This is a commentary from Bill Krieger, a resident of Reston. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.

On Wednesday, Michael Gandolfo resigned from the Elections Committee after a public dispute with current Board Member, Eric Carr.  In solidarity with Michael, I resigned as well. If you’ve seen Carr on Facebook you may already know some of the story. But you may not know it all.

Weeks ago, a current board member asked if he could actively campaign for candidates. The Elections Committee wasn’t certain if this was allowable, and sought legal counsel. My understanding of the answer we received was that no one forfeits their basic rights as an RA member to speak out as they please, regardless of serving on boards or board committees, as long as they make it clear that they are speaking as individuals and not as representatives of those boards or committees.

Speaking only for himself and not for the Elections Committee, Michael Gandolfo posed questions to Carr on Eric’s public Facebook page about whether the Tetra Loan was paid off with Reston reserve funds.  According to Gandolfo, Carr proceeded to berate him saying, “As a member of the RA Elections Committee, I would hope you would be more attuned to the operations of the Association, and I would further hope your social media postings might serve as an exemplar of civility.”  Carr then contacted the Chair of the Election Committee expressing his concerns about Michael’s position on the committee. In response, the Chair sent all its members an email, saying, in effect, that as Election Committee members we must not to engage in any Reston political issues with board members or candidates on social media or elsewhere.

While the position of the Chair seems reasonable at first, unfortunately it contains an inherent hypocrisy.  RA members do not forfeit their rights to speak out on any RA issues when they make it clear that they are speaking out as individuals, not official representatives. Michael Gandolfo did just that. His speech, therefore, was as valid and protected as Eric Carr endorsing candidates. When the Election Committee Chair sent out this email, Michael Gandolfo resigned. I followed suit not only in solidarity with Michael but also because I believe Eric Carr crossed a line. In my opinion, he used his influence as a current board member -not as an individual -to take Michael to task with his committee chair. I believe he abused his positon and for that reason, frankly, he should either be censured by the board, resign his office, or be voted out of office the next time he runs.

Eric Carr’s behavior, to me, personifies the fears of some Restonians regarding the candidates he is actively supporting – Bowman, Ganesan, Johnson and Petrine. These four candidates are running as a slate calling itself “4 for Reston.” For some, the math is troubling.  A slate of four fortified by even one current board member in lockstep can easily translate into a guaranteed majority, or what some Reston Now readers are calling “group think.” They rightly fear the creation of a board with a built-in majority that has the potential to rob the RA Board of all debate and independence when important issues come before it.  And now a second slate of candidates appears. This is a trend that we, as members, should actively discourage with our votes. The Board must consist of independent thinkers.

Today is International Women’s Day and Lake Anne Brew House is brewing up something special to celebrate.

The business, which is located on 11424 Washington Plaza West, will join 15 breweries to make a special beer called 15 Shades of Grisette. The recipe was piloted at Lake Anne Brew House.

The collaboration is part of the Pink Boots Society Collaboration Brew Day, which aims to raise the profile of women’s roles in the beer industry.

A release party will be held at Old Ox Brewery on April 13, followed by a taproom release at Lake Anne Brew House on April 14.

Here’s more from Melissa Romano, owner of Lake Anne Brew House:

As a female owned brewery, with a female Brewer on staff, we are active members of the Pink Boots Society (PBS), which is an organization that supports women in the Brewing industry. PBS sponsors an annual collaborative Brewing day (on national Women’s Day) where breweries are encouraged to come together and Brew a beer which will be shared among all participants. Portions of proceeds realized from the sales of the beer at each location go to sponsor scholarships and programs funded by PBS.

The Northern Virginia Restaurant Week is back this year. The annual event, which runs from March 19-26, offers reduced price at more than 50 restaurants in Northern Virginia.

Customers are strongly encouraged to make reservations.

