Candidates for an at-large seat on Reston Association’s Board of Directors called for tighter fiscal controls and better community engagement at a forum Monday night.

All seven candidates running for the three-year position struck similar positions on financial stewardship and balancing current facilities and programs with future programs as Reston’s braces for major population growth.

Calling himself “Reston’s advocate,” Derrick Watkins, an aircraft mechanic who moved to Reston four years ago, said RA must facilitate transparent discussions and invest more time in community engagement.

Sridhar Ganesan, former president of the Reston Citizens Association, drew from his experience as a current treasurer and director on the board, touting accomplishments like lowering assessments this fiscal year and leading the establishment of internal controls.

He hopes to reduce legal costs and employee costs while engaging in an “honest discussion” of services and programs the community desires. “I want to finish what I started eight months ago,” he said.

In contrast, Ven Iyer, president of a small technology business who took a hardline stance at the forum, said the board was operating in a “dogmatic mode” and needed to eliminate wasteful spending.

He said he wants to be the “voice to the families of Reston” by stopping wasteful spending, unwanted increases in assessment bills and invasive development projects. Among other examples, he criticized RA for decisions like a $100,000 website redesign that he said provided a “terrible user experience.”

Aaron Webb, who previously served as president of the Lakeside Cluster board and often cited his commitment to Reston’s core principles, said he wants to find ways to ensure development and amenities are available at the same pace. “Let’s not get the people here first and then get the venue,” he said.

Similarly, Travis Johnson, who touted nearly 20 years of experience in the public and private sector, said RA cannot “make investments randomly. “Every project that the board approves should have a clear middle and end,” he said.

Part of the challenge is staving off the “external greed of developers,” said John Pinkman, who has lived in Reston for 40 years and co-founded Rescue Reston, a grassroots organization. He hopes to protect and enhance property values, with the ultimate aim of uniting the “Reston spirit.”

“The bottom line really for me is that I really appreciate the $10 that we saved in our assessment, but I’m not sure i’m ready to sacrifice my home value to save that $10 a year,” he said.

Colin Meade, a sales executive who frequently reiterated his commitment to children’s programming and families, said RA must find ways to collect non-assessment dues. “I’m running for me and my family,” he said.

Read More

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

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 Aaron Webb, who is facing six other candidates for two at-large seats, which run 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 and I came to Reston from California for a one-year assignment when I was working for the Navy. A year among the trees in the Barton Hill area was enough to convince us to sell our house and make a career change so we could stay and raise our kids here.

What inspired you to run for the board?

I have had the opportunity to work on the Hook Road Recreation Area Working Group and really enjoyed working with fellow Restonians to plan for the future of our community. After one of the meetings of the working group I came across a flier about serving on the board and felt I should do my part to contribute. I was encouraged by the process of obtaining signatures for the application, everyone I spoke with agreed that running for a position on the board was a great idea.

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

My three largest concerns are infrastructure, stagnation, and Reston being exploited by outside entities. I want to ensure that Reston’s growth into the future is well thought-out and designed with the long-term health of the community in mind. Infrastructure and amenities should accompany growth, not be an after-thought. Reston must continue to lead in innovative concepts and excellent management. We must also protect Reston from any entity that would trade away long-term benefits for short-term windfalls.

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

I hope to keep a focus on the principles that have formed and sustained Reston. I will ensure that the seven goals outlined at the outset are still a driving force behind board decisions (see https://www.restonmuseum.org/reston-history).

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

I have served in several capacities that have given me useful experience for service on the board. As the Director of Engineering, I have learned to analyze and evaluate the costs and benefits of alternatives and select the best approach for the company. Serving in my church I have a deep respect for entrusted funds. The time I spent on the board of the Lakeside Cluster honed my skills in working with others for the benefit of the community.

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 begin posting profiles on each of the candidates.

Featured here is Ray Wedell, 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?

I have little doubt that you will be flooded with answers that say people have lived here for an eternity (or at least most of their adult lives), and that Reston’s ambiance, environmental planning, diversity, etc. were driving forces. All well and good, I consider all these givens about our community.

Here is my reality: I have lived in Reston for 19 years. I used to live in a vast mansion in Oakton, living a dream life with dream kids, and a dream….well, modern world realities forced me out of that life because my ex-wife thought it would be a great idea to get a divorce. ‘Nuff said.

