Nominated by Historic Annapolis, Inc.

How does a community honor an icon? For more than five decades, Anna E. Greenberg has answered that question simply by showing up, again and again, for the causes and institutions she loves. Today, at 97, she continues to bring service, fundraising, advocacy, and an unmatched ability to bring people together to education, the arts, historic preservation, and nonprofit leadership across Anne Arundel County.

A lifelong Annapolis resident, Anna returned home in 1973 after time away while her husband served as a naval officer. She began volunteering with Historic Annapolis, Inc. that year as a historic district guide, later joining its Board of Trustees and, today, serving as an Emeritus Board Member. In 2020, Historic Annapolis recognized her with its own Lifetime Achievement Award. In celebration of her 95th birthday, friends and family made gifts to Historic Annapolis and the William Paca Garden in her honor.

Anna's leadership reaches across the county's cultural landscape. She has served twice as President of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, chaired the Maryland Hall Foundation Board, led Scholarship for Scholars as President, and held leadership roles with the Annapolis Opera Company, the Anne Arundel County Library Foundation, and St. John's College. She did not simply join these organizations, she threw herself into their work, becoming, as one supporter put it, their passionate cheerleader and fearless fundraiser.

“She takes the profession of a volunteer seriously and can accomplish things that others can't,” said Christopher Nelson, former president of St. John's College. “She is able to use her powers of persuasion to make things happen.”

Anna’s relationship with Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County reflects that same conviction. She served on CFAAC's Board from 2006 to 2015 and was named Volunteer of the Year in 2007. In 2015, friends established the Anne E. Greenberg Leadership Fund at CFAAC in her honor, supporting leadership and governance training for nonprofit boards throughout the county every year since.

Her impact extends well beyond Anne Arundel County. Anna has served on the national board of Hadassah and supported the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council and the American Cancer Society. Locally, she chaired the 75th, 90th, and 100th anniversary celebrations for Congregation Kneseth Israel, the oldest synagogue in Annapolis, and remains a member of Temple Beth Shalom in Arnold. In 2022, the Museum of Historic Annapolis featured her story, drawing on memories she shared to help preserve the history of the city's Jewish community.

Longtime friend Lisa Hillman, who wrote in support of Anna’s nomination, described her as the consummate connector, always ready to help a newcomer in town, an inquisitive scholar, or a troubled executive director, adding that Anna’s efforts at connecting others have even resulted in a happy marriage or two.

Anna has said she was raised to give back, and that her father always shared what he had. If you do not ask, she says, it will not happen, a philosophy that has guided a fundraising career described by those who know her as legendary.

Anna E. Greenberg is synonymous with Annapolis. Her decades of generosity, humility, and persuasion have made Anne Arundel County a stronger, richer, and more connected place to call home.

Join us in celebrating the Anna and all of the honorees at the 2026 Celebration of Philanthropy Awards on November 12, 2026 at Live! Casino & Hotel.

Carol Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award

This award is named in honor of the late Carol Thompson, the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County's Founder and first Executive Director. It is presented to an individual who has made lasting, significant, and impactful contributions to Anne Arundel County by advancing philanthropy through long-standing leadership; responding creatively to societal problems; and bringing leaders, philanthropists, volunteers, organizations, and businesses together.