Several eateries in Reston and Herndon are participating in the event, including:

• Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants (12130 Sunset Hills Rd)
• GreenFare (408 Elden Street)
• Gregorio’s Trattoria (428 North Point Village Center)
• Kalypso’s Sports Tavern (1617 Washington Plaza N)
• Mon Ami Gabi (11950 Democracy Drive)
• Red’s Table (11150 South Lakes Drive)
• The Melting Pot (11730 Plaza America Drive)

For a complete list of all eateries taking part, visit the event’s website.

Photo via Northern Virginia Restaurant Week

A Reston resident will lead RCC Cycles, a program by Reston Community Center that aims to teacher riders of all ages the fundamentals of cycling.

Kelley Westenhoff, a certified cycling instructor, will teach three-hour sessions for students age 13 and up on April 8 and 29 and sessions for students between ages 6 and 12 on April 21 and May 5.

The cost, which includes rental of a bike and the use of a helmet, is $65 for Reston residents and $98 for all others. Each class is limited to 10 students.

For more information, visit RCC’s website. Registration is available online.

Here’s more from a release by RCC:

Topics addressed in class will be basic braking, steering and balance. Westenhoff is a cycling advocate and serves as vice chair of the Reston Bicycle Club. Her technique, certified by the League of American Cyclists, is intuitive and will take students through a progression of skills to launch participants on their way to riding with confidence.

RCC Leisure and Learning Director Eileen Boone said RCC Cycles was started last year in order to support Reston’s growing cycling opportunities, including the many miles of bike trails and the new Capital Bikeshare stations.

“For those who haven’t had the opportunity to learn, this class is a great start down the healthy road of cycling for fun and transportation,” said Boone.

Photo via Reston Community Center

Residents of the Hunter Mill District will have a chance tomorrow to weigh in on the fiscal year 2019 budget.

Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill proposed the $4.29 billion general fund budget in February. The proposal would raise the residential property tax rate from $1.13 to $1.155 per $100 of assessed value.

Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins will hold a town hall on the proposal tomorrow at South Lakes High School from 7-9 p.m.

During the public meeting, Hill will discuss his proposal for the upcoming fiscal year, as well as the county’s financial forecast. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions following county presentations.

Photo via handout

This is an op/ed submitted by Paul Anderson, a Reston resident, on February 28. It does not reflect the opinions of Reston Now.

I was saddened to see that Ms. Fulkerson “resigned” last week. Saddened and disheartened that the populist anger that has so gripped our country seems to be very active right here in our own little community. Clearly the purchase of the Tetra property was the last straw, but I suspect that this has been simmering over a long time with many initiatives and changes causing increasing ire and angst; the new RA Headquarters, the Nature House, the Lake Anne land swap and finally Tetra. Add to that anything at all that happens in small tax district 5 and paid parking at Reston Town Center and boom! One head on a stake and sadly probably more to come.

The spite of board member John Bowman’s attempt to have the Tetra purchase reviewed by the Commonwealth Attorney even after a professional review by highly regarded StoneTurn, which found no evidence of malfeasance, was shocking in what it exposed. A well of vitriol whose depth is breathtaking to behold.

The orchestration of this separation before the new board is seated in April was also disheartening. Clearly there is a core on the current board with a mission, they needed to act while they knew that they had the numeric advantage. Which brings me to the election.
We have for the first time that I can recall a large “slate” running for the four vacancies. Two of the incumbents were previously appointed to their positions and two are running for the first time. Three of the four have past experience in the same Reston organizations, RCA – the Reston Citizens Association and Reston 2020. Since the four are using a single piece of co-branded campaign material it would appear that the old agreement that current Board Members do not endorse candidates has gone out the window. We could check the Ethics Rules on this topic but wait, no, we can’t because this board after making scene after scene about ethics found it inconvenient to actually get that task done.

My point in all of this is simple. The health of the Reston Association Board depends on a diversity of independent opinions, not groupthink that has been hobbled together by our most angry citizens. I’m not telling my fellow Reston citizens who to vote for but I hope that they’ll consider the new faces and differing opinions that are seeking election this term because that’s what will move this community forward in positive ways. To the current Board; you’ve got your pound of flesh in Ms. Fulkerson. Let’s move on.