I needed a place to stay, and one which would be a good place for my then-10 year old daughter and 7-year old son. I rented a town house in North Reston, not because of any long research on Bob Simon or the Reston vision, but because it seemed like a nice place to rent for a year until we could get our lives back into some sort of order. That was 19 years ago; I am still here.

Reston was the first community I lived in that reminded me in many ways of the Long Island town I grew up in, Malverne. Back then, there was now internet or PlayStation, and kids played outside. All of the schools and playing fields were located on the borderline of the neighboring black community, Lakeview. Imagine the Toll Road from Hunter Mill exit to Reston Parkway, and all that corridor land being open ball fields and a junior and senior high school. Instead of the Toll Road, we had Ocean Avenue that divided the Lakeview community with Malverne. As the Toll Road divides Reston into North and South, Ocean Avenue divided us the same way.

But in Malverne, kids met at the ball fields at an early age. It is what we did; not play on an iPad. We chose teams and played extremely competitive basketball or touch football games, and the intensity of the play brought out the best and worst in all of us. After all, everyone likes to win. But we laughed, argued, teamed up with, and teamed up against,  each other in a way that ludicrous factors like someone’s skin tone had nothing to do with any of it. You either hugged or fought a person of different race on a daily basis; often the same person on each side of that coin from day-to-day, depending on which team you were chosen to play on that day.

As we all “grew up” (or at least some of us did), most of us had a much different perspective on the news of the day. None of us needed “diversity training”, or to be told how screwed up things were in Selma, Alabama. And the violence of 1968 did not spill over to our communities, although based on population demographics and mood of the times, most outsiders predicted it would. Awareness and action, yes. Blindly categorizing people by race? Not in our communities.

I mention the above because my son was a superior basketball player at age 8. He used to watch Pete Maravich instructional videos from age 3, and we had two hoops set up at our house at a lower height for him to play. The beautiful hardwood floors inside, and the wide portals between rooms, were perfect for Scott to practice his dribbling in the house most of the day. When in Reston, Scott would love me to take him to the Southgate Community Center, where they had exceptional outdoor basketball courts, one set of hoops set at 8 feet to accommodate smaller kids. He played in youth leagues at Southgate, and grew to know many kids who would later be friends and teammates/opponents in basketball games as he grew older. Scott was much different from all the other kids, being small, blond, and always smiling. But kids do not carry the same gremlins in their heads as adults, and Scott was always chosen early to be on the team with kids who looked nothing like him. Kids wanted the best players on their team, and want to win. What that person looked like never matters.

So we had that semi-Malverne factor working for Scott, and the vast bicycle paths and “cool places” to hang out appealed to my daughter. So Reston had things about it other communities simply did not have. Therefore, my one year trial period turned into what is now 19 years and counting.

Thank you for your patience in allowing me to tell you a part of my story.

What inspired you to run for the board?

I used to play golf with my son every weekend. So the thought of Reston National Golf Course being re-zoned (leading to inevitable building later on) just stuck in my craw. I joined the Rescue Reston movement, becoming a Director. The Rescue Reston movement proved to me the power of a dedicated community to force the right thing to be done, despite “odds being so stacked against us”, and all sorts of reasons leading people to give up, or simply compromise away their own rights. Common sense told me it was right for citizens to rally in full harmony behind this, so that was the beginning of my “public service” in some way.

But again, I am not going to join the chorus of those who will tell us about their need to “give back to the community” and all that.

I am reminded of this story: A Greek billionaire is hosting a party on his yachts in the rough Aegian waters…..His beautiful daughter falls overboard….. the man panics and screams, “Any man who saves my daughter will have her hand in marriage, a new yacht, and a mansion on the Sea.”…..just then a man is hurling through the air, splashed into the sea, swims to the daughter, gives her his life jacket, and eventually saves her……A news reporter is on board and decides to interview this ultra-courageous man: “You leaped overboard to an almost certain death to save this woman! What do you have to say?”….. The man gazes at the people all around him and screams, “WHO PUSHED ME???!!”

Why did I run? There was a person who continuously “reminded” me that I needed to run for the Board three years ago. Relentlessly. I had no idea at first what that meant. But persistence paid…..so I was pushed.

Reform and Improve….I will have much on this topic in coming weeks. The current R.A. Board has the potential to institute major changes that are absolutely necessary in how the Board works FUNDAMENTALLY. The incumbents are smart and want things to run right. There are several reform candidates who could join them and really turn this ocean liner around. The idea that we have to continue to function in the same status quo ways, just because “that is how we do things around here” definitely needs to die a quick death. The current Board actually showed some promise in going in this direction. Nobody understands the inner workings of this Board and what needs to happen to get the RA  train on the right tracks and headed in the right direction.

