2020 Herndon Town Council Election: Meet Sean Regan

Eight candidates are running for six seats on the Herndon Town Council for the 2021-2022 term. This week, Reston Now will publish candidate statements, which are edited for typos and formatting only. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Featured here is Sean Regan.

My wife Anne and I have lived in Herndon for 22 years and we can’t imagine living anywhere else. We have raised a family and opened a business here. Herndon embraced us – our kids received a great education in the neighborhood schools, our business has grown, and we’ve made friends who have laughed with us in good times and cried with us in hard times.  Anne and I love Herndon, it is our home. 

Over the years we’ve tried to give back.  I coached youth lacrosse, Anne was on the board of our local pool and the founding board of the Herndon Environmental Network.  I volunteered for committees to design the “It’s On!” logo and the stone markers you see when you enter Town.

 Since 2012 I’ve been proud to serve on Herndon’s Planning Commission, creating development frameworks for Downtown and the Metro area, and reviewing dozens of land-use applications in all parts of Herndon.  Through that role I’ve learned the workings of Town government and have come to appreciate the challenges of running a small town amidst the Northern Virginia sprawl. 

Running for Town Council is the next chapter for me.  I was raised in Columbia, Maryland, one of the earliest and largest planned communities in America. I grew up appreciating the beauty of an economically, racially, religiously diverse community where many voices could speak and many people could lead. That’s what I want for Herndon, and that’s why I’m running for Town Council. You can learn more about my campaign at www.ReganForHerndon.com.

Qualifications

I understand Town government from my eight years on the Planning Commission. I’ve owned a business in Herndon for 18 years, managing large scale construction projects for non-profits like Mount Vernon Estate and the Northern Virginia Children’s Science Center. I feel invested in this community and am comfortable working with people with different points of view. I think that last idea is an important one – in today’s society politics, social media and other factors have pushed people to the edges and encouraged an “us versus them” mentality which Is not good for the country.  We need to come together, find common ground in the middle, and build from there.  This strategy might not work on the national level but it can work in a small town like Herndon.

Issues

Herndon should be a welcoming town where everyone can thrive so we need to identify policies rooted in historical bias and work to change them. The next Council will be tasked with balancing the budget in light of the effects of COVID-19, which will not be easy in the short- or long-term. In addition, depending on how the “qualified immunity” issue is resolved in Richmond, the Town may have trouble attracting good police officers and could need to fund something akin to doctors’ and dentists’ expensive malpractice insurance to retain them. Finally, I’d like to work with surrounding jurisdictions on regional issues like traffic and climate change. Our 24,000 voices can be powerful if we speak as one on these broader issues.

Economic Development

We need to understand how workplaces are changing, and position Herndon’s Metro area, downtown and other office properties to take advantage of the trends. We need to understand how housing is changing and adapt our zoning code to create an adequate supply of affordable, workforce and age-in-place housing. We need to attract a major university or cultural institution to anchor the metro area and differentiate it from every other stop along the Silver Line.

Whether by mail, by early in-person voting, or at the polls November 3rd – please vote!

Photo via Sean Regan