As he reflects on the last 20 years of ACT, Congressman Don Beyer mostly talks about the people. Don served for five years as the very first chair of ACT, but he’s not one to brag. Instead, he says he’s always relied on the exceptional leadership within the organization. “They were very organized, very mission-driven,” he says. “Gene Steurele drew people that he knew, like Lori Morris, Lauren Stack, and Allison Cryer DiNardo. They were the brains of the operation.” It’s this legacy, Don says, that has kept ACT strong throughout the decades.
“We have lots and lots of nonprofits here,” Don says. “But there was never one whose mission was to bring everybody together.” From the beginning, that was what distinctly set ACT apart from the rest. Don remembers even Governor Mark Warner and his wife Lisa getting involved with the Center for Alexandria’s Children — one of the earliest ACT initiatives. This collaborative focus made ACT an innovative catalyst for change in the region.
From an original group of 10-15 people, ACT has bloomed into something much more significant. “It’s the single best way to aggregate as much of the charitable giving, the philanthropy in the city, as anything else,” Don says. “It’s a place where folks can invest a small amount, or entrust a significant inheritance like a home or business.”
ACT’s mission is personal for Don and his family. “My wife and I have a small fund, which will someday be a big fund if we sell anything,” he says. “Someday it will be a multi-generational vehicle for our kids and grandkids to invest in the community.” Like any great leader, he’s consistently focused on what’s ahead, and how he can contribute.
It’s an attitude baked into the fiber of ACT. “Gene Steurele should go right to heaven,” Don says. “It was his original selflessness with his daughters — that they walked away from this tragic windfall (but a windfall nonetheless!) and invested it back in our community. We’re all beneficiaries of their generosity.”
As we cross the threshold of ACT’s 20th anniversary, it’s easy to get stuck in the past, but not for Don. He sees a bright future for ACT. “The last great test of leadership is succession,” he says. “I continue to see nonprofits wick out of existence because they haven’t handled succession well.” That hasn’t been the case here.
Don adds, “ACT continues to bring in new people, which is what you want. In 30 more years from now, it will be fun to look at the long, long list of Alexandrians who’ve been on board.” In reality, 20 years is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to see what’s next.