RA's Consensus Builder Steps Down
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RA's Consensus Builder Steps Down

Suzi Jones completes her term as RA president.

When Suzi Jones was first elected to the Reston Association Board of Directors in 1981, the board was about to start overhauling the organization's governing documents, a massive undertaking that requires several years of work.

More than 20 years later, Jones is stepping down as president of the board as RA is for the first time since the early 1980s working to amend those same documents, which are the guidelines that dictate how Reston is governed.

While Jones will remain active in RA's push to implement the proposed changes to the governing documents, she will be doing it from the sidelines. Last week, on Thursday night, Jones presided over her final RA board meeting, saying she was proud of the work the board had done during her term and that the community was better off for its efforts.

"I have really enjoyed this," Jones said. "We've gotten a lot done in the last three years."

During Jones' tenure as president, RA has accomplished several feats that will change the community landscape. Foremost among these are the successful passage of the Southgate Recreational Center, slated to begin construction in the near future, and also the passage of the Nature House, which is scheduled to begin construction this summer.

Another major accomplishment by the RA board under Jones' leadership was the approval of a plan to protect Reston's waterways, which have become threatened by development. Implementing the plan will be funded by developers in its entirety.

Overall, Jones estimated that the board has saved Reston citizens more than $10 million in the last three years by using alternative sources of financing for community projects, often by securing private and corporate donations.

"That's a lot of money that we've not had to pay for with assessments," she said. "These are significant amounts of money we've been able to bring it. It's phenomenal."

IN THE PAST, the RA board has been marked by bitter divisions among members, often preventing swift action for the betterment of Reston, said several current board members. Under Jones' guidance, however, board members found common ground and worked through their differences, they said.

"She really has the ability to bring anybody on the same page," said RA Director Vicki Wingert (at-large). "We're able to disagree amicably and move on."

That's largely due to Jones' ability to see past the disagreement and find the mutually beneficial solution that would benefit the whole of Reston, said John Higgans, the board's treasurer.

"She finds the positive in everybody's position," Higgans said. "And she keeps her eye on the ball."

RA Director Barbara Aaron (Hunters Woods/Dogwood), who ran for her position because Jones encouraged her, said she would not have taken the position if the board had not run so smoothly under Jones' leadership.

"If it had been as contentious as it had in the past, I wouldn't have run," she said.

The RA board will sorely miss Jones' style and her ability to build consensus on the issues facing the community, Aaron said.

"She doesn't try to be the boss of everybody," she said. "And she always led the board where we needed to be headed."

NOW THAT Jones has stepped down from the RA board, she says she will be focusing more on her business, a human resources consulting firm that specializes in staff and board development.

Jones' at-large seat will be filled in the next few weeks, when one of four candidates is elected to the position. The high interest in running, Jones said, is a direct result of the board's ability to get along and put Reston first.

"I'm delighted to see so many people willing to serve," she said. "This is a volunteer job that takes many, many hours. But it's about people coming together for the betterment of the community."