Washingtonians of the Year

For 36 years, The Washingtonian has honored men and women who give their time and talents to make this a better place for all of us. They find ways to enrich the lives of everyone they touch. Here are our local heroes. All photographs by Matthew Worden.

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Luis "Lucho" Velasquez

The door is always open at the Hermano Pedro DC Day Shelter at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in DC’s Columbia Heights. more

Jim Bugg

Late in 2004, Jim Bugg heard from a pal about a discussion the pal’s Marine son had at Thanksgiving dinner. more

Ludy Green

Like too many children, Ludy Green grew up with domestic violence. more

Betty Jo Gaines

The three-year-old arrived in August at Bright Beginnings, a free, nonprofit childcare center devoted to the District’s homeless. more

Donnie Simpson

When Donnie Simpson came to Washington more than 30 years ago to be on the radio, he wondered whether DC would accept him. more

Jerry Weast

Montgomery County was changing when Jerry Weast arrived to become the superintendent of schools in 1999. more

Lorna Green

Hope is a steel drum to Lorna Green. more

Jane Lang and Paul Sprenger

In 2001, on rundown H Street in Northeast DC, you might have seen a couple of well-heeled lawyers stepping through the remains of a movie house. more

Alison Malmon

Alison Malmon was a Potomac high-school student when her brother came home at the suggestion of the Columbia University counseling center. more

The Rosenbaums

“All the things that could possibly go wrong did,” Marcus Rosenbaum says. more

Brian Lamb

C-Span is not television, says founder and CEO Brian Lamb: “It’s the antithesis of everything else on the air.” more

Matt Gerson

When Matt Gerson began volunteering with the Prevent Cancer Foundation, not even his closest friends knew why. more

Leah Gansler

It helps to have friends in high places. more

Sidney Harman

Sidney Harman is a modern Medici. more

Past Washingtonians of the Year Honorees

So Long, Virginia?

Northern Virginia sends millions to Richmond—and gets pennies back. It’s one of the world’s most dynamic regions, while other parts of the state are still fighting the Civil War. Why not secede and become the 51st state? more

Can DC’s New Digital News Operations Replace the Once-Great Newspaper Bureaus?

Gone are the robust bureaus for the Los Angeles Times, Newhouse News, and other once-healthy news organizations. Digital media bureaus now are taking their places with as many reporters and plenty of swagger. more

Turkey to Go: Where to Buy Take-Out Thanksgiving Dinners

Worried about how you’re going to pull that Thanksgiving meal together by November 26? Luckily, there’s lots of ways to get a takeout turkey-day dinner so you don’t have to lift a finger in the kitchen. When ordering a turkey, keep in mind that a ten-to-12 pound turkey will feed four to six people. more