Each year, VIP Alexandria Magazine accepts nominations and selects the newest class of Most Interesting Men. This year, VIP partnered with The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. Each "gentleman" was photographed with an adoptable dog seeking its forever home. We are proud to announce that all dogs featured in VIP have been adopted. Special thank you to our 2023 class of Most Interesting Men for helping us support this amazing charity!
Story by LIESEL SCHMIDT | Photography by JONATHAN THORPE | Benefitting the ANIMAL WELFARE LEAUGE OF ALEXANDRIA | Sponsored by TING
Joel Gordon has always been something of a tech geek. Having been introduced to video games and coding at an early age, he went on to work as an assistant to a college professor during high school, during which time he further honed his computer skills. The rising demand in the technical field, combined with his interest and experience in computers, led him to pursue a degree in IT, despite a music scholarship. Over the course of the career that followed, he joined the team at Oak Grove Technologies in Alexandria—his first “real tech gig”—before going on to work for the DoD, the Department of State and the Department of Justice. In 2009, he lived and worked in Kyrgyzstan, expanding his world view. He now works as a technical product manager at Tanium.
Clearly, Gordon is highly skilled in tech. But as that unused scholarship would indicate, the man has incredible proficiency in music, as well. He plays multiple instruments including “a little alto sax and a little violin,” though guitar and piano are where his greatest skills lie. In fact, as a young man, Gordon spent time as a church pianist for churches that hired his services. He even recorded two CDs in high school to raise money for mission trips. Now, he likes to play cover songs by ear on the piano at home, with a repertoire that includes everything from classical music and jazz to alternative and rock. As one might guess, in another life, he’d pursue a career in music production, music education or performing.
The son of Jamaican immigrants, Gordon was born in New Jersey and moved to Virginia when he was eight years old. He and his wife are now raising their two little girls in Alexandria. Being a present and involved father is high on his list of priorities.
WHY HE SUPPORTS AWLA...
"We adopted a lot of strays when I was growing up, and that taught me compassion and responsibility—which I think can be very beneficial to learn at a young age. That is probably what resonated with me the most about AWLA’s mission statement, because I feel that it captures how we should view the world at large. We, as humans, need more compassion." - Joel