File photo.

Some Reston residents are facing a four-day streak without power after Friday’s windstorm.

Roughly 400 residents remain without power near Lawyers Road and Handlebar Road. Dominion Energy indicates the outage is “pending investigation.”

The company expects to restore power in Northern Virginia by 11 p.m. tomorrow.

After a strong wind storm that impacted Dominion Energy’s territory on Friday, March 2nd, over 690,000 customers were affected, putting this event in the top five of the most devastating weather events behind Hurricane Isabel and Hurricane Irene. Since then, Dominion Energy has restored 97% of the affected customers. With calmer, fairer weather and additional resources, our crews are working hard to restore electricity to our customers.

Crews have either been dispatched or are working in the area.

Map via Dominion Energy

Two new residential projects with under 100 units were added to the Reston Association last month.

The owners of Valley & Park by Toll Brothers and the Lofts at Reston by Pulte Homes will pay annual assessments and the projects will be subject to the RA deed and covenants.

The Lofts (Michael Faraday Drive) includes 32 multi-family units and 12 loft townhouse units. Prices start in the upper 600s, according to Pulte’s website. Valley & Park is a 54-unit project on 11720. The site was previously home to a six-story office building.

Both developments will have their own on-site maintenance through a cluster of condominium association, among other conditions.

Windstorm cleanup continues — The storm left a path of tree limbs, uprooted trees and downed wires. Reston Association staff it could take up at least a month to clean up. [Reston Association]

Some schools still don’t have power — Students in Reston are back in session, but some Fairfax County Public Schools are closed today. Reston residents didn’t have power for more than two days near Lake Newport Road. [Reston Patch]

Reston Olympian makes history — Maame Biney wrapped up her junior career by becoming the first woman in the country to earn an overall medal in 21 years at the Word Junior Short Track Championships yesterday. [Team USA]

Support Herndon Track & Field with a salad — The team is hosting a fundraiser today from 6-10 p.m. at Cava (1815 Fountain Drive). Mention this fundraiser and get the Herndon Hornets some extra cash. [Herndon Track and Field]

Photo by Doug Errett

Before we head off into the windy weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.

1. Developing: Reston Association’s CEO Leaves Position
2. As New Tenants Come to Reston Town Center, Current Businesses Report Losses Due to Paid Parking
3. South Lakes High School Students Stage Walkout In the Aftermath of Florida Shooting
4. Proposal to Conduct Third Review of Controversial Tetra Purchase Withdrawn
5. After Changes, Plan to Redevelop Offices into Condominiums Moves Forward

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

Featured here is Ven Iyer, who is facing six other candidates for two at-large seats for a three-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?

I have enjoyed living in Reston near Lake Anne for nine years. I was born and raised in Mumbai in a middle class family. After completing my bachelors degree in Electronics Engineering, I came to the United States to earn a Masters Degree in Computer Science. After graduation, I proceeded to take a job at IBM, which allowed me to live anywhere in the country and travel across the United States to customers. Eleven years ago, I was living in Florida, and planning to start my own technology company. I was searching for a place to call home, with plenty of open space and outdoor activities. I happened upon Reston, which was featured as one of the top places to live in America. I flew into Dulles to explore the area, and I was captivated by what Reston had to offer. After renting in Ashburn for a couple years, I bought my first home near Lake Anne in May 2009. I also went on to start my technology company. We are a small and minority-owned business, and our customers are Local, State, and Federal Government agencies. Thus, Reston has been instrumental in my personal and professional life.

What inspired you to run for the board? 