REFORM and IMPROVE.

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

Here is a late-breaking news flash: The Reston community is undergoing massive growth and things are going to change. If Amazon chooses this area for its “HQ-2” site, this growth  will be exaggerated.

It is the 21st Century….major change is going to happen. Much more development is going to happen. However, this means we need to not only protect what open spaces we have; we need to expand them. There will be endless clashes; endless skirmishes; possible generation vs. generation viewpoints on what Reston “should” look like in the future.

Will we remain a vibrant and cohesive community, able to shape the growth in ways that make sense to us as a community? Will internal differences of opinion split the community, or will it lead to a different form of harmony and diversity than what people are accustomed to seeing?

Other concerns pale in comparison to these, but I have detailed position papers on many that I will soon release.

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

I have an expectation, not a hope.

An expectation that after spending the last six months in extremely positive environments, communicating with positive and forward-thinking people, that I can take an in-depth knowledge honed by 2 1/2 years of eye-opening recent experiencing on this RA Board, combine it with a refreshed spirit and new ideas, and convert these as follows:

• This Board has made great strides and shown a willingness to improve in directions I have supported and promoted for 2 1/2 years. But in many key areas, they have fallen short, and in those, they have defaulted back to the comfort of “doing what we do.” Now that I am fresh from the previous Board fights, full of knowledge/experience,  and have six months of needed reflection, I need just one year to help instill some common sense changes and bring a 21st century mentality into a system that has grown staid. Just one year.
• Convert “One Reston” from a slogan into a way of life and a community mind set.
• Hold people to the fire, especially myself, to slogans we all love to cite. In other words, don’t just say it, live it. Don’t just talk the talk, but walk the walk. The current five member incumbents on the RA Board all have the intelligence and community dedication to WANT to do this. The candidates running for the other four slots all appear to have this in their DNA as well…….I expect that this new Board can, and will, make major breakthroughs in acting as a Board that is touch with Reston’s people and with 21st century ways of solving problems and promoting positive changes. And the focus is always on the overall Community needs, not the expediency of the Board, the desires of Staff, or pleasing small groups of those who are very active in promoting their needs (not necessarily overall community needs).

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

My personal and professional experience with this institution and how it works (or doesn’t) overshadows other professional experiences. Having said that, the current Board totally ignored my opinion on issues that were “in my wheel house” last year. This should NEVER happen, and the demands on the volunteer Board have reached a point in which there are simply too many issues and too many extraneous things thrown to the Board that should be addressed elsewhere. This has led to valuable individual positions being ignored on MAJOR issues. This is a major point I plan to make in keeping the Board ON POINT with those things that truly require long-term guidance and sound decisions.

I have more degrees than a thermometer. I also am a Chartered Financial Analyst, CFA, which for those who are not aware, is a grueling designation that cannot be earned in less than three years. In my younger days I was employed at HUD, and truth be told, going to school at night became a way to alleviate much of the boredom of my day-to-day job. So now I can claim formal “expertise” in Psychology, History, Business Administration, Public Administration, Financial Markets, School-of-Hard-Knocks, and all sorts of other things I rarely use directly, but nonetheless….they are there.

I have worked in the most stultifying environments known to mankind (HUD in the 1970s and early-1980s), and the most free-wheeling, anything-goes capitalistic environment (Wall Street trading desks). I clearly do not want to see RA run along the lines of either model. However, I warn the community of this: The empire building that is underway and somewhat unchecked at RA is very reminiscent of the internal growth of HUD in the 1970s. Please do not allow that to happen in our Reston Government. It is the 21st century: take cues from the successful 21st century business leaders, and don’t allow endless silo-building within the organization to occur. This is not an easy fight, but a necessary one.

My current business is buying and selling residential real estate in Reston. I am “out and about” on a daily basis, and have a really good idea of the attributes in all of our Reston neighborhoods. It is my job to understand  the people of Reston, from age 20 to 100, whether living on a lake front home or in a 40-year old South Reston condo.

The bottom line is this: I KNOW how to focus on the major issues and how to make sure we fight for that which is important to the people. I did not get this from TCU, George Mason University, American University, or from working in the Federal Government or on Wall Street. I always try to live it. I always try to walk the walk.

