Leslie King, Peter Alexander Honored with Foundation’s Outstanding Philanthropist Awards

September 28, 2021

The Hudson Valley Community College Foundation has named Leslie King and Peter Alexander the 2020 and 2021 recipients of its Outstanding Philanthropist Award. Both honorees received their awards during the college's annual Leadership Donor Reception, held on Wednesday Sept. 22 at the Franklin Plaza in Troy.

The Outstanding Philanthropist Award is presented annually to an individual, couple or family foundation that has shown exemplary leadership through charitable giving to Hudson Valley. Recipients promote the mission, vision and values of a community college education by facilitating access, opportunity and student success through philanthropy.

The pandemic precluded the college from being able to hold an in-person Leadership Donor Reception in 2020, so both recipients were honored at the 2021 event.

A lifelong resident of Troy, Leslie King has spent her adult life volunteering for organizations within her community. Her philanthropy has primarily focused on enriching educational institutions and supporting local schools that her children attended. One of Leslie’s most meaningful contributions to Hudson Valley was establishing the Kevin E. King Memorial Scholarship more than 20 years ago, in memory of her son, who attended the college. She has volunteered at Hudson Valley for several decades, and is a member of the Foundation Board of Directors; she acted as its vice president for six years, and has chaired the UW Marx Golf Tournament seven times.

Peter Alexander graduated from the college’s Heating and Air Conditioning program in 1957 and found great success throughout his career in the home air conditioning market, retiring from Goodman Manufacturing in Texas in 2016. Always eager to help the Hudson Valley students who came after him, Peter has given generously to the college for decades. He established and endowed the Peter Alexander ‘57 Applied Technology Scholarship, and has supported students through gifts to the Annual Fund and contributions to help make the Center for Advanced Manufacturing Skills a reality.

"The Hudson Valley Community College Foundation is thrilled to honor both Leslie King and Peter Alexander with the Outstanding Philanthropist Award for all their generosity and support for the college and our students throughout the years," said Hudson Valley Community College President Roger Ramsammy. "They have both gone above and beyond in their commitment to Hudson Valley, and we are so grateful for their contributions. It is our pleasure to recognize their efforts with this award."

For more information about the Hudson Valley Community College Foundation, visit www.hvcc.edu/foundation.