I want to stop the wasteful spending on projects Members clearly have expressed they don’t want. For example, the Board pushed for the Hook Road rec-area full-facility rebuild with a mere budget of $122,000. They proposed regulation soccer, baseball, lacrosse fields with lights, bleachers, pavilions; butterfly park, dog park, skateboard park and sculpture garden as “enhancements”, which Members found are invasive on neighbors and nature. This also shows that the Board is disconnected from the expectations of grass roots Members and there is influence from special interest groups. In another example, the Board insists that StoneTurn’s $45,000 business process review of the Tetra fiasco is forensic analysis. Members find that it is a 30-page report of process and policy philosophies devoid of individual culpability, law-breaking and conflicts of interest, also found in an HOA manual available at the Reston library or for $16.95 on amazon. Other examples are the $100k RA website with terrible user experience, glossy magazine with outrageous costs. I want to demand Board transparency. I want to stop the rapidly rising assessment bills – although RA brags that the 2018 assessments are lower, it is because new Members brought additional revenue and not because RA cut costs.

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

The biggest concerns for the Reston community are from wasteful spending and lack of transparency posed by RA, and threat of increased development posed by developers, Fairfax County and others set to benefit from it. Any zoning changes must be accompanied by planned growth and concomitant infrastructure without threat to Reston’s open and green space. Although RA may be viewed as a mere HOA with no enforceable ordinance by those who will benefit by increased growth, we must remind them that we are recognized as a hybrid government in many levels including courts. Also, the most common way people lose power is by thinking that they don’t have any. With about 22,000 households, our Members are our biggest asset in making our voice heard against zoning changes, and RA is in the frontline. We must, however, champion Member participation further in meetings, gatherings, protests and marches and increase our campaigning and lobbying efforts. Although we see hundreds of Members participate, it is a small fraction of the booming roar we can generate, and activist groups need further support. We also need DRB and Covenants to focus resources on deterring increased development over policing obsolete and burdensome design Rules on residents.

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

The RA Board is a highly cohesive group where its desire for consensus and agreement overrides critical thinking and correct judgment. Dissenting opinions are ignored or discouraged by the Board, and Member input is restricted in the interests of reaching a unanimous decision. Meeting minutes for this Board seem to show that there has been only one failed motion versus over a 120 of them passed unanimously. The voting majority and groupthink mode is evident when the Board unanimously voted to use $2.42 million of Members’ reserve money to pay off the Lake House loan. This was a rushed and self-serving decision by the Board in an effort to reduce the 2018 assessments by a mere $8.66, without due diligence, just weeks before its Directors are now running for re-election. They will spend a year’s time and $50,000 of the $122,000 budget to study the Hook Road rec-area but no careful analysis to support a $2.42 million decision? I want to avoid costly mistakes from groupthink, establish effective audits, Member inclusion and better two-way communications to improve transparency. I will remind RA that they operate with their Members’ money and trust, and the Board must always be cognizant of that.

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

I am grateful to this country; it has facilitated everything I’ve achieved, and that makes me want to give back even more. I have actively participated in prevention of St. Johns Wood high-rises, unwarranted Hook Road full-facility rebuild, replacing natural Lake Newport soccer fields with artificial turf, Fairfax County zoning changes that would eliminate our golf course open spaces, paid parking at Reston Town Center, and the Density Cap Increase. I have been involved in community service with Fairfax County organizations. At HART, I drove a van of rescue animals for adoption events, fostered rescue dogs and house checked potential adopters. At FACETS, I assisted parents and children affected by poverty and mentored students towards well-paying careers in technology. I am running for the RA Board, At-Large Seat because I believe my positions on key issues will benefit the entire Reston community. You can learn more at veniyer.com or facebook.com/voteforven. Finally, during my campaign, I have met some terrific Restonians with excellent insight into the issues and solutions, and many who are eager to help. I am certain that I can do my job better with their involvement and hope that the community will participate in making my service successful.

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

Photo by Reston Association

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

Featured here is Travis Johnson, who is facing six other candidates for two at-large seats for a three-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 has been part of the Reston Association for just under four years.  We’ve had a Reston address for longer than that, though, as, prior to this, we lived in Deepwood for about four years.

