Campaigning for City Council, Karen Habitzreuther chats with Dong Dang, owner of Eastwind restaurant in Old Town Fairfax.
While much of the country is focused on the 2018 national midterm elections, City of Fairfax residents are more immediately interested in what happens on Sept. 12. That’s when a special election will be held to fill a vacant seat on City Council.
Councilman Dan Drummond has held that seat since David Meyer became mayor in February. But it’s just temporary, and a new Council member must be elected to fill Meyer’s former seat. And 16-year City resident Karen Habitzreuther hopes she’ll be that person.
An Army veteran, she retired as a lieutenant colonel and now wants to bring her leadership abilities to Fairfax. She is one of two women vying for the job. “I believe our City of Fairfax is at a significant crossroads right now,” said Habitzreuther. “We need to embrace and leverage the future to stay relevant, and we want to retain our cherished, legendary, hometown values.
“Many folks think these goals are mutually exclusive,” she said. “But both are possible by actively listening to fellow residents and business owners, providing common-sense leadership and ensuring intelligent, market-driven growth that sustains a business-friendly climate to keep our taxes down and our City thriving.”
As a 28-year Army veteran, Habitzreuther commanded units from platoon through battalion, flew Black Hawk helicopters in various military theaters of operation and headed up multi-level organizations, even as a junior officer. Following her military service, she earned a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Virginia Tech, where she’s currently a Masters of Public Health candidate. Her focus is on Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology to help protect families here and abroad.
As a City resident, she’s been involved in bettering the community by serving on the Architecture Review Board of her homeowners’ association and volunteering at the Fairfax County Humane Society headquartered in the City. She’s also a mother of four and grandmother of six.
For more information, go to www.karenforfairfax.com.