Authenticity matters.

Reform and improve.

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 begin posting profiles on each of the candidates.

Featured here is John Bowman, 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?

I moved to Reston in 1985.  Visiting friends who lived in Reston then, I very much appreciated the concept of building infrastructure and community amenities, including open and natural spaces, simultaneously with residential and commercial development.  I believe this concept to be fundamental to the essence of Reston that we must strive to maintain as new and re-development occurs.

What inspired you to run for the board?

I am honored and privileged to have been selected by the board to fill an open seat in September 2017. I submit my selection was predicated on my 12+ years active participation on RA board advisory committees, for which I monitored and engaged with the Reston Planning & Zoning Committee and the Fairfax County Reston Master Plan Special Study Task Force and two previous board election campaigns – Hunters Woods & At-Large.

My community engagement started in 2006 with a group of neighbors when Fairfax County attempted to redevelop the Reston South Park & Ride under the auspices of an unsolicited public-private partnership proposal without sufficient input from the community. This experience taught me that RA members needed more peer input to constructively contribute to land use development and redevelopment actions.  So, I joined the RA Transportation Advisory Committee, of which I was a member, including chair & co-chair roles, until my appointment to the board. I currently serve as the board liaison to the Multimodal Transportation Advisory Committee.

My successful campaign will bring this experience to my continued service on the board.

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

Density, Density, Density …

When addressing RA member concerns, it is important to distinguish RA issues from greater Reston issues.  RA has no standing in Reston Town Center and the former Reston Center for Industry & Government (RCIG) – the properties roughly between Sunset Hills Dr. & Sunrise Valley Dr.  – we can “reason, cajol and call out” the county and developers for issues in those areas.

However, without any doubt, the single most important issue facing greater Reston today is the adverse impact of proposed and future land use development and re-development on the quality of life of RA members – particularly infrastructure and parks and open spaces, including golf courses.

Within the RA house, we must insist upon board and staff discipline to attain continual review of how we spend RA member’s assessment dollars.  Based upon the Tetra/Lake House experience, the current board has implemented a considerable number of internal controls to ensure proper due diligence when committing RA funds to projects.  I support continued maturing and application of these internal controls – particularly to demand complete, sufficient, and appropriate business case analysis of all proposed activities requesting RA funds in order to avert another Tetra.

Additionally, we must address those aspects of RA member service experience that detract from our member interaction.  Too often, member dissatisfaction derives from a lack of common sense application of RA guidelines.  It is time for RA to enforce the “spirit of the law” vs. literal reading of our resolutions, etc.  Many of our resolutions are written in a manner to address specific situations, thus rendering them less useful to both staff and members when seeking general guidance. We need to revisit RA documents that are written in a manner that appears to prohibit common sense interpretations.

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

My primary goals are RA fiscal discipline and maintaining the Reston sense of “place” within planned redevelopment. I feel an obligation to RA members to continue the direction that the current board has taken to unabashedly address internal financial discipline; continue our firm stance against negative impacts of excessive density; and require sound decision making by the board on careful study of matters being consider.

A staunch advocate for disciplined stewardship of our assessment dollars. I will support the increased fiscal discipline demonstrated by the current board, as evidenced by 1) implementing the Tetra/Lake House issue remediations delineated by the StoneTurn Group’s report; and 2) focusing on long range fiscal planning. Assessment increases should be enacted only in the most extreme circumstances.

I support this Board’s focus to bring more value to the members. Program funding initiatives must have valid business cases, including member and community benefits to serve a critical mass of RA members. This direction applies common sense and rationality to board actions, especially when determining use of the member’s assessment dollars.  We need to achieve and communicate the value proposition of RA membership to all members, including those who no longer, or do not yet, use RA programs or facilities.

Perhaps the most challenging, I advocate for standing firm with the county to control negative impacts of excessive density by applying pressure to the principals in land use and development issues. Pressing the County (we do have 60K+ residents 😊) to require compliance from property owners & developers with the guidelines in the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan – as described in Reston Master Plan – will be a positive force to preserve the Reston quality of life and sense of place.