What inspired you to run for the board? 

I love my home and my community, and I want to serve them as best I can.  I moved here because I want this place, with its historic beautiful open spaces, its diverse and friendly population, and its safe and sustainable lifestyle, to be a place my two daughters will always be happy to call home.  I want to preserve those elements for my daughters and their children. I see serving on the Board as a vehicle for doing that, not just for my family, but for the community at large.

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

• Mismanagement. I’m sorry to say that I think the Reston Association has, until the relatively recent past, with the Board new majority, been poor stewards of our Association’s resources. We purchased Tetra in 2015 at close to twice its market value without a real plan for its use. We’ve seen project cost overruns that careful oversight and having the necessary controls in place could have prevented.
• “Cash Cow” vs a Community. Fairfax County government doesn’t think of Reston as the thriving community filled with people who live and work according to a sense of shared values like you and I do. Fairfax County sees Reston as a pot from which they can draw resources to pay for activities in the rest of the County. It’s why they want to increase our population density. Not because it will help our community in any way. It’s wrong.
• Losing the family feeling. One thing I’ve heard from long-time residents of Reston is how the community felt like a big family. I know my family feels that when we go to festivals in and around town or when the kids are playing soccer or participating in local theater.  But, it doesn’t feel like that for all of us. Large segments of our community have grown detached from one another. We don’t know our neighbors anymore. We don’t look out for each other. In the not too distant past, Board members would shout and yell and insult each other. This atmosphere contributed to all sorts of problems. We need to bring back the community feeling in Reston.

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

• I hope to bring oversight and prudent management to the Association. Before any project is considered for approval, we need to see a plan that includes a detailed mission statement, frequent milestones during which the Association staff can report progress back to the Board, so the Board can subsequently report back to the membership. I will request community impact assessments for any large-scale project to ensure member needs are met. I will help the Board avoid the mistakes past and pay attention to Members’ needs.  And I will work hard to help the Board make the best possible decisions using the best possible information.
• I will work with other members of the Board and other members of the community to make our community’s voice heard to the County government and, if necessary, to the Commonwealth government. Specifically, I will encourage the Board to work closely with other Reston-based community groups to firmly assert that we do not want the population cap increase forced on us. We will say it as often as we need to and to as many people as we need in the hopes that we can make that point.
• I will work with the Board of Directors to engage Reston in activities that will bring us closer together and make our community safer. I’ll work with the clusters to encourage more year-round activities so neighbors have more opportunities to get to know each other. We’ll also work to step up our Neighborhood Watch programs which will enable our neighbors to look out for each other ‘s safety.  We’ll work with community organizations to utilize more of our empty spaces like the parking lot at Hunter’s Woods or the soon-to-be redeveloped spaces at Tall Oaks for year-round community activities.  I will encourage the Board to reach out to community groups throughout Reston so our currently underserved members can be included.

I will also act as an example of the kind of behavior I want to foster. I will not engage in the inappropriate behavior I’ve seen some Board Members exhibit in earlier years. I will attempt to build strong working relationships with my colleagues and act as an intermediary between them. We are adults who care about our community and we should act that way.

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

I have over almost two decades of experience in project management. I know how to make projects work on time and within their budgets. I have served on my condominium board and served as the Neighborhood Watch coordinator in Deepwood. I work to finance and coordinate social justice activities at my church.  Bringing diverse populations together in the interest of safety and community is my passion. I will bring this experience and this energy to my tenure on the Board of Directors.

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

Photo by Reston Association

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

Featured here is Sridhar Ganesan, who is facing six other candidates for two at-large seats for a three-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?

I have lived in Reston for over 19 years. After an international finance and business degree from Columbia University, I was working out of New Jersey for Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin, when I traveled to Reston in 1997 for a conference.  My wife and I found this small new town to be charming.  After numerous trips to Reston over a year, we relocated here in 1998.

