2018 Reston Association Board Election: Meet Andy Sigle

Voting in the 2018 Reston Association Board of Directors election will run from March 5 through April 2. This week, we will begin posting profiles on each of the candidates.

Featured here is Andy Sigle, who is facing three other candidates for the at-large seat for a one-year term. The profiles are in a Q-and-A format. With the exception of minor formatting edits, profiles are published in unedited form. Each candidate had an opportunity to answer the same questions in their own words. 

How long have you lived in Reston? What brought you here?

My family moved to Reston from England in 2006 after a six year ex-pat assignment. Our four children were in International Baccalaureate (IB) programs in England, so we looked for schools near my MCI/Verizon assignment in Ashburn that had the IB program, including South Lakes High School (SLHS). My wife and I toured Reston and fell in love with it.   We still love it today.  Over the 11 years my children were at South Lakes, I helped with several organizations including the band, chorus, softball team, drama department, etc.  I was also elected as President of the SLHS Parent-Teacher-Student-Association (PTSA) for 2 terms (2015-2017) and helped create the SLHS PTSA Food Pantry which opened in March 2017.

What inspired you to run for the board?

It was a privilege to serve on the RA Board from 2011-2014, the last two years as board vice-president. I am proud of leading many accomplishments during that term including the championing of the effort to install lights on the Brown’s Chapel #1 baseball field, driving the restructuring of RA financial processes into separate Operating and Repair/Replacement budgets to better plan for our financial future, saving RA thousands of dollars by pushing for an audit firm competitive bid re-selection process, etc.  These experiences will allow me to “hit the ground running” from day one of this shortened one-year term. I feel that is it important that we elect someone with board experience into this abbreviated role, as it can easily take a new board member six months to learn the post.   It has also been helpful, for perspective, to have been away from the Board for a few years.  I am confident that as I did in my previous term, I will bring a needed-now-more-than-ever positive, thoughtful and community-first spirit and demeanor to the next board.

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

• Development that is not in line with the updated Reston Master Plan, and delays in implementation of infrastructure that will support new development.  Although Fairfax County government has the responsibility and decision-making authority, RA can work to better influence our County government to live by the Reston Master Plan. For example, we need to fight against the County granting exceptions to the Plan for developers, and we must lobby them to ensure that there is adequate funding to support infrastructure upgrades by the time new development is completed.
• Mission-creep for RA. RA must coordinate with local government agencies, non-profits and for-profit businesses rather than trying to do everything itself.  It is perfectly appropriate for RA to spend time and money on areas that affect Restonian’s quality of life where it can add value, but RA must focus on the items that it has direct responsibility over, such as our physical infrastructure of parks, paths, pools, courts, lakes, dams, etc. “Going it alone” unnecessarily can cause our annual dues to rise higher than is needed.
• Loss of knowledge about and use of our Community’s Founding Principles:  Environmental Stewardship, Diverse Housing Opportunities, Recreational Amenities, Accessibility – walk/bike ability, Planning and Design Excellence, and Commitment to the Arts.  These principles that Mr. Simon laid out as the foundation of our “New Town” have stood the test of time and should continue to be used as the lens by which we plan our going-forward agenda and base our decisions.  We must also educate the thousands of new residents who arrive in Reston in the coming years about these principles so that they remain at our core.  We must use them to continually pursue actions and efforts that pull Reston together as One Reston.

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

• Ensure Reston’s Founding Principles remain the basis for RA agenda-setting and decision-making
• Increase and solidify RA’s influence with Fairfax County on land use (re)development activities and infrastructure in our community – saving our golf courses and open spaces!
• Focus RA funding on the Association’s physical infrastructure (e.g., paths, parks, pools, lakes, etc.), avoiding RA “mission-creep,” and, as such, holding down RA annual dues
• Increase RA and Board transparency efforts and Community Engagement activities

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

I bring 28 years as an executive in the telecommunications industry and experience working in many parts of the Reston Community. I am currently applying that experience in many areas including working part-time at Cornerstones and at the Lake Anne Brew House.  Additionally, I volunteer as chair of the Southgate Community Center Advisory Council, sing in The Reston Chorale, serve on the Reston Historic Trust board, led the SLHS PTSA and helped establish the SLHS PTSA Food Pantry.  Each of these roles are part of a powerful base of people and organizations that will help me address the issues facing our community.  My previous efforts and track record of accomplishment on the RA board and Fiscal Committee set the foundation for me to be effective and productive on the next board term from day one.

Click here to view video statements or read candidate statements submitted to RA. 

Photo by Reston Association