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

I bring to RA 20+ years of progressively responsible corporate management, academic and association experience focused on business operations emphasizing financial and technology metrics to drive positive business outcomes. My relevant experience includes:

• RA Board of Directors (9/2017 – Present)
• Multiple RA Board Advisory Committees since 2006 – including Transportation Advisory Committee & Multimodal Transportation Advisory Committee (Co-Chair/Chair of both)
• 2008 RA Board Candidate (Hunters Woods); 2016 RA Board Candidate (At-Large)
• Past member Reston Citizens Association Board of Directors, founding Reston 2020 member
• West Virginia University (WVU) College of Creative Arts, Board of Visitors (2007-Present)
• WVU Music Alumni Association, Board of Directors (2005-Present)
• PMI Project Management Professional
• Certified Information System Security Professional
• Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) certified
• Doctor of Musical Arts, Catholic University
• Master of Science (Information Systems) (GMU)
• Private Pilot – Instrument Rated

My experience in the US Navy, in commercial consulting, government contracting, and corporate management combined with service on multiple boards and advisory groups for academia and associations positions me well to serve the RA by having learned the absolute need to “ask the next obvious question”, and to keeping asking until the ability to execute an idea that “sounds great” is actually validated or debunked.  

The current challenges to the RA Board from the membership for crisper and forward-looking land use actions are best met with disciplined action and input from the standing advisory committees.  I bring this discipline from my organizational and financial experience managing delivery elements of large business organizations.

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 begin posting profiles on each of the candidates.

Featured here is Julie Bitzer, who is facing one other candidate for the three-year South Lakes District seat. 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?

January 1980, 38 years ago – Reston just felt right, my “magical Reston” the term I use with family, friends, and co-workers.  And it was close to work in Tysons. A Hunters Woods Deepwood townhome was affordable as a starter home.  Fourteen years later, I moved to my current home of 24 years off the 14th hole of Reston National Golf Course.  

What inspired you to run for the board?

Reston had everything I wanted in a forever home. I had embraced the Bob Simon vision actualized through “Live, Work, Play” and the diversity of Restonians in age, culture, values and economics. I had open natural space and lakes, protected and accessible. I had village centers populated by small businesses within walking and biking distance. And I had a golf course threatened by developers where letting one open space slip away would open the door to more onslaughts and increased population density without promised infrastructure.

So, I put my own skin in the game as South Lakes District Director. Three years later, with still more to be done –  I run to continue working for “us”.

Having active involvement as board liaison on three RA committees –  Design Review Board, Covenants, and Parks & Recreation Advisory, I know where and how we can improve our member service. I’ve supported members navigating the RA process for covenants and design review, clusters’ property & trail access, boat & lake policy, and even commercial redevelopment. One “fight” as director was to ensure the County was held accountable for stream restoration off South Lakes – a long-neglected erosion and safety issue.  Enduring the loss of Tall Oaks Village Center to residential development, I will fight to preserve our South Lakes Village Center, proactively working with RA’s Land Use Development team.

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

We stand to lose our sense of community, the very spirit and essence of the Reston vision as we face external forces of growth and fiscal assessment pressure. How can we effectively reach both old and new members, and unite?

RA must deliver a tangible return on our assessment dollars, reflective of our needs and wants. We must continue to seek more efficient and optimal methods to deliver value; yet RA expenditure decisions must not be reduced to a purely monetary business case scenario. Facilities and programs supporting our community and shared experiences could be significantly impacted or eliminated depending on the election outcome – such as our neighborhood walkable pools, our camps, Walker Nature Center, and ad hoc programming by which to enjoy Reston’s amenities.  We’re a non-profit, established to provide services that support a fiscally responsible best quality way of life.

I want all voices in our community to be heard and reflected on our RA board.  A board made up of independent and individual thinkers, contributing to open transparent dialog.

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

In our greater community, there are many opportunities to volunteer and serve.  As an elected RA district director, my direct focus has been and will be on RA’s mission as a homeowner’s association, delivering valued, responsive and continually improving service cost-effectively. My priorities are –

#1 – Giving members what they value. From my conversations, it’s often about member service, making it easier to interact with RA – think Covenants, Design Review, pool & tennis passes. It’s about making sure we maintain and improve facilities – think pools/tennis/fields/trails/pavilions. To date, we have addressed facilities on an individual basis – think Hook Road or Pony Barn. We should evaluate our facilities long term future collectively against RA’s changing demographics.  Tackling this comprehensive analysis in phases, we should start with all pools in 2018 as we are faced with decisions on Thoreau pool’s future beyond the 2018 swim season (to repair, replace, some want to close?)