What brought me here was work, but what made me choose Reston from all of the neighboring towns was a combination of things:

The small town feel, lakes, open space, walkability, very little density, proximity to an airport and, believe it or not, I liked Reston for TRAFFIC.  Yes, even with fewer lanes on Reston Parkway and a very incomplete Fairfax County Parkway that did not run all along Reston, traffic flow was just fine then.

Reston seemed like a great place to drop down roots, chase my version of the American dream and raise a family. I am exactly where I want to be.

What inspired you to run for the board?

Seven years ago, I decided to leverage my varied and global experience for public service in civic issues and Education. I served on the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) budget taskforce in 2015 that identified potential cuts of up to $100 million to deal with expected funding shortfalls.

In 2012, I joined the Reston Citizens Association (RCA) board and served as its President from 2014 to 2017.  During that time, we opposed higher Planned Residential Community (PRC) density; the opening up of Reston National Golf Course for development; Town Center paid parking; and any re-development that would force low-income seniors out of Lake Anne Fellowship House.

Given its central role, we also focused on Reston Association (RA) and its serious missteps on the acquisition and renovation of the Tetra/Lakehouse property.  These experiences led me to the conclusion that the best place to reform RA was from within.

I now serve as Treasurer of Reston Association (RA) and am an At-Large Director.  With strong support from the current RA Board, I led the establishment of many operational reforms at RA, since my appointment in June 2017.   I want to finish what I started at RA, so I am running for a new 3-year At-Large Term to reinforce the reforms to make RA work better for its members.

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

Density:  The issue of greatest importance to Reston is the County proposed increase in density from 13 to 16 persons per acre in Reston’s PRC district.  Combined with the growth in the Transit Station Areas (TSA), an increase in the PRC population from the zoned limit of about 74,000 to 100,000 seriously threatens the future of Reston we know today. Property developers recently expressed concerns about softness in the Reston market, so where is the demand and why the rush? Reston’s current transportation and other infrastructure cannot support such growth.  The public response has been a loud “NO” to higher density. RA’s role should be collaborative with its members and other community organizations to shape Reston’s destiny.

RA Operations, Processes, Controls:  A second major issue is completion of the restructuring of RA operations started by the current Board majority and assuring that these changes become ingrained in RA. There were some serious problems that the Tetra/Lake House property acquisition, renovation and planning showed.  They include:

• The process of decision-making, the high purchase price, the questionable appraisal, the lack of negotiation, and inadequacy of the referendum materials.
• The lack of controls, which led to serious cost overruns.
  Poor use planning for the property without fiscal responsibility or careful analysis.
• Many improvements have been made during 2017, but continued focus on corrective action is necessary to make RA prudent, cost-effective and responsive to members.

What should RA be? Third concern is to work with sports groups, members, clusters and other groups to do some soul-searching on RA’s strategic vision.  Many RA assets are aging.  Replacing/updating them will cost more than the Reserve Study estimates.  Bumper sticker slogans such as “Wasteful Spending” are easy, but even hard work can only yield so much cost reduction without crippling services and RA operations, so that is not the answer to everything.  RA cannot be all things to all people, so it is time for an honest discussion about what RA should be and what it should deliver to its members.

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

I want to continue the reforms instituted by the current Board and continue the positive change. I am leading the establishment and implementation of internal controls, oversight of policies and procedures to avoid a Tetra/Lake House repeat. I want to achieve the following for more effective functioning of RA for the benefit of members:

• Complete a comprehensive analysis of recreational facilities (pools, ball-fields, tennis courts) to inform the public about usage/demand and member benefit, supply, revenues, expenses and cost to update or replace.
• Comprehensive analysis and update of the Reserve Study for maintaining, replacing and updating aging RA assets.
• Reinforce rigor in planning new investments, improvements to amenities, validate cost estimates, purchasing/contracting procedures, and ensure major projects and programs are implemented on schedule and within budget.
• Make RA a leader in voicing/advocating for the community’s needs on issues like PRC Density and work in collaboration with members and community organizations.
• Establish a process and system to seek out quantifiable member feedback on major issues and policies.
• Continue to drive more transparency through open meetings, public reporting and disclosure, and to strengthen Board oversight of on-going operations.
• Establish a routine process for review of RA rules and regulations for flexibility and materiality.

