From left: Ballyshaners Chairman Emeritus Pat Troy, 2016 Parade Grand Marshal John Renner and Ballyshaners Chairman Mike Pablo.
John J. Renner, II was installed as the 2016 Alexandria St. Patrick's Day Parade Grand Marshal on Friday, Feb. 26. Renner is owner of Renner and Co., a 35-person accounting firm that has been honored as the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce 2015 small business of the year, and one of Virginia Business Magazine's 2016 Best Places to Work. He represented the business community as the 2013 Chair of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce and has overseen the Alexandria City Budget as Chair of its Budget and Fiscal Affairs Advisory Committee.
The Ballyshaners, organizers of the parade, held its annual Grand Marshal Dinner at the Embassy Suites Old Town. Mayor Allison Silberberg, City Manager Mark Jinks and Councilwoman Del Pepper attended the event. Ballyshaners Chairman Mike Pablo noted that the volunteer organization chose Renner because of his years of service and dedication to the city and many of its non-profit organizations: "The Ballyshaners work year-round to bring this event to Alexandria and its visitors. John's work as an ambassador for small business and his history of service to Alexandria made him our obvious choice to serve as Grand Marshal."
After his formal induction ceremony, Renner noted that the Irish in Alexandria, and supporters of the parade have been a boon to the city. Comparing the parade’s power to the horsepower in his classic Chrysler 300 convertible, which has been in the parade many times, Renner noted that March is “a whole month of Irish horsepower that makes our city stronger. This is the horsepower that pays for the services, schools and public safety that make Alexandria the kind of place where we all want to live. Just as Irish Americans made our country strong, Alexandria’s Irish community is making our city strong.”
The 35th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held this Saturday, March 5 at 12:30 p.m., preceded by the Annual Antique Car Show at 9 a.m. in the 100 block of N. Pitt St., and the Fun Dog Show in Market Square at 10:30 a.m. See www.ballyshaners.org.