#2 – Continuing partnerships with grass-roots, citizen-led initiatives, lending support and voice where our RA and community interests align and are impacted by County and external forces. This includes organizations like Rescue Reston for open space, Reston Citizens Association and the Coalition for a Planned Reston (CPR) with its focus on population density and infrastructure support.

#3 – Ensuring RA matures its business processes and operations controls to a standard, best practices level that is comparable to an equally-sized commercial business.  

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

I bring four decades of corporate experience in delivering quality solutions, programs and services to the Federal Government. My sales and marketing background provide strategic and tactical skills in identifying and meeting customer requirements.  My professional and graduate education provide expertise in best practices for business operations and controls. My Masters in Landscape Design supports my work with RA’s Design Review Board. Personally, I thrive in and have demonstrable skill in consensus-building, finding the win-win for all parties involved.

Find more information at facebook.com/Julie4RA.

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

Photo by Reston Association

Meet Reston Association Candidates Next week – There are 13 candidates running for seats on RA’s Board of Directors. Check out three opportunities to meet them. [Reston Today]

Jumping Off Ship – John Jumper is retiring from the board of directors of Leidos. The company plans to move its headquarters to a future trophy tower in Reston Town Center. [Washington Business Journal]

Vote on Renaissance Centro Project Expected Tonight – The county’s Planning Commission will vote on the Renaissance Centro project tonight. The proposal calls for replacing offices on Old Reston Avenue with 20-story condos. [Reston Now]

Enjoy “Expressions of the Soul” Today — eMotion, a local dance group with dancers ranging from ages eight to 65, will performance today at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20. [Reston Community Center]

Body Cameras Go Live This Week— Police officers in the Reston police district will be equipped with body cameras beginning this week. During the six-month pilot program, cameras will record anytime officers respond to a scene and during routine traffic stops. [NBC 4]

Maame Biney Looks Forward to Beijing 2022 — Over the weekend, Biney finished last in the 1,500-meter short-track speedskating heat. She also finished fourth in the quarterfinals for the 500-meter race.  The 18-year-old made history by becoming the first black woman to make the U.S. Olympic speedskating team. [The Washington Post]

Meet Reston Association Board Candidates — There are four open seats on RA’s board of directors. E-meet the 13 candidates who are running by watching their online videos. [RA]

Hiccups on the Metro Line This Morning — Metro trains did not share a track on the Blue and Silver lines this morning. Backups were caused by a report of smoke. [The Washington Post]

Photo by Twitter user @MrErrett

Public forums to engage with the 13 candidates vying for seats on Reston Association’s Board of Directors are slated for the end of the month.

There are 11 candidates are running for three at-large board seats and two candidates are running for the South Lakes District seat in an election that could dramatically alter the makeup of the board.

The at-large candidates’ forum for candidates seeking a three-year term is set for Monday, Feb. 26 from 7-9 p.m. at RA headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive). The forum for South Lakes candidates and at-large candidates seeking a one-year term is set for the next day at the same time and place. A tentative rain date is set for March 1.

The breakdown of candidates is as follows:

• Two at-large seats (three-year term): Aaron Webb, Colin Meade, Derrick Watkins, John Pinkman, Sridhar Ganesan, Travis G. Johnson and Ven Iyer
• At-large seat (one-year term): Andy Sigle, David Ballard, John Bowman, Ray Wedell
• South Lakes District seat (three-year term): Tammi Petrine and Julie Bitzer

The voting period for the election is March 5 through April 2. Results will be announced on April 10 at the annual members’ meeting at 7 p.m.

Stay tuned for candidate profiles on Reston Now in the coming weeks. Information on each candidate is available on RA’s website.

File photo.

Thirteen Restonians are vying for four seats on Reston Association’s Board of Directors in this year’s election.

The nine-member board is up for a major shake-up this year. Eleven candidates are running for three at-large board seats and two candidates are running for the South lakes District seat for a three-year term.

All races are contested. A breakdown of the candidates, who were certified earlier this week, is below. Seven candidates are running for two at-large seats with three-year terms:

• Aaron Webb
• Colin Meade
• Derrick Watkins
• John Pinkman
• Sridhar Ganesan (appointed as treasurer due to board vacancy)
• Travis G. Johnson
• Ven Iyer

Four candidates are running for another at-large seat for a one-year term:

• Andy Sigle
• David Ballard
• John Bowman (current at-large director)
• Ray Wedell

Tammi Petrine is challenging Julie Bitzer for the South Lakes District seat.