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

I bring 20+ years of operational, financial and executive leadership experience, including as Chief Financial Officer of a publicly traded company that I steered to a NASDAQ initial public offering.

My experience spans media, satellites, telecommunications, technology and education in the US and international markets.

I am an entrepreneur who has started-up several new ventures around the world and an executive who has helped restructure companies and businesses. My nature is to roll up my sleeves, dive into details, fix issues and get things done.

I have dedicated several hundred hours to digging into RA and it’s restructuring during my eight months as a very hands-on Treasurer and Director. I have demonstrated the vision, skillsets and passion necessary for public service. Some of the accomplishments are:

• Achieved reduction in assessments; 1st time ever in RA’s history.
• Shaped budget, led in-depth budget sessions, provided more public input opportunities than before.
• Moved RA towards rigorous, analytical approach for programs and capital projects.
• Driving the establishment of solid decision-making processes, internal controls, policies and procedures to avoid a repeat of Tetra/Lake House disaster.
• Providing strong, diligent review of the adequacy of contracts and their performance.
• Reconstituted, reformulated fiscal committee for greater engagement and Board support.

I believe that my background, commitment to public service, time and effort I have put into RA and the results achieved will help me as a board member over the next years.

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

Photo by Reston Association

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

Featured here is Colin Meade, who is facing six other candidates for two at-large seats, which run for a three-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?

I have lived in Reston for 5 years.  I’ve been a long time Northern Virginia resident and had always admired Reston as a prime example of suburban planning.  At the time we decided to move to Reston, my wife and I were just starting our family. With the excellent schools, abundance of nature and the amenities of the Town Center, it felt like the perfect place to put down roots.  The last five years have proven that to be true.

What inspired you to run for the board? 

My wife and I have two young boys (four and five) who have been very active in many of the children’s programs sponsored by the RA (Fit Kids, Enrichment Clubs, Summer Camps, etc).  Over the last year, those programs have been either cut drastically or eliminated altogether.  When I raised the issue with some of the members of the current board, it was made very clear to me that children are not a priority of this current version of the RA Board With respect to other worthy initiatives, I disagree with that prioritization and am running to provide a voice on the board for the families of Reston.

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

1.  I believe some of the board’s priorities, particularly as they apply to families and children, are misplaced and not necessarily reflective of Reston as a whole, but rather the much smaller subset who happen to be active in local politics.  I believe the board should be more reflective of the entire community and make decisions accordingly.

2.  Like most Restonians, I am concerned about the rapid pace of development in Reston and ensuring that the community retains its essential character while adapting to the inevitable growth to come.

3. As Reston grows and evolves, its relationship with Fairfax County will become more an more important.  I believe the current relationship can be improved, and I will bring a pragmatic approach to working with the county while advocating for issues such as smart growth, better schools and the preservation of natural spaces that are important to Reston.

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

I hope to be a voice on the board for the families of Reston.  As it’s currently comprised, the  RA Board is not reflective of the overall population of Reston, nor their priorities.  As a board member, I will advocate for programs and policies that benefit the families and children of Reston.  That includes restoration of funding for children’s programs, putting a priority on maintaining and improving our common areas and parks and working with the county to build a new middle and high school for Reston.

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

As a high level sales executive, I’ve learned that nothing is more important than listening to your constituency and knowing their problems and concerns.  Only then can you tailor a solution to meet their needs.  I will take the same approach to being a board member and pledge to be the ears of the RA board for anyone in Reston who has concerns.  Additionally, I’ve learned the power of negotiation and being pragmatic in order to achieve your goals. The ability to see issues from multiple perspectives is key to any good negotiation and is a skill I have mastered throughout my career.

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

Photo by Reston Association