2026 Morrie Kellman Humanitarian Award: Alexander Gianaras

The Gianaras family has supported Little City from the start, with Alec Gianaras serving as Board President for 20 years from 1974-1994. His son Alex has continued that legacy of support and has helped guide Little City for 30 years to reach more families than ever. While this annual award always recognizes incredible supporters for their commitment to Little City’s mission, few have given as directly as Alex to support Little City staff. Among many of Alex’s contributions, the longtime board member established a scholarship in honor of his father that provided thousands of dollars for Little City staff members to further pursue their education, allowing them to acquire meaningful certifications that helped them better serve those at Little City and advance in their careers in the field.

“When you tour campus and see all the hard work that goes on every day, it is amazing and inspiring to see how much the staff truly care and do all they can to support the people at Little City,” Alex said. “You are only as good as your people and Little City has incredible people. It is so important to support them in the work they do.”

Alex’s passion for supporting staff also had major benefits for those we serve, especially in the children’s program. While his scholarship helped elevate staff to vital positions such as Board-Certified Behavior Analysts, his time and leadership on the Board of Directors also helped reach major milestones such as the re-opening of the Center for Education in 2011. One scholarship recipient even helped establish what was then known as the Little City Behavior Support Department, which has continued to evolve to this day, helping children get the specialized support they need.

In addition to his support for Little City, Alex has also been an influential member of the Little City Invitational committee, growing this event into one of the biggest annual fundraisers for those we serve.

His time on the Board has covered nearly every recent milestone from the re-opening of the Center of Education to the merger with Countryside Association and the launch of the Duffey Family Children’s Village.

“It is impossible to imagine Little City without the visionary leadership and support of the Gianaras family over the decades,” said Little City CEO Rich Bobby. “Alex has not only carried on his family legacy in incredible ways at Little City, he has truly helped establish a culture where we support our staff and believe in the people we rely on every day to make life-changing differences for those we serve. We cannot thank Alex enough for his unwavering belief and commitment to Little City.”

Professionally, Alex is the longtime President of Transformer Manufacturers, Inc. and Co-President of NXT Power in Norridge. He is active in numerous charitable organizations including St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church and the National Hellenic Museum where he has served on the Board since 1984.

Thank you, Alex, for three decades of building a brighter future for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and empowering the staff at Little City to reach their full potential!