Voting opens on March 5. Results will be announced on April 10.

The nine-member board consists of eight directors, who are elected for three-year, staggered terms by members, and one director elected by apartment owners. Four of the eight directors are district-level representatives while others are elected by the membership at-large.

Reston Now will publish candidate profiles in the coming weeks. Submitted candidate statements are available on RA’s website. Candidates are listed in alphabetized form.

For more information, email the elections committee at [email protected] or call 703-435-6530. Information is also available on RA’s website, including an elections calendar.

Inquiries from a pair of candidates who came up short in the 2017 Reston Association Board of Directors election did not turn up any “voting irregularities,” RA’s Elections Committee says.

At Monday’s Board Operations Committee meeting, Elections Committee chair Ed Robichaud presented findings from an analysis of the 2017 RA Board election and its administrative procedures. Among the issues addressed were requests for voter data from Ven Iyer and Arlene Krieger, the runners-up in the At-Large and North Point District races.

According to Robichaud’s report, Iyer and Krieger requested information regarding the IP addresses and time stamps for online voting on April 3, which was the last day of voting. Iyer spoke during the member-comment portion of the May 25 Board of Directors meeting to explain his concerns, which regarded the way Reston Association handles the voting process.

“Did you know that anyone can contact RA claiming that they lost their paper or email ballot, and RA will provide them with a username and password to vote?” Iyer said. “It is easy for an entity to spoof several identities to collect usernames and passwords, and then on the final day, bulk vote for a favorable outcome.”

Iyer finished second in a six-candidate race for the At-Large seat, 117 votes behind Eric Carr in a race that saw 8,534 votes counted. Krieger was defeated by John Mooney by a vote of 1,384 votes to 1,069.

The Elections Committee agreed there was a higher-than-normal voter turnout on the day in question, but attributed it to a direct email reminder to voters that was sent that day. The committee did, however, agree to request the information from Intelliscan Inc., RA’s appointed counting agent for the election.

While Intelliscan does not capture IP addresses, it was able to provide time stamps of votes cast throughout the entire voting period. The Elections Committee reviewed the data and determined:

“The April 3 volume and timing of voting is consistent with other dates when reminder emails were sent. At the conclusion of its due diligence, the Elections Committee has determined that there is no credible evidence of online voting irregularities.”

In regard to the possible loophole Iyer mentioned, the Elections Committee is asking the Board to consider an amendment to the Elections and Referenda Resolutions. The new code would read that “[b]efore issuing a replacement paper ballot or the username and password to an electronic ballot, the Assistant Secretary shall verify the identity of the Member using one or more identity verification questions including but not limited to their property’s development name, RA voting District, and/or billing and correspondence addresses on file with the Association.”

Graph via Reston Association Elections Committee

Eric Carr, John Mooney and Victoria White were announced Tuesday at Reston Association’s annual Members’ Meeting as the winners of the three contested races in the 2017 Reston Association Board of Directors election.

Carr won a six-person race for an At-Large seat on the board, defeating runner-up Ven Iyer by 117 votes in a race that saw 8,534 votes counted. The full breakdown of votes in the race:

• Carr: 2,493 votes (29.2 percent)
• Iyer: 2,376 votes (27.8 percent)
• Mike Collins: 1,404 votes (16.5 percent)
• HeidiAnne Werner: 1,121 votes (13.1 percent)
• Roberto Anguizola: 647 votes (7.6 percent)
• Charles Dorfeuille: 296 votes (3.5 percent)
• Abstain: 197 (2.3 percent)

“I think it’s clear from the turnout, the number of candidates and the number of votes, that this is a very impassioned community that got involved because of the changes that are happening here,” said Carr, who won a three-year term. “It’s a community that really embraced that idea that we need to take a new interest in how the organization is run, and I think that as you look at the results across the board, you see that.”

Mooney and White each won head-to-head matchups with their challengers. Mooney earned a two-year term as the North Point District representative with 1,384 votes to opponent Arlene Krieger‘s 1,069. He will serve the remaining two years of the term won in the 2016 election by Dannielle LaRosa, who stepped down.

“I’m very grateful to the voters, the members, for putting their trust in me,” Mooney said. “I hope to serve the board as best I can, and the Association as best I can. [There are] a lot of challenges, but I’m looking forward to it.”

