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More than 200 elected officials, relatives, friends and community members gathered at The Atrium on Dec. 15, 2024, to honor outgoing Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson with affectionate jokes, heartfelt tributes and a fundraiser for two local nonprofits.
The event generated more than $15,000 for Carpenter’s Shelter and ALIVE! as Wilson prepared to leave office after choosing not to seek a third term as mayor.
Michelle Millben and Clark Mercer co-emceed the roast, which featured U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay and City Councilwoman Alyia Gaskins, who succeeded Wilson as mayor.
Much of the comedy targeted Wilson’s lengthy monthly Council Connection newsletters and prolific social media presence.
“We thought it would be fitting to read from one of Justin’s monthly newsletters,” Mercer said. “It goes on forever. When you get this thing, you have a decision to make. Do you read Justin’s newsletter, or do you watch the trilogy of Lord of the Rings?”
Gaskins also took aim at Wilson’s wardrobe while describing the advice he offered during the transition.
“He told me it was important to have a signature style as mayor,” she said. “While I appreciate Justin’s style advice, khaki in rotating shades of tan will be left in 2024.”
Wilson entered public office in 2007. He spent eight years on the City Council, including three as vice mayor, before voters elected him mayor in 2018.
Beyer traced Wilson’s political involvement even further back, recalling their first meeting during the 1989 campaign season. Wilson, then 13, was distributing literature at a voting precinct.
Wilson’s mother, Leslie Tourigny, remembered the encounter and reflected on her son’s commitment to public service.
“I wouldn’t say that Justin always had political aspirations, but he did always have aspirations to serve,” Tourigny said. “I’m not surprised he was successful but more importantly he is a wonderful husband, father and son.”
McKay, a close friend of Wilson since college, delivered a playful proclamation describing him as Alexandria’s “resident data geek” whose decisions arrived with plenty of graphs, metrics and pivot tables.
Wilson responded in kind after taking the stage, thanking McKay for attending and joking that he had wanted “to get dinner at a place that has passable restaurants.”
The former mayor then shifted to gratitude, crediting the broader community for Alexandria’s accomplishments during his tenure.
“We have done incredible things in this community and it’s not me, it’s all of us together,” Wilson said. He pointed to new schools and parks, transportation improvements and other projects as the products of collective work.
Wilson reserved his strongest praise for his wife, Alex Crawford-Batt, whom he credited for bringing him to Alexandria and supporting their family.
“She is an incredible partner and our kids are successful because of her and the sacrifices she has made,” he said.
Gaskins closed her remarks by telling Wilson that his influence would remain visible after his departure from the dais.
“We are going to feel your legacy and experience what you have left,” she said. “We are grateful for your service.”
Millben echoed that tribute, saying Wilson had inspired those around him to serve their community in different ways.