Three Republican candidates are seeking their party’s nomination to run for Sully District supervisor. The nominee will be selected April 25, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., at a Firehouse Primary at Westfield High. The winner will face Democrat School Board member Kathy Smith to replace the retiring Michael Frey (R) as Sully District supervisor.
Neighborhood – Virginia Run, Centreville
Occupation – Attorney, small business owner
Family information – Married to KayAnn Schoeneman, one son, Nicholas Schoeneman (age 4)
Accomplishments in the community:
- Electoral Board - Ran nine elections during tenure on Electoral Board;
- Managed the closest recount in Virginia history;
- Successfully completed the purchase and implementation of a new voting system for the county, including state-of-the-art equipment for disabled voters, and brought the project in on-time and under budget;
- Expanded absentee-in person voting;
- Expanded voluntary translations of voting material into Korean and Vietnamese;
- Implemented the General Assembly’s new photo ID law smoothly with no evidence of voter suppression or intimidation;
- Innovative use of social media in election administration;
- Coordinated with law enforcement on investigation and referrals of alleged instances of voter fraud;
- Wescott Ridge Homeowners Association - Successfully cut our budget and kept community assessments from increasing for entire tenure on Board (5 years);
- Fairfax County Economic Advisory Commission - Worked with the commission to develop the EAC’s economic strategic plan; currently serve on the Implementation Committee;
- Served on Fairfax County Bi-Partisan Election Process Improvement Commission, created to address concerns after the 2012 Presidential election;
- Fairfax Bar Association President’s Award, 2013
- Ran for Virginia House of Delegates, 37th House District 2011
Organizations (volunteer or otherwise) served on:
- Secretary, Fairfax County Electoral Board (2 years);
- Vestryman, St. John’s Church Lafayette Square (1 year);
- President, International Propeller Club of the United States DC Chapter (7 years);
- Fairfax County Economic Advisory Commission (4 years);
- Vice President, Wescott Ridge Homeowners Association (4 years);
- Fairfax County Bi-Partisan Election Process Improvement Commission;
- Board of Directors, George Washington University Alumni Association (2 years);
- Founder and President, GW Graduate School of Political Management Alumni Association (2 years);
- Fairfax County Republican Committee (8 years);
- American Bar Association;
- Fairfax Bar Association
Why run for supervisor?
I love Fairfax County. Fairfax is the best place in American to live, work and raise a family, and I want to do my part to help keep it that way. Working together, we can keep taxes low, create economic opportunity, support our schools and keep government open and transparent.
Platform – What do you believe are the important issues facing the Sully District and what would you do about them?
- Keeping taxes low – We need to ensure that taxes aren’t pushing homeowners out of their homes. When the values of our homes rise, the tax rate should be reduced to keep revenue steady and to ensure that taxes don’t rise. We should work to expand economic development, revitalization and redevelopment to create jobs and expand our tax base, which raises revenue we need for core government functions without requiring tax increases.
- Economic Development – Fairfax is sitting on almost 20 million square feet of vacant office space, and Sully accounts for a portion of that. Having served on the Economic Advisory Commission for four years, I’ve worked with leaders in government and the community to develop a strategic plan to expand economic opportunity in Fairfax, persuade businesses to relocate here, and help entrepreneurs create the jobs of the 21st century here. I will also work to reduce red tape and obstacles in the planning and permitting processes that deter businesses from locating here.
- Transportation – Sully District is plagued with transportation snafus and areas where we need to focus resources to get people moving again. Whether it’s chronic problems with I-66, the expansion and development of the Route 28 corridor or any of our other transportation concerns, it’s critical that we focus our attention and our resources on three things – congestion relief, safety and reliability.
- Education – Fairfax schools are some of the best in the nation, and we need to keep them that way. Working with the School Board, we need to focus our scarce resources where they do the most good — in the classroom. We also need to recognize that solving our education problems doesn’t have to involve throwing money we don’t have at the problem. We need to make students and teachers our priorities, and ensure the School Board is held accountable for the budgets they propose.
- Transparency – Thanks to technology, we can provide more and better information to the public than ever before. I want to work to ensure that as much information as we can is put out before the public, who have a right to know what government is doing. I will work to be the most accessible Supervisor on the Board, and ensure that every Sully resident has the information they need and deserve. Good government must be open, honest and transparent and I’m committed to good government.
Why should people elect you? Why are you the best person for the job?
Since my family chose to move to Fairfax County nearly 10 years ago, I have been working at the local level, in the community, and within the Republican Party to help keep Fairfax a great place to live. My background, my experience, and my willingness to take a positive message that emphasizes what I want to do in office make me stand out from the Republican field in this campaign.
No campaign has been as forthright, accessible and honest about the issues than mine has been throughout this campaign. We’ve focused on the positive, refused to sling mud against our opponents, and talked about the issues that matter here in Sully. That’s not just how I campaign — that’s how I intend to govern. We need a fighter, but we also need someone who will get things done. I am both, and that’s why I’m the best candidate for Sully supervisor.