Through our 20 years in existence, ACT has served as a central hub for many committed Alexandrians. Their hard work, vision, and passion are what fueled our organization through its infancy and into the place of strength where we operate today. One of these individuals is John Porter.
John’s journey with ACT began when he served as a high school principal in the city. Two of his students were the daughters of Gene Steuerle, the man who sparked ACT’s establishment. During his time as principal, John and Gene grew to know one another. Gene even served on the Principal’s Advisory Council — a group formed to represent the needs and challenges of the school’s population.
When tragedy struck the Steuerle family, John was still in touch. Gene and his daughters wanted to honor the memory of the wife and mother they lost, and he turned to John (along with a group of individuals) to help him determine how to best do it. It was from this core group of people that the idea was formed: they’d build an organization that could both raise and distribute resources throughout Alexandria.
At first, some nonprofits saw the newborn organization as a competitor. John hastened to explain: “As I always told them, our job is to help you. You do good things, whether it’s providing food to the hungry, housing, healthcare, whatever it may be — our job is to help you do what you do better.”
John quickly became a mainstay of ACT, becoming the Executive Director in 2009. The organization grew during his time at the helm. “We were able to get people to better understand what a community foundation was designed to do,” John says. It was this practical vision that convinced the nonprofit community and its donors of the power that ACT held to be a force for good within the city.
The early days were full of growing pains — but John remembers the way that people came together. From dedicated board members to City leaders to donors, the community joined one another to support the organization and its work to assist local nonprofits and the broader community. They saw the power and promise of ACT and wanted to play whatever role they could to promote our work.
It’s also this integrated spirit that John embodies so powerfully. “Many times in life, it’s the right place, right time, right people in the right spot. It’s about making connections, developing relationships, and seeing where they may go,” he says.
John will always feel rooted in Alexandria. “My wife and I are from Alexandria,” he said. “Our kids grew up in Alexandria. I am closely tied to the community. And when the opportunity to be a part of this amazing organization presented itself, I said, ‘What a great way for me to continue to be a part of this wonderful community.’” It’s a decision that we’re so glad he made.