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OUR 2021 JUDGES

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Mrs. Connie Knight, Mr. Donnie Knight, and Dasher

Connie and Donnie Knight were the First Place winners of the Indoor Category for the 2020 Del Ray Holiday Decorating Contest.

 

Connie says, "My husband and I are native Alexandrians and have been married 56 years. We were sweethearts while attending GW when it was a high school.  The house I live in on Leslie Avenue was purchased brand new by my father in 1940. He was the first one to purchase a house in this brand new subdivision called Bellefonte Gardens. After getting married in 1965, I moved back to my house when my father died in 1969 and have been here ever since. We love our Del Ray community and all our wonderful neighbors and friends.
Our love of Christmas started our very first Christmas and we still love the anticipation  of unwrapping all our beautiful and special ornaments to hang on our 12 foot tree.  It is getting harder as we age, but we are hoping we have a few more under our belt.
We are so looking forward to be able to enjoy seeing everyone’s upcoming Christmas decorations and honored to be judges."

Councilmember-elect
Alyia Gaskins

Come January, Alyia will be one of the newest members of the Alexandria City Council. As an experienced public health strategist and city planner, Alyia has worked on hunger policy at D.C. Hunger Solutions, the health team at the National League of Cities, and managed an affordable housing investment program at the Center for Community Investment. She is currently a Senior Program Officer at a national philanthropic organization and helps communities create places that promote the physical, social, and economic health of people. She is focused on listening and building a healthier, more just Alexandria. Alyia lives in Cameron Station, with her husband Greg, son Zeke, and a beagle named Riley. She is excited for Zeke to see all of the lights and holiday decorations.


Learn more about Alyia at 
www.alyiaforalexandria.com

City of Alexandria
Mayor Justin Wilson

With a commitment to ensuring every child’s opportunity at success, protecting Alexandria’s long-term fiscal health and investing in the infrastructure that improves our quality of life, Justin Wilson was elected Mayor of the City of Alexandria in November of 2018. As Mayor, Justin represents the City regionally on the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Board of Directors. Within the City, Justin leads the City-Schools Subcommittee, the ARHA Redevelopment Committee, the Quality of Life Committee, Legislative Subcommittee, the Audit Committee, the Employee Pension/Compensation Committee, the Potomac Yard Metro Implementation Advisory Group and the Combined Sewer Outfall Project Review Team Workgroup.

An experienced community leader, Justin previously served 8 years on the City Council prior to his election as Mayor, including service from 2016 – 2019 as Alexandria’s Vice Mayor. Justin’s leadership has led to new investments in schools, transportation and environmental infrastructure. He has worked to expand early childhood education, address growing student enrollment, accelerate economic growth, advance climate policy as well as protecting and expanding housing affordability. Prior to his election to the City Council, Justin served as the Chair of the Alexandria Transit Company Board of Directors, which operates the City’s DASH bus service, and served on the Budget & Fiscal Affairs Advisory Committee. His neighbors recognized his leadership and twice elected him president of the Del Ray Citizens Association. Justin chaired the City’s effort to promote participation in the 2010 decennial Census, and he represented Alexandria on the Board of Directors of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority—preserving and managing 11,000 acres of open space and 24 regional parks.He was an appointee of Governor Mark Warner to the state’s Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice and later to the Board of Juvenile Justice—a position he was re-appointed to by Governor Tim Kaine. He holds a bachelor’s of science degree in Information Systems from Virginia Commonwealth University, and is a Fellow of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia. Justin is employed by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) as a Senior Director.  An avid runner, Justin has completed eight marathons, and he lives in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria with his wife, Alex, a life-long Alexandrian, and their son, Eli and daughter Lena, both Alexandria City Public School students.

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