White, meanwhile, earned a three-year team as the Hunters Woods/Dogwood District representative with 1,026 votes to opponent Syazana Durrani‘s 456.

“I’m looking forward to reminding the RA that the Hunters Woods/Dogwood District exists and reminding them that there are a lot of great community members who have probably not been getting involved because they haven’t been happy,” she said. “I’m really excited to remind the RA of that.”

David Bobzien, who was unopposed in the race for Apartment Owners’ representative, will also join the board for a three-year term.

“I’m sort of coming full circle, since I’ve lived here since 1975 and have been active in the community and was on the Planning Commission during some of the early development,” he said. “Now we’re looking at all this re-development, so I’m just looking to do my part and help out wherever I can.”

The four new board members will sit in on their first meeting tonight, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at RA Headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive). The agenda includes the election of officers, and discussion of committees and upcoming training. CEO Cate Fulkerson will also present the board with its 2017 calendar and strategic issues for consideration in the next three months.

The new members join continuing members Julie Bitzer, Sherri Hebert, Michael Sanio, Eve Thompson and Ray Wedell on the board.

In total, 4,918 ballots were tallied for the election — a voter turnout of about 18.97 percent. The North Point District had the highest percentage (24.79) of ballots returned; Hunters Woods/Dogwood (13.74 percent) had the lowest.

Board of Directors Election Winners Announced — David Bobzien, Eric Carr, John Mooney and Victoria White were announced Tuesday night as the winners of the Reston Association Board of Directors election. A full story will be posted later today on Reston Now. [Reston Association]

Report: Man Charged With Sexual Abuse Was Deported Felon — Media in D.C. reports that Oscar Perez Rangel, charged with sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in Herndon, had previously been deported and was in the country illegally. [NBC Washington/WJLA]

Connolly: Hate Graffiti an Attack on Society — Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Fairfax) says of anti-Semitic vandalism at the Jewish Community Center and Little River United Church of Christ in Annandale that “an attack on one faith is an attack on all.” [Rep. Gerry Connelly/Facebook]

GMU Professor, Students to Perform in Reston — A free concert Thursday by Dr. Patricia Miller, director of vocal studies at George Mason University, and her advanced students will include performances from Gilbert and Sullivan’s opera “Iolanthe.” [Reston Community Center]

At the annual Members’ Meeting on Tuesday at Reston Association Headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive), the four new members of RA’s Board of Directors will be introduced.

In this year’s Reston Association board election, which ended April 3, 11 candidates ran for four positions. The winners of the election, to be announced Tuesday, will replace outgoing board members Ellen Graves, Dannielle LaRosa, Lucinda Shannon and Jeff Thomas.

The new members will join continuing members Julie Bitzer, Sherry Hebert, Michael Sanio, Eve Thompson and Ray Wedell on the board.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting:

• Board President Ellen Graves will give the “State of the Association” report
• CEO Cate Fulkerson will provide her report
• the 2016 Reston Association Employee of the Year Award will be given out
• members will be given time for comment

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The board will meet for its initial meeting Wednesday. On the agenda for that meeting is the election of officers, and discussion of committees and upcoming training. Fulkerson will also present the board with its 2017 calendar and strategic issues for consideration in the next three months.

That meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, also at RA Headquarters.

Both meetings will also be streamed live on Reston Association’s YouTube channel.

Rain, Rain Go Away — Rain that is expected to inundate the area through Friday is forecast to vacate later tonight. Saturday looks to be dry but cloudy, with sun coming back Sunday. Temperatures in the 50s and 60s will make for a nice weekend. [Capital Weather Gang]

RA Election Ends Monday — There are only a few days left to get your ballot in for the Reston Association Board of Directors election. Voting can be done online through RA’s website. Winners will be announced at the annual members’ meeting April 11. [Reston Association]

Submit a Video to Fairfax County Board — In what it says is an attempt to increase the amount of public participation in hearings, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is encouraging residents to submit pre-recorded comments via YouTube. The video-submission program will first be used for the county’s public budget hearings April 5-6. [Fairfax County]

Local Student Presents at Alabama Conference — Christine Roesch, of Reston, was one of 500 University of Alabama undergraduate students who were selected to showcase their research and creative projects during the school’s annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Conference earlier this week. Her project was titled “The Layout of Grass and a Trip to Starbucks Can Influence Which Way You Walk to Class.” According to her Facebook page, Roesch is a psychology major with a criminal justice minor. [University of Alabama]