The city of Alexandria has officially adopted a new logo after 26 years, featuring a design inspired by the historic Alexandria Courthouse and created by former resident Cody Disney at no cost to the city. The rebranding effort, which began with a community call for ideas in late 2024, represents a significant visual identity update while maintaining the city's established slogan "Where the city meets the country."

The logo redesign initiative was spearheaded by Alexandria Councilmember Patrick Blair, who brought the idea forward during discussions at the Alexandria Future Planning Committee meeting. The process moved quickly through city government, with logo design ideas presented at a council meeting in June and the new logo receiving official approval at an August meeting. City officials launched a public call for design submissions in November and December 2024, receiving approximately a dozen responses from community members.

Cody Disney's winning design stood out among the submissions, despite his current status as a former Alexandria resident who maintains family ties to the city. Disney, who earned his degree in graphic design from Northern Kentucky University and has worked in the field for 11 years, volunteered his time and expertise for the project. "I really just wanted to create something that brought some pride to Alexandria, because it was a big part of my life and really shaped me to be who I am today professionally and personally," Disney explained.

The new logo prominently features the Alexandria Courthouse, located at 8352 E Main Street, rendered in a modern design using blue and navy colors. Disney selected this color combination for its professional appearance and versatility, noting that the colors are clear, strong, and can stand independently in various applications. Councilmember Blair emphasized the courthouse's significance, stating, "Yes, it's the county courthouse, but Alexandria is still a county seat. It's such a cornerstone of the city's history in the commonwealth and arguably it's our best recognized landmark."

City officials chose Disney's design because it successfully balances simplicity, clarity, and modern aesthetics while honoring Alexandria's historical significance. Blair noted that the design effectively ties together the city, county, and commonwealth, creating a cohesive visual representation of Alexandria's role in the broader governmental structure. The timing of the rebrand aligns perfectly with the city's current construction of a new city campus, providing an opportunity for fresh branding across new facilities.

During his June presentation, Blair referenced industry standards indicating that logos typically have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years before requiring updates. He cited examples of other regional cities, including Edgewood, Fort Thomas, and Dayton, that have recently undergone similar identity changes. "When you look at the portfolio of other visual identities for communities around us, sometimes you might think that it's starting to show its age a bit or that it doesn't necessarily fit in like the others," Blair observed.

The city made a deliberate decision to retain its existing slogan, "Where the city meets the country," recognizing its continued relevance and accuracy. Blair defended this choice, explaining, "I know that our slogan gets a lot of attention these days, but the fact remains, whether you are coming from the south, north, east, or west, 30 seconds outside the city limits, sometimes five seconds outside the city limits, you do see a farm."

Rather than implementing an immediate wholesale change, Alexandria plans to soft-launch the new logo gradually, replacing materials and signage over time rather than all at once. Current logo renderings provide a preview of potential applications, though officials emphasize these are not final implementations. The previous logo, which served the city for 26 years, was designed by Alexandria resident Pam Proctor and officially adopted at the May 20, 1999 city meeting.

Proctor's contributions to the community extended beyond logo design, as she served on the Alexandria Park & Recreation board from approximately 2007 to June 2020. In recognition of both designers' contributions to the city's visual identity, Blair announced that the city plans to formally recognize both Proctor and Disney at an upcoming city meeting, honoring their volunteer service and creative contributions to Alexandria's municipal branding efforts.