House Democratic Caucus Chairman Brian Moran, a candidate for Governor, received Irish American magazine’s "Star of the South" award on Oct. 18 in Atlanta, Ga. He was joined by fellow award recipient, Mary O’Connor, of Alexandria. The "Star of the South" award is given annually to southerners of Irish and Scotch Irish heritage who exemplify the values of hard work, responsibility and community service that have made Irish Americans prosperous members of the American family. The award ceremony was at the Commerce Club in Atlanta, Ga. Moran was particularly recognized for championing Alicia’s Law, which cracks down on Internet child sexual predators. Alicia’s Law is named after Alicia Kozakiewicz, who was abducted by an online predator and held in his Herndon basement until rescued by the Northern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. This initiative doubles the capacity of these officers to arrest and prosecute child sexual predators. Mary B. O’Connor, a resident of Alexandria is the Director of Outreach at the Center for the Study of the Presidency in Washington, D.C., an organization designed to study the successes and failures of the past presidents and apply these studies to current presidential endeavors. Mary became involved in politics while attending Trinity College in Washington, D.C