Kurt Rose: Herndon-Reston Rotary Club 2026 Citizen of the Year

by Gene Powell, staff writer

Kurt Rose has dedicated that last four years to providing books to children and serving Reston in other capacities. Photo contributed by Jane Nash

Kurt Rose will be honored for years of community service and his commitment to bringing books to thousands of young Reston-area students when the Rotary Club of Herndon-Reston names him Citizen of the Year.

Rose is a co-founder of the RoSigle Community Giving Foundation, which supports the Dolly Parton Imagination Library national program in all Reston ZIP codes. Since 2022, the library has distributed more than 27,000 books to are children under age 5.

The foundation also supports programs with George Mason University’s Center for Community Mental Health, Kids R First and Fairfax County Public Schools. It sponsors the Reston Cardboard Boat Regatta, presented by The Reston Museum.

Co-founders Rose and Dianne Rose, along with Andy and Kim Sigle, fund RoSigle’s administrative costs so “100 percent of donations go back to the community,” Rose said.

Rose’s community service extends beyond the foundation. He helped open Aspen Jewelry Designs in Herndon in 1993 and “adds sparkle to anything he does,” said Andy Sigle. “He has an infectious attitude that inspires others around him to do big things.”

Rose serves on multiple boards, including The Reston Museum, and for 17 years has chaired the Rotary Club’s annual golf tournament. Jane Nash of Rotary said Rose personifies the club’s guiding principle, “service above self.”

Among the foundation’s innovative literacy programs is a token-operated book vending machine at Langston Hughes Middle School. Teachers can reward students with a token to select books. Another is a free library at the South Lakes High School Food Pantry, in partnership with Scrawl Books, which has distributed more than 1,600 books since 2022.

The foundation also runs a summer reading initiative. According to its website, “over 600 students enrolled in the Fairfax County Public Schools SOAR summer learning program at Hunters Woods Elementary and Forest Edge Elementary were able to browse in our pop-up shop and select a book to grow their home library.”

The Rotary Club will host a dinner to honor Rose from 4 to 7 p.m. April 26 at the Reston Community Center, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. Tickets are $60 and available until April 15 at https://www.eventcreate.com/e/2026-citizen-of-the-year/. This marks the 57th year the local Rotary Club has presented the award.