstay of the community. Sue began her real estate career in 1992 and has been McEnearney Associates’ Top Producing agent since 2003. She enjoys being an active participant in several local charities including president of the board of directors of St. Coletta’s of Greater Washington, a member of the board of directors and Supporting Friends of the Campagna Center, and a long-time advisor for The Fund for Alexandria’s Child, as well as many other philanthropic involvements. In 2008, The Goodhart Group was named the Small Business Philanthropist of the Year by Alexandria Volunteer Bureau.
A life-long Alexandrian, Allison Goodhart DuShuttle grew up with both parents actively donating their time and financial resources to local charities and organizations. From a young age she learned the importance of helping those in need and giving back to the community. Allison is involved in many community initiatives and her major contributions are acting as the co-chair of the Advisory Council for The Fund for Alexandria’s Child, an active member of the Junior Friends of The Campagna Center, and being chair of the Marketing Committee of The Fund for Alexandria’s Child. For the past 10 years Allison has worked alongside her parents as an integral part of The Goodhart Group.
The Porterfield family has been giving back to the community for more than 50 years. Kitty Porterfield came to Alexandria with her husband Jovan in 1963, raised her family, and became deeply involved in the community, especially in education issues. She was instrumental in the founding of the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria and became its first executive director. Kitty has been involved in a number of non-profit boards and task forces related to education and youth issues. Most notably, she served as the chair of the Northern Virginia Community (NOVA) College Board and NOVA’s College Fund Board of Trustees. She also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Hopkins House and on former Mayor Kerry Donley’s Task Force on Teen Pregnancy. She is currently chairman of the board of the Northern Virginia Literacy Council, an organization whose mission is teaching beginning level English to adults throughout the Northern Virginia area. She recently received Volunteer Alexandria’s Board Leader of the Year award.
Mike Porterfield is a native of Alexandria and a graduate of the Alexandria City Public School system. He is the principal of Tartan Properties, a family-owned Alexandria commercial real estate brokerage firm that has been in operation for over 30 years. Mike is active in the community as chair of the Small Business Development Center, past chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria, past member of the board of directors for the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, a graduate of Leadership Alexandria, and a volunteer reading tutor for the Alexandria City Public Schools. Daughters Keely and Kirby Porterfield also feel passionate about volunteering. Keely serves as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and is currently training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom. Kirby attends Tulane University majoring in business. Their volunteering including working with the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria as phone bank volunteers; participating in the Arlington Street People’s Association Shoe box Sunday project; and coaching youth soccer.
Arthur Sauer, recipient of the Service Award, has been a resident of the Alexandria area for over 30 years, and volunteering has always played a large role in his life. He is a native of the Washington, D.C. area and spent 33 years as a budget analyst for the federal government. He is proud to have participated in producing the only balanced federal budgets in the last 40 years. Even during his impressive federal career, volunteering was a priority. Art joined Westminster Presbyterian Church in the 1980s and started volunteering with the So Others May Eat (SOME) program before heading off to work.
After retirement, volunteering became his full-time job and passion. Currently, he serves the Westminster Presbyterian Church as the volunteer coordinator of Member Involvement, and actively participates in the Westminster Tutoring Program, the Bag Lunch Program, Rebuilding Together Alexandria, and numerous church mission programs. He served as a board member of Senior Services of Alexandria for over 10 years, including several years as treasurer, and currently continues to serve on SSA’s Finance Committee.
If you would like information about this year’s Gala, please call Senior Services at 703 836 4414, or visit the SSA website at www.seniorservicesalex.org to sponsor the event or purchase tickets.