Donald Simpson, Sr., has been named the 2005 recipient of the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, Inc., "Fitzgerald Award." It is presented each year to an individual who has contributed "significant time, energy and expertise to benefit economic development, AEDP and the City of Alexandria."
A member of AEDP's Board of Directors since 1992, Simpson serves as the organization's Treasurer. Recently elected to another three-year term, Simpson has had a long-standing commitment to economic development. He also has served on the board of the Industrial Development Authority since 1998 and currently is IDA's vice chair.
"I was very surprised and greatly appreciate even being considered for this award. I really enjoy working with AEDP and the entire staff," Simpson said.
A native Alexandrian, Simpson is president of Simpson Development Co., Inc., a family of real estate development firms. He serves as chair of the company's development and leasing activities.
SIMPSON IS a graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and served two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict. Since 1954, he has been actively engaged in general contract construction and commercial real estate development throughout the Greater Washington Metropolitan Area.
He is a member and past president of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce and Alexandria Rotary Club. Simpson also serves on the Board of Trustees, Alexandria Scholarship Fund; as a board member and past president of the Eisenhower Partnership; and is involved in a number of other professional civic and business organizations.
The award is named after John Fitzgerald, a settler of Alexandria who served as a colonel in the Virginia militia and aide-de-camp to General George Washington. When Alexandria City Council granted him the sunken ground to the east of his lot, Fitzgerald banked out 400 feet from the shoreline at King and Water, now called Lee, streets.
That created "Fitzgerald's Wharf" where he constructed three brick warehouses. He also served as the city's mayor and collector of the port.