Reston Association Board Elections: Meet Andy Sigle

Voting in the 2014 Reston Association Board of Directors election is now open. There are nine candidates running for five seats. A candidates forum will be held Saturday, March 15 at Reston Association headquarters at 10 a.m.

Reston Association members should have received an election guide and ballot in the mail last week. 

Reston Now will have Q & As with each candidate running daily this week and next. In the spirit of fairness, each candidate was given the same questions.

Today’s Q & A is with Andy Sigle, the incumbent and one of five candidates running for the three-year At-large term.

Q: How long have you lived in Reston?

A: I have lived in Reston for 8 years.

Q: What inspired you to run for the board?

A: I firmly believe — and my experience confirms — that the best communities are the ones where the residents get involved. I have enjoyed participating as a volunteer for Reston Little League, Reston Swim Team Association, Reston/Herndon Youth Softball, Vale United Methodist Church, Forest Edge and Hunters Woods Elementary Schools, Langston Hughes Middle School, South Lakes High School, and Reston Association.

As I got more involved at Reston Association, I learned about the duties of the Board and believed that I would be an asset to it.  I am so glad that I ran and have been able to get involved in our community from this aspect.  Thank you for the opportunity.

Q: What are three of the biggest concerns you have for Reston?

A: As a Board member I have thought about this question a lot.  After thoughtful debate with my Board colleagues, the 3 areas I want to continue focusing on are:

• Financial Sustainability.  We must prepare for the future now, ensuring that we look forward to our infrastructure repair and replacement needs, while working with RA staff to prioritize operational expenses so that we can keep assessment levels on a reasonable trajectory.
• Influence in Reston’s (re)development.  It is essential that we keep our community as a single community, not a community divided by developments.  It is imperative that we ensure all developments hold to our community’s founding “Essential Reston” principles of Environmental Stewardship, Commitment to the Arts, Accessibility (or multi-modal mobility), Planning and Design Excellence, Superior Recreational Amenities, and Diverse Housing Opportunities.  While the recently approved Phase 1 Reston Master Plan update sets a solid foundation, RA must have a “seat at the table” when developers are working with the county so that we can ensure these principles are upheld in all land-use applications.
• Community Engagement.  Our community is constantly changing.  We must continually strive to increase engagement with the overall community to accurately understand, cater to and represent Reston’s interests.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish by being on the board?

A: I hope to build on the accomplishments of my first term, which include the addition of lights to the Brown’s Chapel little league field, the update of our budgeting processes and financial resolutions to help us plan for the future, and the input of our Essential Reston principles into the Phase 1 Reston Master Plan update.

We need to:  a) continually evaluate ideas for updated amenities in our community, judging the proposals against our founding principles,  b) implement our financial resolution updates and keep assessments at reasonable levels, c) utilize the inputs we received to our community surveys last year to enhance our methods of connecting with all members of Reston, d) continue fostering community/county relationships so that RA has strong influence on the Reston Master Plan Phase 2 (i.e. Reston outside the Dulles Toll Road Corridor) task force that should be getting underway shortly.

Q: How will your personal or professional experience help you in your role with RA?

A: My years of leadership in the telecommunications industry have helped me learn to ask the right questions at the right time in the right manner to move issues forward or promote change where and when needed.  My years of volunteer service in non-profit organizations have shown me areas of our community where support is needed and makes a difference.  I feel that I have hit my stride on the Board and am making a difference.  I would like the opportunity to hit the ground running for a second term.

Previously:

Colin Mills 

Lucinda Shannon  

Rachel Muir

Gerald Volloy

Michael Mackart

Mason Miller