Current and former city leaders met Tuesday (Sept. 1) to officially name the athletic field complex after former Mayor Kerry Donley.
Donley died unexpectedly in 2022 at the age of 66. He was on City Council for 18 years, and was mayor from 1996 to 2003. After a two-year stint as the chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia, he was hired as the athletic director at ACHS, a position he held from 2005 to 2008.
In his city role, Donley is credited with helping advance the construction of facilities like Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School and expansions at George Washington Middle School, Francis C. Hammond Middle School and Alexandria City High School (then T.C. Williams High School).
Nearly 500 signatures were collected in a petition to name the complex after Donley.
“Donley, an avid sportsman, was a regular attendee at T.C. Williams basketball games, an environment in which he had many friends,” former School Board Member Mark Eaton said in a blog post. “He took a three-year timeout from his banking career to serve a successful stint as the Alexandria City Public Schools Athletic Director.”
A bronze plaque will be erected at the site and will say the following:
Kerry J. Donley Athletic Field Complex
Alexandria City High School at Minnie Howard Campus
Husband, father and grandfather, community, business and political leader, educator and friend to so many — Kerry J. Donley played these roles for over four decades while making countless lasting contributions to Alexandria.
When he saw needs, he met them, when he saw problems, he found solutions, and when he saw community divisions, he acted to reconcile and unify.
Throughout his lifetime of service, Donley’s caring and compassion reached every corner of the Alexandria community.
During some of Alexandria City’s most difficult financial times, Donley’s leadership and financial acumen allowed the city not only to survive, but to prosper.
The athletic field complex and the Alexandria City High School (ACHS) Minnie Howard Campus are among many examples of Donley’s legacy.
His five daughters and his grandchildren were student athletes on the ACHS field hockey, crew, track and soccer teams, with Kerry and Eva always cheering them on.
For generations now and to come, Alexandria City will benefit, in both character and quality, from Donley’s vision and contributions.
In recognition of his life, and its importance and meaning for the Alexandria community, this athletic field complex is named for Kerry J. Donley.
The dedication is one of three at the school system over the next several months. In October, the field at Alexandria City High School’s Parker-Gray Memorial Stadium will be named after Keith Burns, a 1990 T.C. Williams High School graduate who had an NFL career. A media center at Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School will also be named after Jean Reid, who taught at various ACPS schools.
