Loring Starnes with The Bender Group at Long & Foster Realtors -
specializing in real estate sales in Virginia
Loring Starnes was raised in the northern
Virginia area. He attended Saint Stephens Episcopal School for part of his early education
and grew up enjoying sports, reading and art. Loring attended the University of Florida in
Gainsville, Florida as a Metta Healthcote scholar, majoring in advertising with a
concentration in business. Mr. Starnes was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor
Society, Sigma Delta Chi Professional Journalism Society and Kappa Tau Alpha, an Honorary
Journalism Society.
He is a member of the President's Council
at the University of Florida, the primary alumni organization providing planning and
guidance for the University. He graduated from Florida with high honors and went on to a
30 year career with the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with
increasing levels of responsibility. He is a former member of the American Society for
Public Administration.
While at HUD, Mr. Starnes worked broadly
in the areas of community and economic development and assisted housing. He was involved
in developing major economic and community development programs at the national level,
providing oversight management and broad-based field support. Mr. Starnes earned a Masters
of Public Administration Degree form the University of Southern California, as part of the
Intergovernmental Management Program, a full fellowship program sponsored by HUD.
Locally, he has worked with the homeless
assistance programs such as the Carpenter's Shelter, here in Alexandria, the homeless
shelter in Falls Church and the Calvary Woman's Shelter in the District of Columbia.
Loring has a keen interest in the areas of
art, antiques and history. He has an extensive, museum quality, art and antique collection
spanning four centuries, with a concentration in the Federal Period. He has a significant,
focused collection of over 50 images and objects relating to George Washington and Mount
Vernon, including an extremely rare nineteenth century pencil drawing of Mount Vernon
signed on the back, "Augustus Merrill", a Congressional Medal of Honor winner in the Civil
War - a testament to the historic preservation efforts of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association.
Mr. Starnes is a member of the Alexandria
Association and the Neighborhood Friends of Mount Vernon. Loring has a lifelong interest
in fishing and preserving the water environment. He is a member of the Coastal Conservation
Association.
Mr. Starnes is dedicated to top quality
personal service with an emphasis on meeting the customer's needs to their complete
satisfaction. | 
