Celebrate Fairfax, Inc. announced the 2015 Lords and Ladies Fairfax at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, May 12 at the Fairfax County Government Center.

“The tradition of honoring Lords and Ladies Fairfax began in 1984 to recognize exceptional citizens of Fairfax County,” according to Celebrate Fairfax. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors selects two people from each district who have demonstrated superior volunteer service, heroism or other special accomplishments.

Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerald W. Hyland awarded the honor to Elisabeth B. Lardner and Martin W. Tillett.

“Ms. Lardner’s brilliance is only outshone by her dedication to provide for others by giving families a community to call home where they can grow and thrive,” said Hyland.

Lardner worked for 12 years as Mount Vernon’s longest serving Redevelopment Housing Authority representative (RHA) and chairman.

“One of her many incredible abilities is to lead a group of individuals through difficult issues and find achievable solutions,” said Hyland.

Lardner, a graduate of Harvard University’s Urban Design Department and the University of Oregon’s Landscape Architecture Program, formerly served as the Housing and Community Development chair Mount Vernon Visioning Committee and served on every Area Plan Review Task Force for the last decade. Even after resigning from the RHA this year, she remains active as chair of a community advisory task force to develop the North Hill property for affordable and workforce housing in the Mount Vernon District, according to Hyland.

Hyland called Tillett, his Lord Fairfax, a leader in the Springbank Community and “a crusader for the natural environment.”

“He has advocated for the protection and preservation of our natural spaces and educated the Mount Vernon Community on the critical functions they provide for our health and well-being,” said Hyland. “Mr. Tillett is the author of a series of articles in the Mount Vernon Gazette on the ‘Origin of Mount Vernon Watersheds.’ He traces a line through history on the importance they have had to wildlife, commerce and why their restoration is vital to our future.”

Soule and McGhan honored in Lee district.

“For Ms. Elizabeth M. McGhan, a healthy community begins with kids and youth,” said Supervisor Jeff C. McKay, who named McGhan’s the Lee District’s Lady Fairfax.

McGhan is a longtime president of the Garfield Elementary School PTA, president of Key Middle School, co-chair of Lee High School’s All Night Grad Party and a bi-weekly volunteer at the Lee High School Career Center as well as family and academic mentor to a specific Lee High School student.

“And if that weren’t enough, she also manages several Springfield Youth soccer teams,” said McKay.

Of her work as PTA president, “McGhan sees the organization as a community building block where parents, teachers and administration work together to create a healthy environment for students.”

McKay named Christopher M. Soule his choice to be this year’s Lord Fairfax.

“He exemplifies community service,” said McKay.

Soule has spent a decade as president of the Jefferson Manor Citizens Association, one of the largest and most active civic associations in Lee District and is an active member and a leader of the Lee District Association of Civic Organizations and is dedicated to revitalizing the Route 1 corridor.

He recently joined the board of the Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation, a nonprofit economic development organization that promotes redeveloping and revitalizing the Richmond Highway corridor from the beltway to Fort Belvoir, said McKay.

Hanley and McAnaw honored county-wide.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova named Katherine K. Hanley, former board chairman, as this year’s At-Large Lady Fairfax.

Hanley was first elected to the Fairfax County School Board, then the Board of Supervisors as the Providence District supervisor and then as Board of Supervisors chairman.

“During her tenure, Ms. Hanley worked tirelessly with other members of the board, not only advocating for education, but also for human services and affordable housing. In recognition, a homeless shelter for families, was named after her. Recently additional transitional housing units called ‘Kate’s Place’ were built adjacent to the shelter,” said Bulova.

Hanley was instrumental in the establishment of the Revenue Stabilization fund along with a significant investment in building Fairfax County’s Information Technology infrastructure, said Bulova. “She was also a great proponent of transportation initiatives, helping to position the Silver Line for federal funding.”

After leaving the Board of Supervisors, Hanley served as Secretary of the Commonwealth, and is now on the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority, the Fairfax County Electoral Board and the Community Services Board. She has led the bipartisan election commission, the committee on the meals tax, an effort that brought together disparate, competing groups who came up with a near unanimous vote to bring a report to the Board of Supervisors, said Bulova.

Bulova cited Lt. Col. John P. McAnaw’s love for history, love of country and love of service reasons she named him the 2015 Lord Fairfax.

“Lt. Col. John P. McAnaw is well known for his tireless work to preserve history in Fairfax County,” said Bulova. “His love of our past earned him a Lifetime Achievement Award from the History Commission for his decades of service as a Civil War Historian.”

The Park Authority honored Lt. Col. McAnaw by naming a Recreation area for his significant preservation efforts.

A veteran serving in leadership roles within VFW Post 8469, Lt. Col. McAnaw is the past President of the Bull Run Civil War Roundtable. He helped lead the effort to preserve Ox Hill, an important Civil War site. In addition to this, he is also a Board Member of the Fairfax Station Railroad Museum and has served as a historian for a number of local organizations in Fairfax County.

In his Kings Park West community, Lt. Col. McAnaw has served as Chairman of the Parks committee, leading numerous efforts to mobilize scouts and volunteers to build and maintain trails throughout the parkland surrounding Royal Lake.

The Lords and Ladies will be honored at a special dinner hosted by Great American Restaurants, Celebrate Fairfax, Inc., and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on Tuesday, June 2, 2015.